Joe Crowley: “let me just for a moment talk about where we are at this point with immigration reform, as from my observation I see the…”

“let me just for a moment talk about where we are at this point with immigration reform, as from my observation I see the Senate has done some of the work. It negotiated the bill that they will then bring before their house, and further negotiations will take place, and bill amendments will be made to that legislation. Ultimately they will pass a bill on immigration reform in their house. We will then have an opportunity on our side to do a similar measure. It will be different from the Senate when they go to conference. In that conference, hopefully we will be able to get to a bill we can all agree upon, we can send to the President, and the President can sign into law. Let's not rush to judgment on what that legislation will be. This bill is not going to be amnesty. This bill is going to be one that will secure our borders, that will create a virtual fence, one that will address the issues of illegal immigration, but also address the issue of the 12 million undocumented, those who find themselves in illegal status here in the United States today. The human element is as much an important part of how we move forward to deal with this issue, and I hope that all my colleagues keep an open mind as the debate moves forward.”