Arlen Specter: “The legislation now pending is the very best that can be done by very extensive work on the immigration problems in the…”

“The legislation now pending is the very best that can be done by very extensive work on the immigration problems in the United States. Last year in the 109th Congress, the Judiciary Committee, which I chaired, produced a bill. This year we went to a little different procedure and we have structured a bill which is the best that can be done as of this moment. It may yet be improved in the balance of the amendments yet to be voted upon, if cloture is invoked on this vote this morning, a 60-vote tally, obviously very difficult to get to. Had I written the bill, it would have been substantially different. I would have agreed with Senator Menendez that there ought to be more consideration to families. I would have agreed with Senator Dodd that we ought to have more parents coming into this country. I would have agreed with those who oppose the touchback, which I think is punitive and formalistic and not related to anything, necessarily. But this is an accommodation. The art of politics is to compromise and to accommodate. We have constantly said to the opponents: If you have something better, tell us what it is.”