Patrick Leahy: “this legislation accomplishes a goal supported by President Bush and a bipartisan coalition of Senators-- making it…”

“this legislation accomplishes a goal supported by President Bush and a bipartisan coalition of Senators-- making it easier for people who are eligible to become legal permanent residents to apply for their green cards without leaving the United States. There could not be a more opportune time to pass this bill than during the visit of President Vicente Fox to our nation, and I applaud the Majority Leader for making passage today possible. I hope that the approval of this bill serves as a signal of the Congress' willingness to work with the Mexican Government to achieve our common goals, and to maintain fair immigration policies. I was pleased to schedule this bill for a markup as soon as I became Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Although I would have preferred that the Committee report the bill as it was introduced, I am glad that a compromise was reached that allowed the bill to receive the Committee's support and make it to the floor of the Senate. This bill extends section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which expired on April 30, 2001.”