On the recordMay 15, 2024
I want to join the Senator from Connecticut in thanking Senator Murphy for his leadership, not only in bringing this group together today but also of this very important bill and effort to take on the issues on the border. As we face global and domestic threats, including a surge at the border, securing our borders and points of entry could not be more important. We had this opportunity to move forward in a bipartisan manner on a broad reform bill that Senators Murphy, Lankford, and Sinema spent months negotiating. For those of us who had bills that were part of that effort, including the Afghan Adjustment Act, I saw firsthand the detailed work they did, the work that they did--that hard work of coming together for what is best for our country. We have seen these efforts before with immigration every time we have gotten so close. When I first got to the Senate, Senator Graham and Senator Kennedy invited me to be in the group that negotiated legislation supported by President Bush. We came so close to getting that done in comprehensive reform which, of course, included funding for order at the border. After that failed, we moved into President Obama's time. Again, this time, it was the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which I served, that came together with Senator Grassley's support and Senator Leahy's, and reached an agreement, passed it through the Senate, and then it failed over in the House of Representatives.…
