Barbara Boxer: “It is very rare that I have such a strong disagreement with my friend, Ted Kennedy, but I don't understand the agitation…”

“It is very rare that I have such a strong disagreement with my friend, Ted Kennedy, but I don't understand the agitation over an amendment that simply says that a program that allows 200,000 foreign workers in here, a generalized program--this isn't AgJOBS, which is a specific industry program that we know we need because we know right now half the workers are foreign workers; this is a generalized, open program, 200,000 foreign workers a year. I think Senator Dorgan and I and others have shown that American workers are going to be hurt by this. So why is there so much angst about sunsetting a program that will allow in now 200,000 people a year? It was 400,000. Thanks to the Bingaman amendment, it is down. This is a modest amendment. This is a sensible amendment.”