Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act--Continued--
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, let me begin by thanking the majority leader for his extraordinary leadership on this bill--and both sides, it has been a very tough negotiation. The Gang of 8--Senator Flake, Senator Bennet, Senator Rubio, Senator Menendez, Senator Graham, Senator Durbin, Senator McCain, and Senator Schumer--have worked very hard to bring a bill to the floor that, in my view, is not perfect, but it is balanced. It accomplishes many of the principles of fixing our broken immigration system. They have worked extraordinarily hard.
Let me also thank Senator Leahy and Senator Grassley as the chair and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee that considered more than 300 amendments and voted on 121. I am disappointed, as are many people, that we did not get more votes on the floor, but I came to the floor earlier in the week and predicted that would happen. It is unfortunate, but it is not the first time. I have seen this movie.
Members on the other side are disappointed, some of us are disappointed, and we are hoping we can find a more productive way forward. That is why I have spent some time on the floor talking about a step toward a more productive way.
A few of us on both sides of this debate--some of us are voting against the bill, and some of us are voting for the bill--have been working on a small package of amendments that have bipartisan support, no substantive objection, and we are trying to get a short, small list cleared by both sides. We have been working on this all week.
I appreciate the patience of every Member of the Senate because this has been a very tense, very emotional debate for many Members. As I have said, in a goodwill attempt to get the Senate moving in a little bit better direction toward bipartisanship and goodwill, I am not going to ask to push this vote back--which would be my right to do, but I will not. Many Members have important schedules to keep and commitments to keep, as do I.
I will be circulating a list. I believe I will be circulating it with Senator Coats, who is going to be voting against the bill. I am going to be voting for the bill. We are going to be circulating within the next 2 hours a short list of the amendments that we believe have been cleared by both the Judiciary Committee and the majority and minority. I am not going to provide the list at this period because it has been reviewed in various shapes and ways throughout the week.
We are working with Senator Leahy and working with Senator Grassley. Just so people understand--hopefully, if they are not convinced how sincere I am about this, I want my colleagues to know I am removing my amendments from this list. There will be no Landrieu amendments on this list. This is not an attempt to get Landrieu amendments passed, as important as I think they are. I am fortunate that I got in at least one amendment for adopted kids on the bill. I am not complaining. That is the way it goes. But I don't want people to think I am trying to get a unanimous consent on my amendments, so I am taking my amendments off the list. It will not be circulated.
The list that will be circulated is by leaders, both Republicans and Democrats, who have--could I have order, please?
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. LANDRIEU. The list of amendments that will be circulated has Democratic and Republican sponsors that have been cleared by Senator Grassley and Senator Leahy. They will work with their individual Members to see if the list can be cleared. There will be no votes, as is the unanimous consent. It will have to be done, as we call it here, hot-lined, and we will have to have 100 of us say yes. But I am asking my colleagues to say yes. I am asking them to say yes, to take a step in the right direction. I am not accusing anyone of anything. I am not blaming the Democrats or the Republicans.
I am just saying I think we should take a small step toward trying to get the Senate back on track. I don't know what is going to happen after the immigration bill, if we are going to engage in any rule change. I have tried not to make any inflammatory statements about that one way or the other.
This is a sincere effort on my part--and Senator Coats has been helpful as well--to try to put forth a small package. I am not asking for a debate or a rollcall vote. It would have to be done by consent in a small package, and I am removing my amendments.
I thank the Senate. I am asking all of my colleagues--it is going to take 100 of us. If one person says no, this will be stopped. I hope we can end on a more positive note. A lot of hard work has gone into this bill. I know there are terrible disappointments. I am not one of those who are disappointed. I am happy with the outcome.
I am trying to help get a small package that people have been working on that will not affect the number of this vote in any way. The vote is going to be the same. It is going to be 68 to 32. Was that the final vote? That is what it is going to be at 4 p.m. It is not going to change a thing. It will solve some problems several people have on subjects that are important to the constituents we represent at home.
Again, I am taking my amendments off the list.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I appreciate both leaders for giving some time for this.
Several of us have been working all week on a package of amendments that were bipartisan and cleared by both Senator Grassley's and Senator Hatch's staff. We appreciate their work so much. We are, unfortunately, not able to get unanimous consent. We tried. I thank them very much for their effort. They stuck with us all the way to the end.
Hopefully this bill will begin to build a bipartisan coalition of Senators who wish to truly solve problems for our country. Our coalition that worked on this is both people for and against the bill. We were not able to get it cleared. We are not discouraged and will continue to work.
I thank Senator Hatch and Senator Grassley.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source