María Elvira Salazar: “I come here today first to make some comments about the legislation that is before the Chamber. I can think of no…”

“I come here today first to make some comments about the legislation that is before the Chamber. I can think of no greater responsibility for this Senate to take on than to make sure our homeland is in fact secure and protected. I commend my colleagues, the chairman, Senator Joe Lieberman, and Senator Susan Collins, the ranking member, for having worked with the committee to have brought a very good product here to the floor of the Senate. It is legislation I strongly support. It moves our country in the right direction in terms of making sure we are moving forward with the appropriate level of homeland security. When the people of Colorado chose me to represent them here in this Chamber, I made a promise to them that protecting our homeland and supporting law enforcement would be among my very highest priorities. In the 2 years-plus since I took that oath of office, I have had the privilege of working hard to fulfill that pledge with my colleagues here in the Senate. With the help of colleagues of both parties, I have been privileged to help pass the Combat Meth Act, I have been privileged to help find bipartisan support on the PATRIOT Act, provide resources for law enforcement and emergency responders, and pass, last year, a comprehensive immigration reform bill that secured our borders and enforced our laws. Great challenges remain.…”