Durbin introducing s2603

MADAM PRESIDENT, I RISE TODAY ON THE SENATE FLOOR TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE WHICH IS REALLY FUNDAMENTAL TO WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS. IT'S THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION. WE'VE JUST CELEBRATED IN THIS PAST WEEK A DAY DEDICATED TO CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, WHO SUPPOSEDLY DISCOVERED AMERICA. OF COURSE, WE KNOW BETTER. NATIVE AMERICANS WERE HERE AND HAD DISCOVERED IT BEFORE HIM. BUT HE WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO DISCOVER AMERICA AND REALLY TRIGGERED AN IMMIGRATION TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD THAT HAS REALLY CHANGED AMERICA AND THE WORLD FOREVER. THIS IMMIGRATION FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAS CREATED ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE NATIONS ON EARTH. I AM A BENEFICIARY OF THAT IMMIGRATION. MY MOTHER WAS AN IMMIGRANT TO AMERICA IN 1911, COMING HERE FROM LITHUANIA TO EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS, WHERE SHE WAS RAISED AND WHERE I HAD A CHANCE TO GROW UP AS WELL. TODAY HER SON, THIS IMMIGRANT MOTHER'S SON, HAS BEEN SERVING AS THE UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS WITH HUMILITY AND PRIDE. IT'S AN INDICATION OF OUR FAMILY STORY, BUT IT'S ALSO AMERICA'S STORY, HOW IMMIGRANTS CAME FROM FOREIGN TO AMERICA AND BUILT FAMILIES THAT CONTINUE TO SERVE THIS NATION TO THIS DAY. YOU WOULD THINK SINCE IMMIGRATION IS SUCH A CENTRAL PART OF WHO WE ARE AS AMERICANS THERE WOULD BE A GENERAL CONSENSUS ABOUT THE ISSUE. BUT IT TURNS OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST HOTLY CONTESTED AND DEBATED ISSUES ALMOST SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE MAYFLOWER. HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOULD BE ARRIVED TO COME IN THIS COUNTRY? WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO COME FROM? WHAT WILL THEY DO WHEN THEY COME HERE? WHAT IMPACT WILL THEY HAVE ON THOSE OF US WHO ARE ALREADY HERE? ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS HAVE LED US INTO AN ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT IMMIGRATION. THIS MORNING I COME TO THE FLOOR TO DISCUSS ONE ASPECT OF IT. THIS LAST SUNDAY I WAS BACK IN ILLINOIS AND WAS INVITED TO A DEMOCRATIC PARTY EVENT IN SCHONBERG, ILLINOIS, ON SUNDAY MORNING. IT WAS A FAIRLY ROUTINE MEETING OF A DEMOCRATIC TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION FOR BREAKFAST. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY OF THEM. IT IS GREAT TO SEAL OLD FRIENDS. -- IT IS GREAT TO SEE OLD FRIENDS. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE EVENT, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE DEMONSTRATORS, PROTESTERS, PERHAPS 200 OF THEM, HOLDING SIGNS WITH MY NAME ON THEM. IT IS NOT EXACTLY THE WAY YOU WANT TO START A SUNDAY MORNING WITH 200 PEOPLE WITH SIGNS ABOUT THIS FELLOW NAMED DURBIN. I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THEM. I DIDN'T RUN AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHO THEY WERE AND WHY THEY WERE THERE. BY AND LARGE, THEY WERE PEOPLE FROM INDIA WHO ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND WANT TO BECOME LEGAL HERE AND CITIZENS HERE. MOST OF THEM CAME TO THE UNITED STATES BRINGING SPECIAL SKILLS THAT WERE NEEDED. MANY OF THEM ARE IN THE SILICON VALLEY HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY, ENGINEERS WHO CAME TO THE STATES ONCE COMPANIES CERTIFIED