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[Page S2905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Immigration
Mr. President, throughout our country's history, we welcomed men and
women and children from other countries who are inspired by the
freedoms and the prosperity made possible by our Constitution and by
our democracy. Whether those immigrants crossed oceans generations ago
or were more recently naturalized, we are glad they chose to bring
their dreams and talents to the United States because ours, after all,
is a proud nation of immigrants. I believe the contributions of those
who have chosen to seek citizenship in our country have made us
stronger, smarter, and the preeminent force on the world stage.
It is important to remember, as we debate immigration reform or what
to do about the humanitarian crisis and security crisis on the border--
it is important to remember that the United States is the most generous
country in the world when it comes to legal immigration. Every year,
our Nation admits more than 1 million new legal immigrants, and I am
proud of that fact. I am also proud of the fact that these
individuals--these 1 million individuals who immigrated to our
country--do so in compliance with the laws of the land that they now
call home. Perhaps one of the ultimate demonstrations of respect is
recognizing the responsibilities all of us have to abide by the laws of
the land.
We know our immigration system is not perfect. It has flaws. I would
argue it is outdated and inefficient, and it hasn't kept up with the
needs of our economy. Our immigration system needs a fundamental review
to determine what is working and what isn't so we can create a new
legal immigration system that benefits both immigrants and our success
as a nation.
I know there is widespread agreement in the Senate that our legal
immigration system could be made better, and I hope there is enough
will in Congress to have serious discussions about how to fix it.
This afternoon, the President is expected to announce his proposal to
reform our legal immigration system, and I am glad he and his
administration have made this a priority. I look forward to reviewing
the final text of the proposal once it is available.
For those who would criticize the proposal made by the Trump
administration, I believe it is incumbent on them to say what they
would do to fix our broken immigration system, to improve our system of
legal immigration, so we can continue to welcome immigrants from around
the world who want to make America their home and truly become
Americans.
Those who just sit on the sidelines and throw brickbats and
criticize, I think they demean this system of legal immigration, which
is really one of the great treasures of the American way of life.
I continue to be hopeful that we can work our way through this. I am
glad the President is making this a priority, and I look forward to
hearing more about the details of his plan.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.