María Elvira Salazar: “let me first begin by making some acknowledgments as we move forward on this debate on immigration reform for our…”

“let me first begin by making some acknowledgments as we move forward on this debate on immigration reform for our country. First, to the majority leader, Senator Reid, for having kept the feet to the fire in this Chamber so that we finally will have an opportunity to move on to one of the most important national security issues that our Nation faces today. I appreciate his efforts and his leadership to help lead our country in a way where we deal effectively with this very difficult and contentious issue of immigration reform. I also thank the President of the United States, President Bush, and his Cabinet Secretaries Chertoff and Gutierrez for the work they have done now over the last 3 months as we have tried to put together a comprehensive immigration reform proposal that will work for our country. I thank my colleagues in the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats, who have come together in good faith to try to deal with this very important issue. I know we have a long week ahead of us as we move forward with the immigration debate on the reform proposal in the Senate. I am confident at the end of the day the national security of this country will require us to move forward with passage of legislation that will bring our Nation into the 21st-century reality of the immigration challenges that we face.”