THEY COULDN'T FIND AN AMERICAN TO FILL THE JOB, WHICH IS A RETIREMENT. UNABLE TO FIND AN AMERICAN, THESE COMPANIES ASKED PERMISSION TO BRING THIS THESE HIGHLY SKILLED PEOPLE FROM INDIA TO SERVE AS ENGINEERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY COME IN ON WHAT'S KNOWN AS H-1B VISAS BY AND LARGE AND IT ALLOWS THEM TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND TO RENEW THAT WORK STATUS ON A RECURRING BASIS. BUT IT REACHES A POINT WHERE THEY WANT TO STAY HERE. THEY'VE LIVED HERE A WHILE. THEY BRING THEIR FAMILIES OR RAISE THEIR FAMILIES HERE, AND THEY WANT TO BECOME PART OF AMERICA'S FUTURE. AND SO THEY APPLY FOR WHAT'S KNOWN AS AN EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA, WHICH LEADS TO A GREEN CARD. A GREEN CARD IS THE TICKET TO LEGAL, PERMANENT RESIDENCY, WHICH CAN LEAD TO LEGAL STATUS AND CITIZENSHIP. AND SO THESE PEOPLE FROM INDIA WERE WAITING TO SEE ME AND SAY A FEW WORDS TO ME ON THE FACT THAT THE WAITING LIST FOR THOSE IN THIS CATEGORY FROM INDIA HAS NOW PASSED 520,000. 520,000 WHO ARE SEEKING THE STATUS IN OUR COUNTRY. I MET ONE OF THEM FROM MY HOMETOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A YOUNG INDIAN PHYSICIAN WHO IS SERVING AT ONE OF OUR HOSPITALS IN SPRINGFIELD, AND HE BROUGHT WITH HIM HIS DAUGHTER. HIS DAUGHTER IS IS 12 YEARS OLD. HE IS WORRIED, BECAUSE IF HE, A PHYSICIAN WHO CAME HERE TO WORK FROM INDIA, IS NOT ALLOWED TO LEGALLY STAY IN THIS COUNTRY AND HIS DAUGHTER REACHES THE AGE OF 18, HER STATUS CHANGES. SHE'S NO LONGER HIS DEPENDENT. SHE NOW HAS HER OWN IMMIGRATION STATUS, AND SHE IS NOT TECHNICALLY, LEGALLY BEYOND THE AGE OF 18 ALLOWED TO STAY IN THIS COUNTRY P. AND SO HE SAYS TO ME, HERE IS MY DAUGHTER WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS. THIS IS THE COUNTRY SHE KNOWS AND LOVES AND WANTS TO BE PART OF AND IF I DON'T GET APPROVAL TO STAY AS A DOCTOR IN THIS COUNTRY, SHE TECHNICALLY UNDOCUMENTED AT THAT POINT AND WILL RUN INTO PROBLEMS IN HER FUTURE. FOR EXAMPLE, NO SURPRISE THIS DOCTOR WANTS TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER GO TO COLLEGE. WELL, HIS DAUGHTER UNDOCUMENTED WON'T QUALIFY FOR ANY ASSISTANCE IN THE UNITED STATES BY THE WAY OF PELL GRANTS OR LOANS. HOW IS SHE GOING TO PAY FOR COLLEGE? WHERE WOULD SHE GO? OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM SAYS AT THAT POINT IF HER FATHER DOESN'T REACH THIS GREEN CARD STATUS, SHE WOULD RETURN TO INDIA, A PLACE SHE MAYBE NEVER REMEMBERS THAT WAS PART OF HER INFANCY AND EARLY TIME HERE ON EARTH. SO IT IS A COMPLICATED SITUATION. AND THERE IS A DEBATE UNDER WAY HERE ABOUT HOW TO STOP THIS BACKLOG OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WAITING IN LINE TEN YEARS, 20 YEARS, AND MORE TO REACH GREEN CARD STATUS. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE UNCERTAINTY IN THEIR LIVES, THE UNCERTAINTY FOR THEIR CHILDREN, AND WHY THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOME RELIEF. I COME TO THIS ISSUE NEVER DREAMING THAT I WOULD END UP BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF MOST DEBATES IN THE SENATE ON IMMIGRATION. BUT I WELCOME IT BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND BECAUSE I HAVE STRONG FEELINGS MYSELF ABOUT AMERICA'S IMMIGRATION POLICY. I SERVE AS THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION FOR THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. AS I SAID, MY OWN PERSONAL FAMILY AND LIFE EXPERIENCE HAS REALLY MADE MY WARM TO THE SUBJECT AND TRY TO LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN IN A COMPLEX FIELD. