Senate Proceeding on Feb 13th, 2009 :: 2:11:50 to 2:23:45
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2:11:46 to 2:12:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: quorum call: the presiding officer: the senator from mr. sessions: i would ask that the quorum call with. thidho objection. mr. sessions: mr. president, with regard -- well, first let me ask. this is a 10-minute morning business? the presiding officer: the senator is correct. mr. sessions: i would be asked to be notified

2:11:50 to 2:23:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jeff Sessions
Bill: H.R. 1: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

2:12:07 to 2:12:27( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: minutes. mr. president, i truly believe that the legislation before us today is an historic piece of legislation. it is a directal piece of legislation that -- it is a directional piece of legislation that changes the course the

2:12:28 to 2:12:50( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: united states has steered throughout its history by moving us rather significantly and precipitously toward a european model of an economy. our percentage of g.d.p. that the government consumed was about 20% for the last 30, 40

2:12:51 to 2:13:11( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: years, up and down, 17, 21, 22. one score, when stimulus money, all the bank money, and all the bailout money and what we may expect to see in the future, one score indicated that that could reach 39% in one year. we go from 21% or so of g.d.p.

2:13:12 to 2:13:34( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: to 39% of g.d.p. and they say, well, this is a temporary stimulus package, but it's not a temporary stimulus package. it's got all kinds of permanent expenditures, creates new governmental programs. it spends more money on things like "idea," the special

2:13:35 to 2:13:55( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: education -- 4 billion i think on that existing program. does anybody think we ain't going to reduce that in the future in any significant degree? it's program after program after program are going to be permanently raised, and the government will then absorb a larger percentage o economy. as george wil wrote -- he's

2:13:56 to 2:14:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: frequently, i think, thoughtful and wise -- recently, "if this isn't a matter that ought to be politically discussed, what is?" so we want to be nonpartisan, bipartisan, and work together. but if you truly believe we're undertaking an expenditure, the largest in the history of the repu

2:14:19 to 2:14:39( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: history of any nation in the world in one fell swoop, and if you believe that is going to move us significantly in a way that alters the hisric principle of this nation that believes in limited government, then you need to be here talking about it and opposing it and

2:14:40 to 2:15:00( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: voting against it. and i think it's pretty clear. i know a lot of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle -- a lot of new senators that come in recently, they're uneasy a this legislation. but they've been led along, i'm afraid, by the leadership and some of the others, and listen

2:15:01 to 2:15:23( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: to the siren songs and are going along with this legislation. i don't think in the years to come they're going to be that proud of t , i just don't think so. i wish some way even in the last moments that we could stop this train, go back and look at a piece of legislation that might be better.

2:15:24 to 2:15:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: the house proposed legislation, senator thune offered it here. they studied the top economic advisor put a model on how to evaluate stimulus-type legislation last year. they believe their legislation, following her model of what

2:15:48 to 2:16:08( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: creates jobs, following her analysis, would be, would create twice as many jobs as half the cost. and not create so many permanent government bureaucracies and programs that are going to absorb more and more of america's wealth. i think it's a big deal.

2:16:02 to 2:16:30( Edit History Discussion )

2:16:09 to 2:16:29( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: i don't like the process. the bill got out in the middle of the night and now we're supposed to vote today. it's hardly time to read it. it's 00 bill per page, 700 or 800 pages, maybe more, almost biion a payment. if you add up the minutes

2:16:30 to 2:16:51( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: between now and when we vote it is almost billion a minute. if you note the professor at the college said this represents 89 billion, is almost equal to all the currency in circulation in america today.

2:16:52 to 2:17:12( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: it's just a stunning, stunning piece i want to repeat what i promise to do which is talk about the deliberate plan to create a perception that something would be done in this legislation that would require

2:17:13 to 2:17:34( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: any business to obtain money out of this program, any contractor, to use the governmens e-verify program. that would be simply to put you into the computer, the social security number of the people who seek checked by the department of homeland security. and we're finding considerable

2:17:35 to 2:17:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: number -- not too many, but a considerable number -- are here illegally. now, let me ask my colleagues, is it the desire of the members of this body that the stimulus money to create jobs, that those jobs should be given to people illegally in the country?

