Senate Proceeding on Oct 7th, 2009 :: 4:37:00 to 4:44:20
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4:36:56 to 4:37:16( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: therefore, i withdraw the amendment. the presiding officer: the amendment is withdrawn. mr. mccain: mr. president, i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a the presiding officer: the clerk will c a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. mr. vitter: mr. preside ask unanimous consent to vitiate the quorum the presiding officer: without objection, the senator from louisiana is recognized. mr. vitter: mr. president, i

4:37:00 to 4:44:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: David Vitter

4:37:17 to 4:37:39( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment and to call up number 2644. the presiding officer: there is no amendment currently pending, so the senator may procee the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from louisiana, himself and mr. bennett of utah proposes an amendment numbered -- mr. vitter: mr. psident, i ask unanimous consent to waive reading.

4:37:40 to 4:38:00( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: the presiding officer: without objection, the senator is recognized. mr. vitter: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i do present this amendment on behalf of myself and my distinguished colleague from utah, mr. bennett, who will speak after me. it is a very simple but i believe important amendment, mr. president. it says we're not going to do a

4:38:01 to 4:38:22( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: census that doesn't ask some basic questions about citizenship and immigration status. specifically, mr. president, the amendment reads -- quote -- "none of the funds provided in this a any fiscal year may be used for collection of census data that does not include questions

4:38:23 to 4:38:43( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: regarding united states citizenship and immigration status." close quote. mr. president, i believe this is a vital amendment for two reasons. if we don't pass this amendment or other legislation, the census will move forwardnd will not

4:38:44 to 4:39:05( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: distinguish in any way between citizens and folks in this country legally and noncitizens. and that, in my opinion, is absolutely crazy, mr. president, again, for two reasons. number one, the census is done every ten years to give congress an important tool in terms of many thi

4:39:06 to 4:39:26( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: other bodies of government do: funding, public policy, different programs. and clearly, mr. president, we need accurate, specific information about the illegal alien question in this country. mr. president, i assume we will all agree, however we come down on the issue, we'll all agree

4:39:27 to 4:39:48( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: that illegal immigration is a big issue and a big problem. we debate that issue. we try to solve that issue in different ways all the time in this body. and, yet, we would do a census. we would spend tens of billions of dollars on a census. and we wouldn't ask the question: are you a citizen?

4:39:49 to 4:40:11( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: if not, are you in this country legally or illegally? that isbsolutely crazy. the census does ask those questions in the longorm. they are able to get the form completed. they're able to compile information. but that's not the full census. that's a tiny percentage of the full population.

4:40:12 to 4:40:33( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: so if we're going to spend tens of billions of dollars every ten years to do a major census, it seems absolutely a no-brainer that we would get full accurate information about the number of illegals in this country. secondly, mr. president, and perhaps even more importantly,

4:40:34 to 4:40:55( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: the single-most important thing we use the deis en kwrapbl -- the census for is to reapportion the u.s. house of representatives, to decide how many representatives each state gets. under the federal plan, the way the census is designed, the u.s. house would be reapportioned

4:40:56 to 4:41:16( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: counting illegal aliens. states that have large populations of illegals would be rewardedor that. other states, including my home state of louisiana, would be penalized. now, i believe it's very clear that when the founders set up our representative democracy,

4:41:17 to 4:41:39( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: they didn't think of the fundamental institutions of our government as representing folks who come into the country breaking the law, staying here illegally. i think it is shocking to most americans when ty hear that we would even consider reapportioning the u.s. house of representatives counting illegals.

4:41:40 to 4:42:00( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: but that's exactly t plan now. and, of course, we would have no opportunity to debate that or to adopt a new plan unless the census distinguishes citizens and legals and illegals, which my amendment would demand that we do. now, mr. president, this isn't some theoretical issue.

4:42:01 to 4:42:21( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: this is a very concrete issue, a very meaningful issue much representation each state has in the u.s. house of representatives. and there are many states that will lose representation from what they would otherwise have if illegal

4:42:22 to 4:42:42( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: congressional reapportionment. specifically, the states of indiana, iowa, louisiana, michigan, mississippi, noh carolina, oregon, pennsylvania, and south carolina would lose out. and speak to my colleagues in this

4:42:43 to 4:43:05( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: body, republicans and democrats alike, from those please support the vitter and bennett amendme 2644. it has whether you can have less representation in the u.s. house of representatives or more. and let me be even more blunt. if you vote against

4:43:06 to 4:43:27( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: amendment, you're voting against the interests of your state. if you vote against this amendment, you're voting for your state having less representation in the u.s. house of representatives than they would if illegalsre not counted in reapportionment. and again, with that in mind, i

4:43:28 to 4:43:50( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: want to repeat the list: indiana, iowa, louisiana, michigan, mississippi, north carolina, oregon, pennsylnia, and south carolina. for senators from those states, it's a vot state's own interest state's representation the u.s. house of representatives.

4:43:51 to 4:44:12( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: more broadly mr. president, i think the huge majority of americans would certainly take the view i'm suggesting, that we should not apportion members of the u.s. house based in part on illegals. we should not reward states for having large illegal populations and penalize states that do not.

4:44:13 to 4:44:20( Edit History Discussion )

David Vitter: i think that is on a different planet from where our fou fathers were in setting up the basic democratic institutions of