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS BADLY, BADLY BROKEN. HOW TO FIX IT IS HOTLY DEBATED HERE IN THE SENATE, IN THE HOUSERS AND ACROSS THE NATION. -- IN THE HOUSE, AND ACROSS THE NATION. LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES, GROUPS WERE RUNNING ADS ON THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION. MANY BELIEVE THAT IT IS GOING TO BE A HOT TOPIC IN THE 2020 ELECTION. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE IT WILL BE. WE KNOW IN STATE LEGISLATURES, IN CITY HALLS, ON CABLE NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA, ALMOST EVERYWHERE THERE IS A DEBATE UNDER WAY ABOUT IMMIGRATION. BUT THERE IS ONE PLACE WHERE THERE'S NO DEBATE ABOUT IMMIGRATION -- HERE. HERE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE. LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE HEARING IN THE IMMIGRATION SUBCOMMITTEE. THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE VOTED ON ONLY ONE IMMIGRATION BILL LAST YEAR. THE CHAIRMAN LIMITED DEBATE TO ONE HOW AND DIDN'T ALLOW ANY AMENDMENT OFS. AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY DEBATES ON THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE. I LOOK TO THE GALLERIES AND THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE SENATE AND EXPECT TO SEE A DEBATE ON AN ISSUE, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. HERE'S ONE -- IMMIGRATION. BUT ALL YOU HAVE IS A SPEECH FROM THIS SENATOR, A FEW OTHERS, INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRATION. SENATOR KENNEDY HAS COME TO THE FLOOR AND I'M GOING TO MAKE A UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. HE IS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, TOO. AND I THINK HE APPRECIATES, AS I DO, WHAT A GREAT HONOR IT IS TO SERVE ON THIS STORIED COMMITTEE. BUT THE FACT IS TO HAVE THE TITLES OF JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, IMMIGRATION SUBCOMMITTEE, AND TO DO NOTHING I THINK IS A DERELICTION OF DUTY. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO STEP UP AND DEBATE THESE THINGS AND COME TO THE BEST BIPARTISAN CONCLUSION WE CAN TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN THIS COUNTRY. HERE IS A PROBLEM WE'RE NOT SOLVING. HOW TO DEAL WITH A BACKLOG OF PEOPLE HIGHLY SKILLED AND IMPORTANT PEOPLE LIKE THE DOCTOR FROM MY HOMETOWN OF SPRINGFIELD, WHO WANTS TO BECOME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. I WANT HIM TO BECOME A CITIZEN AND GET A GREEN CARD. I WANT HIS FAMILY TO BE THERE WITH HIM SO HIS LIFE IS COMPLETE AS HE PURSUES HIS PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. NOW, IN RECENT WEEKS THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT TO PASS A BILL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THE BILL IS S. 386. IT'S KNOWN AS THE FAIRNESS FOR HIGH-SKILLED IMMIGRANTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO PASS IT WITHOUT ANY DEBATE OR A CHANCE TO EVEN OFFER AN AMENDMENT. NOW, THIS BILL MAKES SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. BUT THERE'S NEVER BEEN A HEARING ON THE BILL OR A VOTE IN THE COMMITTEE. THE LEAD SPONSOR OF THE LEGISLATION IS MIKE LEE, WHO IS THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM UTAH AND A PERSONAL FRIEND. HE HAS NEGOTIATED SEVERAL AMENDMENTS IN PRIVATE WITH HIS REPUBLICAN SENATORS, BUT THERE THERE'S BEEN NO CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF OR ANY OTHER DEMOCRATIC SENATORS FROM