Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, we have now filed the Hoeven-Corker border security amendment. I believe the first order of business for immigration reform is to secure the border. Americans want immigration reform. Of that there is no doubt. But they want us to get it right. That means first and foremost securing the border.

I thank the distinguished Senator from the great State of Tennessee for his ceaseless efforts and untiring work to really craft an amendment that puts border security first. That is exactly what we have worked to do.

I also thank the cosponsors we have been able to bring onboard for this effort. They include Senator John McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Jeff Flake, Senator Kelly Ayotte, Senator Dean Heller, Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Senator Mark Kirk. But also, on a bipartisan basis, we have Democratic Senators as well: Senator Joe Manchin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Mark Begich, and Senator Joe Donnelly.

We thank all of these cosponsors who show this is a bipartisan effort to secure the border as a first step in comprehensive immigration reform. That is what this is all about.

We provide five significant criteria--some have called them triggers, requirements, conditions--that must be met to ensure the border is secure before there are any green cards. Before illegal immigrants can get to a permanent legal status--a green card status--we have tough requirements that must be met to ensure the border is secured.

First and foremost, it is a comprehensive southern border security plan. It is $3.2 billion worth of technology, planes, unmanned aircraft, sensors--all on the border, spelled out in this legislation--that ensures we have a secure border. That must be met before there are any green cards, and that is where we start; in addition, 20,000 more Border Patrol agents on the border to not only detect people trying to come across but to turn them back; also, 700 miles of fencing on the border. These are things Republicans have repeatedly asked for as part of securing the border. We have put them right in the bill.

In addition, we have to have a mandatory national E-Verify system in place and operating so that we enforce workplace law, so we not only have a secure border, but we take away the incentive to come here illegally because you will not be able to get a job. That, combined with a guest worker program that works, means, then, when people come, they come legally, and they go back home.

Finally, we have an electronic entry-exit system at all of the international airports and seaports.

All of those things must be met before legal permanent resident status, before green card status. This is about securing the border first.

Again, I want to particularly thank my distinguished colleague from Tennessee Senator Corker for all his hard efforts, as well as all of our cosponsors on this legislation. We are reaching out to everybody, and we want to work together on a bipartisan basis.

This is about securing the border first and doing comprehensive immigration reform and doing it right.

With that, I yield the floor and again note the tremendous efforts of my distinguished colleague, the Senator from Tennessee.

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