Bill Clinton: “I know there are very strongly held and honestly felt disagreements in this Chamber on the legislation before us. Many…”

“I know there are very strongly held and honestly felt disagreements in this Chamber on the legislation before us. Many of these differences are mirrored across our country. The issue of immigration strikes deeply at our values and our concept of America and stirs our emotions. While we may reach different conclusions, we all have to begin at the same place. Our immigration system is in crisis. I have concerns about this underlying bill, but we all do. This is not the bill any of us individually would have written and produced for the Senate's consideration. But I commend the primary sponsors for bringing this to the floor of the Senate so we can debate the issues it raises and try to craft a solution that simultaneously honors our Nation's strong immigrant heritage and respects the rule of law. As a nation, we place a premium on compassion, respect, and policies that help families. But our immigration laws don't reflect that. In fact, our current laws tear families apart. For lawful permanent residents and their spouses and minor children, this bill not only fails to help them, it actually makes matters worse. It is time to take all the rhetoric about family values and put it into action and show that we mean what we say when we talk about putting families first. That is what my amendment does. This amendment is a bipartisan amendment offered with Senator Hagel and Senator Menendez.”