THE -- IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS. THAT'S NOT HOW THE SENATE SHOULD WORK. I'VE SEEN THE SENATE AT ITS BEST AND UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO. WE DECIDED TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND TRY TO FIX THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. IT IS A PRETTY AMBITIOUS TASK. BUT WE HAD SOME PRETTY TALENTED PEOPLE ENGAGED IN IT. LEADING ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, JOHN McCAIN FROM ARIZONA, NEXT TO HIM, LINDSEY GRAHAM, JEFF FLAKE, AND MARCO RUBIO. ON OUR SIDE, I WAS ENGAGED WITH SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER, WHO IS NOW THE DEMOCRATIC SENATE LEADER, AS WELL AS BOB MENENDEZ, OF COURSE AN HISPANIC SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND MICHAEL BENNET OF COLORADO. SO THE EIGHT OF US CAME TOGETHER. WE DID WHAT I THINK THE SENATE IS SUPPOSED TO DO -- WE SAT DOWN AND TOOK OUR TIME AND SPENT MONTHS EVERY SINGLE WEEK, SOMETIMES SEVERAL EVENINGS EACH WEEK, GOING THROUGH A DIFFERENT SECTION OF OUR IMMIGRATION LAW AND TRYING TO MAKE IT WORK, REFORM IT, CHANGE IT. IT TOOK US MONTHS, SOME SIX MONTHS OF MEETINGS. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ELECTED TO DO. AND WE PRODUCED A COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY VIRTUALLY EVERYONE, GROUPS -- BUSINESS LEADERS AS WELL AS GROUPS OF LABOR LEADERS, THE CHURCH COMMUNITY, ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OF POLITICS TO THE LIBERAL SIDE OF POLITICS SAID THIS IS A GOOD, FAIR, BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE. SO IN 2013 WE REPORTED THIS BILL TO THE FLOOR, AFTER OUR DEMOCRATIC JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AT THAT TIME, PATRICK LEAHY OF VERMONT, HAD A LENGTHY HEARING. WE CONSIDERED OVER 100 AMENDMENTS, AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY THOSE WHO WERE VOTING AGAINST THE BILL, LIKE JEFF SESSIONS OF ALABAMA, AND AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY THOSE SUPPORTING THE BILL, LIKE MACY HIRONO OF HAWAII. EACH PERSON OFFERED AN AMENDMENT OF, WE DEBATED IT AND VOTED ON IT. AND THANKS TO CHAIRMAN LEAHY'S SKILL AND PATIENCE I MIGHT ADD, AFTER HUNDREDS OF AMENDMENTS WERE CONSIDERED, THE BILL WAS REPORTED OUT OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. IT CAME TO THE FLOOR OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE IN 2013 AND WE CALLED FOR A VOTE AND IT PASSED 68-32. AFTER ALL THAT WORK ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, WE FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT. I THOUGHT WE DID AND I VOTED FOR IT. SADLY, THAT BILL WAS SENT ACROSS THE ROTUNDA OVER TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AS THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES, AND UNFORTUNATELY THE REPUBLICAN SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER REFUSED TO EVEN CALL THE PEOPLE OR DEBATE AN ALTERNATIVE TO IT. IT LITERALLY DIED FOR LACK OF ANY EFFORT TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE IN THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AND SO YOU ASK WELL, THAT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO. WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE? THE ANSWER IS NOTHING. VIRTUALLY NOTHING. EXCEPT DECISIONS BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ELIMINATE SOME ASPECTS OF OUR IMMIGRATION LAW LIKE THE DACA PROVISIONS. I ASK CONSENT FOR THREE ADDITIONAL MINUTES BEFORE I MAKE A UNANIMOUS CONSENT.