2:17:57 to 2:18:21( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: they would, people who are here lawfully green card holders, if they are lawfully here they can have a job under the program. i am not objecting that. but the government has a computer system, 2,000 businesses a week are signing up to it voluntarily. nobody's required them to do that. those businesses are fding

2:18:22 to 2:18:42( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: apply are not here legally and they're not good citizen company should do. they're not supposed to hire illegals. in fact, they commit a criminal offense country here illegally. why would we not do that? why? the presiding officer: the

2:18:43 to 2:19:03( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: senator has used five minutes. mr. sessions: i thank the chair. why would we not do that? well, let me tell you. the american people want us to do it. overwhelmingly. and i think the leaders of this body know and so a clever plan was patched.

2:19:04 to 2:19:25( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: i began to get the feel for it when i began to offer this amendment three or four times. i offered the amendment. many amendments were voted on, on the floor, during this debate. the leadership was most proud that we had lots of votes. but some didn't get voted on.

2:19:26 to 2:19:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: this is one that didn't. why? it passed the house. one part of my amendment was passed on a floor vote 407-2, to extend the e-verify program which is set to expire in march. the other part was accepted in

2:19:48 to 2:20:09( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: conference in the committee without objection and that part would say if you get a contract under this jobs bill that you would use eerify. so the house passed it. it was in their bill. all but 11 democrats who voted for it, voted for it, and i'm

2:20:10 to 2:20:32( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: sure the republicans and the 11 democrats, had they been asked to vote on this provision would have voted for it, too. virtually unanimous in the house. is i kept pushing it here. and if it had passed here using the same language our house collgues used, it would have,

2:20:33 to 2:20:53( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: absent skulduggery which sometimes happens, been in the final bill because it would have been in the house bill and the senate bill. so the house members are most proud, they voted for it. they voted with their constituents. they voted for commonsense. they voted for american they are ear proud of themselves -- they're proud of themselves.

2:20:54 to 2:21:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: and the senate didn't get vote on it. sorry, jeff, we didn't have time for your vote. we had all the other votes but we depth have time for yours. no senator is voted against e-verify but just as i predicted they went to conference and they got with speaker bell lows and a

2:21:15 to 2:21:37( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: majority -- with speaker pelosi and majority leader reid who controlled the confence. both of them picked the condition frees. a majority of democrats on both the house and they had the power to write the bill as they chose and lo and behold, surprise, they out. they didn't want it in from the going.

2:21:38 to 2:22:00( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: they systematically created maneuvered around to get a plan to take it out. and they think they can pass the bill without it and perhaps they will. and who is to lose? low-skilled, honest, decent a job. let me tell you about e-verify.

2:22:01 to 2:22:24( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: doris meisner the former head of the immigration service under president clinton in a report just last week, february of said -- quote -- "mandatory," that's what we're doing requiring the companies to use e-verify; it's not now -- "mandatory employer verification must be at the

2:22:25 to 2:22:46( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: center of legislation to combat illegal immigration. the e-verify system provides a valuable tool for employers who are trying to law. e-verify also provides an opportunity to determine the best," -- the presiding officer: the senator's time is expired.

2:22:47 to 2:23:07( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: mr. sessions: i ask for one additional minute. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. sessions: "it provides the best opportunity to determine the best electronics means to implement the requirements, the administration," talking about the obama administration "should support reauthorization of e-verify and extend the

2:23:08 to 2:23:29( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: program." an official from the clinton administration called it a "myth" that there is "little or no undocumented workers and american workers." i would just say, mr. president, i'm i'm not surprised. i could see how this was heading

2:23:30 to 2:23:49( Edit History Discussion )

Jeff Sessions: for the last week or so. i hoped it was not is. i raised it openly that my concern with the majority leader and the bill managers that this would happen and i've now sn it happen. i thank the