Political Quotes

“I would like to finish the comments I made about this temporary protected status so the record is clear for colleagues who are following this important debate--and particularly our Lebanese- American friends who are watching this, I am sure, with great interest, because of the efforts of the Senator from Michigan--I would like to put in the Record at this point that in 1990, Congress enacted the Temporary Protected Status Statute. It grants that for 1 year nationals from El Salvador who were residing in the United States the right to stay. That was done of course because of hostilities. After that, the Attorney General, administratively, in consultation with the State Department, granted this as well to residents from the following countries: Kuwait, Rwanda, Lebanon--this was during the period from 1991 to March of 1993--Kosovo, the provinces of Serbia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, and Angola and Sierra Leon. I might also say to the Senator from Michigan, what we are hoping to add, as a separate bill that might pass independently or be part of this bill, is consistent with what we are currently doing. We have offered this temporary relief from deportation or temporary protected status to those who are from the countries of Burundi, El Salvador, Honduras, Liberia, Nicaragua, Somalia, and Sudan. The reason I raise these issues is I want all my colleagues to know what we are suggesting is entirely consistent with the values of previous administrations of both political parties.…”