I would suggest, and suggest respectfully, to the president that he is not the sole decider, that the decider is a shared and joint responsibility.

I don't believe that a shift in tactics ought to wait until after the election. There are too many casualties there.

It is my hope that after we complete those hearings that in September we will move ahead to a conference and produce legislation.

I do not often quote Senator Kennedy, but I told him I was going to do this.

We are going to have to deal compassionately with the people that are here illegally.

Have you considered and studied the Canadian plan, the point system that Canada has?

We need to also talk about the future of our immigration policy.

The Senate bill, in my opinion, unfortunately, does not meet the test.

I think we should not get bogged down on semantics over substance, but ought to deal with what is the substance.

comprehensive immigration reform is absolutely what needs to be done.

There is an election in November, and our leadership position as Republicans is on the line. And I think that will weigh heavily in the conference.

There is an election in November, and our leadership position as Republicans is on the line.

It is not amnesty because the undocumented aliens will have to pay a fine. They will have to pay back taxes. They will undergo a thorough background investigation. They will have to learn English. They will have to work for six years.

They will have to earn the status of staying in the country.

Listening to the opening statements, I'm concerned that so many senators are already in concrete, without having heard from the nominee.

Senator Arlen Specter wants to hold hearings.

When you got beyond the headline -- and starting with the headline that the president had authorized these wiretaps, surveillance of citizens in the United States -- that's wrong and it can't be condoned at all.

Alito's nomination is not in trouble.

Senator Specter said today it would be the first question he'd ask.

A review of his record as a federal judge for the past 15 years found a very heavy commitment to legal interpretation which might differ from his own personal views.

Miers told him that she agrees with the legal precedent for Roe versus Wade.

Here's a man who really knows science and who really knows government. So it's a very, very profound change. It's an earthquake.

It would be hard to find someone with better credentials than Judge Roberts.

This is a very polarized country when it comes to the issues which will come to the Supreme Court of the United States. And I would expect people to want their choice. And everybody can't have their own way. That's why we have a president…

I was frankly concerned about the idea of 12 United States senators doing the job that should be done by 100, of selecting which judges get through and which don't.