On the recordJanuary 25, 2011
once again, at the beginning of a new Congress, Majority Leader Reid has signaled his intent to improve our Nation's immigration system with a plan to transform and modernize our laws to meet the needs of the country. I support the majority leader in this effort, as I have now for several Congresses. The American people recognize that our current immigration system is deeply flawed. It is far too easily exploited by unscrupulous employers and others who seek to profit from the vulnerabilities of those seeking work and a new life. We can and should put an end to the too common abuses and transform our system into an orderly, secure, and efficient way to strengthen our economy and fulfill our humanitarian traditions. We must also confront the situation created by the millions of undocumented people who are living and working in the shadows in the United States--the vast majority of whom are otherwise following our laws and making positive contributions to our economy. We can all agree that we have arrived at a point that is not sustainable, and we must face up to it with a solution that is achievable. As both President Bush and President Obama, along with their Secretaries of Homeland Security, have acknowledged, we cannot simply enforce our way out of a broken immigration system. I agree. We must reject the easy slogans that reduce this highly complex problem to a bumper sticker solution--something the late Senator Ted Kennedy spoke against so passionately.
