Chuck Hagel: “thank you. I thank the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts for his continued leadership. I don't believe there is…”

“thank you. I thank the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts for his continued leadership. I don't believe there is anyone in the Senate who has worked harder or done more or who understands the issue better than Senator Kennedy. We are dealing with a very complicated, difficult issue. It is complicated and difficult for many reasons. Partly it is complicated and difficult because we have deferred this issue for years. We have refused to take a responsible position on all the different aspects of immigration reform. I hear with interest from some colleagues that 11 million to 12 million illegal aliens don't deserve a pathway to legal status and ultimately citizenship. They, however, do not come forward with alternatives. Obviously, border security is the core, the beginning of immigration reform. I am not aware of any Senator who has questioned or contested that point. In fact, the underlying bill that we are debating today is replete-- absolutely--in its focus on border security, enforcement of that border, doubling the border agents, doubling the budget, doubling the unmanned vehicles, doubling the technology, doing more in the fencing and physical protection of those borders. That is not the debate. The debate, of course, resides around the difficult issues, the 11 or 12 million illegals now in this country. This debate elicits great and deep emotions and passion--and it should.…”