Judd Gregg: “the essence of this bill for most Americans, I believe, is the need and the desire to secure the border, to make sure…”

“the essence of this bill for most Americans, I believe, is the need and the desire to secure the border, to make sure that people coming across our border are coming across legally, that we know who they are, and that we are able to manage our border. It is a national disgrace that we have been unable to control the illegal flow of people into our country, especially the massive illegal flow of people across the southwestern border into this country. So I don't believe there is really ever going to be a consensus around major immigration reform, which I happen to strongly support. I supported last year's bill introduced by Senator Kennedy and Senator McCain. I support the effort this year in concept, although I still want to see how it is going to end up in detail. But there will never be a consensus support for major immigration reform, which we need so dearly in this country, unless the American people can be confident that the border is secure as the first condition of immigration reform. Thus, I think it was really a touch of genius--and I don't think I overstate that--by Senator Isakson from Georgia to come up with this idea of a trigger over a year ago so that it would be clear that the precondition of major immigration reform would be that the border would be secure, especially the southwestern border. I congratulate Senator Isakson for that initiative, and it is included in this bill in concept in that the trigger is in place.”