John Cornyn: “I know the Senator from Connecticut cares passionately about conditions. So do I, and so do all the Members of the…”

“I know the Senator from Connecticut cares passionately about conditions. So do I, and so do all the Members of the Senate about trying to find a solution. We have dramatic differences between the solutions which have been proposed here and those which have been proposed by the House. But the way I interpret what the House did, it is to send a message to the Senate that first and foremost we need to build a foundation of border security to stop the people streaming across our border--yes, in search of a better life, but we know that mingled amongst those people who come here for economic reasons because they have, perhaps, no hope and no opportunity where they live, there may be a criminal. There may be a terrorist. While there are many people who do care passionately about trying to find a comprehensive solution to this problem, the kind of slow-boating we have seen so far during this debate isn't helping us get to that solution. In fact, we have had three votes on amendments since this bill came to the floor. To those who say: Yes, we want to find a solution; yes, the bill that is on the floor is a good start, but maybe it is not perfect; the best way for us to proceed is to have some votes and to have some debate--that is the way this body, sometimes noted as the greatest deliberative body on Earth, is supposed to work. That is the way democracy works. I may win some of those votes. I may lose some. But let's have debate.…”