John Cornyn: “I congratulate Senator Chambliss and Senator Kennedy on this amendment which I think injects some needed rationality in…”

“I congratulate Senator Chambliss and Senator Kennedy on this amendment which I think injects some needed rationality in this process. I certainly support the goal of improving the oversight of our intelligence community and homeland security efforts. But I think what has happened in our haste is that there has been some unintended consequences, and one is attempted to be remedied by this amendment. Simply stated, this amendment, as Senator Kennedy and Senator Chambliss have already addressed, would retain the immigration functions at the Border and Transportation Security Directorate in the Judiciary Committee. Mr. President, I, as does the Presiding Officer, serve on the Judiciary Committee in large part because of my concern about immigration and border security issues as a Senator from Texas, with a 1,200-mile border with Mexico, one of the more problematic borders of this country. I serve with Senators from California and Arizona. The only State not represented on the Southern border is the State of New Mexico. But as the Presiding Officer knows, immigration issues are exceedingly contentious and complex.”