Alan Simpson: “I want to speak on the issue of illegal immigration. Not legal immigration; that issue is not before this body. I know…”

“I want to speak on the issue of illegal immigration. Not legal immigration; that issue is not before this body. I know how to legislate. It was very clear this body did not wish to deal with legal immigration. That will be for others who come after me, Democrats and Republicans alike, to deal with that very tough issue. But, on Wednesday of last week, the House appointed conferees to the conference on the immigration bill, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. That is legislation that passed both Houses of the Congress by overwhelming margins. There were only three votes against this very popular bill in the Senate. I think the vote was 97 to 3. The House version passed by a vote of 333 to 87. Our fine majority leader and the House majority leader have each stated that passing immigration reform legislation in this Congress is a priority. Senator Bob Dole, a man for whom I have the richest admiration and respect--I served as his assistant--was always a very strong supporter of responsible immigration reform issues, all such measures, and candidate Dole has always expressed his support for the present illegal immigration control bill. The conference committee will meet this week, but already we are hearing about a plan now to filibuster the conference report here in the Senate. We all received a letter, of course, from the President, explicitly threatening a veto. That is common knowledge.”