Dick Durbin: “I enjoyed this debate. It has been over 15 years since the Senate has had real debate on immigration. The Simpson…”

“I enjoyed this debate. It has been over 15 years since the Senate has had real debate on immigration. The Simpson- Mazzoli bill was the last time the Senate seriously looked at this issue, and it took us years to finally come up with a bill. We have not seriously addressed changes since. There have been dramatic changes across America in immigration patterns, the number of people coming in, certainly issues of national security. If there is ever an issue we should address in comprehensive fashion, it is immigration. I commend President Bush. We do not see eye to eye on many things, but I commend him for his leadership in suggesting we debate immigration. His proposal is not one I embrace in its entirety, but it at least opened the debate. Many were critical of it, some lauded it, but at least he had the courage to step up and say: Let's debate it. Now comes the sense-of-the-Senate resolution that says we have an important bill before us relative to the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and tsunami relief. Senator Cornyn, a Republican of Texas, and Senator Feinstein, a Democrat of California, have said this bill should not include immigration provisions.…”