Jeff Bingaman: “can I respond? First, on the last point Senator Kennedy makes about fair distribution, I am accepting the distribution…”

“can I respond? First, on the last point Senator Kennedy makes about fair distribution, I am accepting the distribution that is in the Hagel-Martinez legislation, the distribution that was in the chairman's mark, the distribution that was in the McCain-Kennedy bill. I am not changing that in any respect. I am not proposing to make any change in that. Whatever the distribution was that they thought was appropriate, that is exactly what I accept. My amendment doesn't affect that. Let me make this other point because Senator Kennedy made a point that somehow or other the Hagel-Martinez legislation caused the need for no cap in this area, and for the very large number we are, in my amendment, excluding--we are saying, in calculating this 650,000, we are excluding such visas as are issued to anyone under this 245-B and - C program, which is all of those people who are going to come in under this deferred mandatory departure system, the people who have been here at least 2 years but not a full 5 years, or not more than 5 years. We are saying let's not count those people. Those folks are home free. Anyone who has been here over 2 years is home free. They are on their way to legal permanent status and I have supported that aspect of the bill and I continue to support that aspect of the bill.…”