FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 15, 2005

Isakson Voices Disappointment Over
Senate's Failure to Address Immigration Reform
Calls It A National Security Issue That
Americans ‘No Longer Have the Patience for Us to Delay Any Longer’  

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) today expressed his extreme disappointment over the Senate's failure this week to address immigration reform, saying that Congress can no longer procrastinate on an issue that is so critical to national security.

“We have delayed so long in dealing with securing our borders, enforcing legal immigration and seeing to it there are consequences to bad behavior that the American people have lost confidence in the United States government to actually do what the Constitution expects us to do,” Isakson said during a speech on the Senate floor.

“Some way we need to send to the American people the clear signal that we get it, that we’re going to have a comprehensive reform. We’re going to have a comprehensive debate and it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”

The Senate had an opportunity this week to address immigration reform during the debate over a bill to give additional appropriations to U.S. troops in Iraq because the bill – as passed by the House in March – included two key immigration reforms. One of those provisions would establish national standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards, and another to stiffen asylum requirements in order to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the U.S. However, the Senate stripped those immigration provisions from the bill.

“Our states, our school systems, our hospitals, our farm workers and our people no longer have the luxury or the patience for us to delay any longer,” Isakson said. “Let’s no longer delay in dealing with the single largest domestic issue to the people of the United States of America and that’s comprehensive immigration reform and rewarding legal immigration and getting our arms around illegal immigration.”

In December, Isakson expressed disappointment when the immigration provisions were not included as part of the intelligence reform legislation passed by Congress. Specifically, Isakson said the driver’s license provision is a key national security issue, because the 19 terrorists who attacked the United States on 9-11 had obtained drivers’ licenses from several states.

Please click here to listen to excerpts from the statement. Click here to read the entire statement.

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