Mr. President, just a short time ago, the Senator from Arizona, my colleague, Senator John McCain, came to the floor and made an issue about the way we are proceeding on the Defense authorization bill. Senator McCain, who is the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, with Chairman Carl Levin, objected to several amendments which will be considered under this bill. One in particular is an amendment, a bill which I first introduced in its earliest form in the Senate almost 10 years ago. It is known as the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act is a legislative effort to solve a serious problem, and the problem is this: There are many young people who were brought to America by their undocumented parents. They came at the age of a few months old, 2 years, 3 years, 10 years of age, 12 years of age. There was no family vote on whether they were coming to America; they were packed up and brought. Some came over legally and then became illegal because their visas were not extended. Some entered the country illegally. In every instance, these were children who were brought with their parents. These children have grown up in America. They have gone to our schools. They have participated in community activities. They have now reached an age where they are finishing high school, many of them, and they believe they are Americans.…
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