Byron Dorgan: “this is a Byzantine argument. This has been interesting to listen to. It reminded me, sitting here, of Will Rogers. He…”

“this is a Byzantine argument. This has been interesting to listen to. It reminded me, sitting here, of Will Rogers. He once said: It's not what they know that bothers me, it's what they say they know for sure that just ain't so. I am listening to this, and I am hearing, first of all, we have border security in this bill. We are going to beef up border security. We have it fixed. Then I hear this: We have to have a guest worker provision. We have to have temporary workers come in because: One way or another those immigrants are coming across the border. You try to close that door, it is not going to work. This from the people who wrote the bill. Two of them have said it. It seems to me what they are saying is we can't stop illegal immigration so let's try to figure out who is coming across and call them legal. That is what this looks like to me. Let me say it again. Those who put this bill together say: One way or another, these people are coming in. We are not going to stop them. You can't close that door. It would not work. The solution? Make them legal. What does that say to people across the world who have decided they want to come to the United States of America, and there is a quota by which their country can allow some people to come in, we will accept them. They put their name on the list 8 years ago and they have been waiting patiently to be able to come to our country legally.”