Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune made the following comments today after voting no on a procedural vote on the proposed immigration reform legislation:
"The immigration reform legislation before the Senate is a flawed bill and I cannot support it. This bill would grant immediate legal status to over 12 million illegal immigrants before a single border security measure is implemented. By not taking the necessary steps to secure America's porous border, this bill seriously undermines the security of our nation and the rule of law.
"In addition to this being a flawed bill, the process to amend the legislation has been equally flawed. This bill was written behind closed doors by a small group of Senators, rather than going through the open committee process. Dozens of amendments to strengthen the bill have been blocked and the time for debate has been cut short. This kind of closed process does not do justice to the American people or the seriousness of this issue."
"The immigration reform legislation before the Senate is a flawed bill and I cannot support it. This bill would grant immediate legal status to over 12 million illegal immigrants before a single border security measure is implemented. By not taking the necessary steps to secure America's porous border, this bill seriously undermines the security of our nation and the rule of law.
"In addition to this being a flawed bill, the process to amend the legislation has been equally flawed. This bill was written behind closed doors by a small group of Senators, rather than going through the open committee process. Dozens of amendments to strengthen the bill have been blocked and the time for debate has been cut short. This kind of closed process does not do justice to the American people or the seriousness of this issue."