SO IN LIGHT OF AN ATTEMPT TO PASS THE FAIRNESS FOR HIGH SKILLED IMMIGRANTS ACT WITHOUT HEARING OR DEBATE, I COME TO THE FLOOR TO PRESENT AN ALTERNATIVE. I'M INTRODUCING THE RESOLVING EXTENDED LIMBO FOR IMMIGRANT EMPLOYEES RELIEF AND FAMILIES ACT KNOWN AS THE RELIEF ACT WHICH WILL TREAT ALL IMMIGRANTS FAIRLY BY ELIMINATING IMMIGRATION VISA BACKLOGS, ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS OF OUR BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. THERE AREN'T ENOUGH IMMIGRANT VISAS KNOWN AS GREEN CARDS. AS A RESULT IMMIGRANTS ARE STUCK IN CRIPPLING BACKLOCKES FOR DECADES -- BACKLOGS FOR DECADES. MOST WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S IMMIGRANT VISA WAITING LIST. HOWEVER, UNDER CURRENT LAW, ONLY 226,000 FAMILY GREEN CARDS AND 140,000 EMPLOYEE GREEN CARDS ARE AVAILABLE EACH YEAR. CHILDREN AND SPOUSES OF LAWFUL PERSONAL RESIDENCE KNOWN AS R.P.R.'S COUNT AGAINST THESE CAPS WHICH FURTHER LIMIT THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE GREEN CARDS. THE BACKLOGS ARE A TREMENDOUS HARDSHIPS ON FAMILIES CAUGHT IN THE SITUATION. CHILDREN OF L.P.R.'S OFTEN AGE OUT, AS I DESCRIBED EARLIER, BECAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER CHILDREN BY THE TIME THE GREEN CARDS ARE AVAILABLE. THE SOLUTION IS CLEAR. INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GREEN CARDS. LET'S BE CLEAR. LIFTING GREEN CARD CAPS ALONE WITHOUT INCREASING GREEN CARDS AS THE BILL THAT SENATOR LEE IS SPONSORING WOULD DO WILL NOT ELIMINATE THE BACKLOG FOR INDIAN IMMIGRANTS. THE NATIONALITY WITH THE MOST PEOPLE IN THE EMPLOYMENT BACKLOG. AND IT WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE BACKLOGS FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. THE NATION'S EXPERT ON IMMIGRATION LAWS HAS SAID THAT WE ARE VIRTUALLY TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH SENATOR LEE'S BILL FOR INDIAN IMMIGRANTS AT THE EXPENSE OF EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD. HERE'S WHAT HE SAYS. FROM 2023 UNTIL WELL INTO 2030'S, THERE WILL BE ZERO EB2 VISAS FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. NONE FOR CHINA, SOUTH KOREA, PHILIPPINES, BRITAIN, CAN DARKS MOST COMPANY, ANY COUNTRY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ALL OF AFRICA, ZERO. IT WILL CHOKE OFF GREEN CARDS FOR EVERY IMPORTANT PROFESSION THAT ISN'T IN THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FIELD. MORE THAN 20 NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE NOW RALLIED AGAINST THE LEE LEGISLATION AND HAVE SAID THINGS SUCH AS THE BILL OFFERS A ZERO SUM APPROACH PITTING ONE GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS AGAINST ANOTHER TO FIGHT A BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. THE RELIEF ACT WHICH I'M INTRODUCING TODAY IS A SOLUTION, AND I WOULD NOW LIKE TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING UNANIMOUS CONSENT. AS IF IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THE SENATE PROCEED TO THE IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION OF -- I'M SORRY.

AS IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT THAT THE SENATE PROCEED TO THE IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION OF S. 2603 INTRODUCED EARLIER TODAY. FURTHER, THAT THE BILL BE RAILROADED READ THREE TIMES AND PASSED AND THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER BE CONSIDERED MADE AND LAID UPON THE TABLE WITH NO INTERVENING ACTION OR DEBATE.