Durbin's Statement on the Floor at 2:10 pm Eastern Time

From Durbin's office:

MR. DURBIN:

I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUE FROM THE STATE OFWASHINGTON, SENATOR MURRAY, FOR HER REMARKS THAT WERE JUST CONCLUDED ABOUT THE "DREAM" ACT AND FOR HER VOTE IN SUPPORT OF IT. IT IS INTERESTING TO ME THAT THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN LITTLE TIME TO MEET THE STUDENTS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE COME AWAY WITH A MUCH DIFFERENT FEELING.

ONCE THIS GOES BEYOND THE CLICHES AND INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC THAT WE HEAR ON WHAT PASSES FOR ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION AND RADIO AND YOU ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND HEAR THESE LIFE STORIES, YOU JUST CAN'T HELP BUT HAVE YOUR HEART TOUCHED BY THEM. IT HAPPENED TO ME A LONG TIME AGO,

SIX YEARS AGO, AND IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN TO ME. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES. WE HAD 52 VOTES WHEN WE NEEDED 60. AND IN THE SENATE, 60 VOTES IS A THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT. I WANT TO THANK THE 11 REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED WITH ME. I TELL YOU, IT TOOK SOME COURAGE FOR THEM TO DO IT. IT'S NOT AN EASY VOTE FOR ANYBODY. IT'S SURE NOT AN EASY VOTE FOR THEM WHEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEIR COLLEAGUES ARE GOING THE


OTHER WAY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE 41 DEMOCRATS WHO STOOD BY ME ON THIS. SOME OF THEM DID IT WITH PAIN IN THEIR EYES, THINKING ABOUT NOW I HAVE TO GO HOME AND EXPLAIN THIS ONE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I THANK THEM FOR DOING THAT. I GUESS AFTER YOU'VE BEEN AROUND CAPITOL HILL FOR A FEW YEARS, YOU TRY TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE ABOUT YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE MANY, IF ANY, WHO COME TO THE SENATE WITH THE AMBITION OF RETIRING. MOST OF US COME HERE WITH THE AMBITION OF DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR OUR NATION AND SERVING OUR NATION. AND THERE REACHES A POINT SOMETIMES IN A CAREER WHERE RISKS HAVE TO BE TAKEN FOR IMPORTANT THINGS TO HAPPEN. WHAT I DID TODAY WAS NO GREAT RISK.

I'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT IT BACK HOME, AND I ALREADY HAVE A LITTLE BIT. BUT I WILL JUST SAY THAT IN THE COURSE OF OUR HISTORY THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HERE IN THIS CHAMBER HAVE INVOLVED THE POLITICAL RISK AND CONTROVERSY, WHETHER IT'S A QUESTION OFFING VOTING ON A WAR OR -- OF VOTING ON A WAR OR VOTING ON ISSUES INVOLVING CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS. AND IT'S RARE THAT YOU'LL FIND THAT GREAT ISSUE THAT MAKES A CAREER THAT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH. SO I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO JOINED IN THIS EFFORT TODAY, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. BUT THANKS ALSO FOR THE THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA WHO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS DEBATE AND FOLLOW THIS ISSUE SO CLOSELY.

THE TOUGHEST PART WAS NOT STANDING IN THE WELL AND BEING TOLD I LOST WITH ONLY 52 VOTES. THE TOUGHEST PART WAS WALKING UP THOSE STAIRS AND FACING THREE OF THE KIDS IN MY OFFICE. AND I DIDN'T QUITE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, ONE YOUNG MAN WHOSE STEPFATHER, STEP GRANDFATHER FAILED TO FILE THE APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTS. HE'S 20 YEARS OLD. A FEW YEARS AGO HE WAS ARRESTED AND DETAINED IN JAIL OVER CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S. HOW'S THAT FOR A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PRESENT, TO BE TOLD THAT YOU'RE ILLEGAL AND SUBJECT TO DEPORTATION. ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN WHO WAS, HER PARENTS WERE OUTED AS BEING ILLEGAL AND DEPORTED. AND I PLED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO LET HER STAY HOPE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO. BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE SHE'S GOING FROM HERE. SHE'S LIVED IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE SHE WAS A VERY YOUNG GIRL, AND THIS IS HER COUNTRY. THIS IS WHERE SHE WANTS TO BE. AND ANOTHER ONE WHO IS LITERALLY A YOUNG WOMAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY. A REFUGEE FROM VIETNAM WHO WENT THROUGH GERMANY, CAME TO THE UNITED STATES. VIETNAM IS NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR HER TO RETURN TO. AND GERMANY DOESN'T WANT HER. SHE IS WITHOUT A COUNTRY. SHE HAS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND NO PLACE TO TURN.

WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW QUITE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN I WENT UP TO SEE THEM AFTER THIS DISAPPOINTING VOTE, AND THEY GREETED ME WITH SMILES AND ENCOURAGEMENT. IT'S GREAT TO WORK AROUND YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY JUST HAVE SUCH DETERMINATION AND ENERGY, AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LET ANYTHING GET THEM DOWN. IT MADE ME FEEL BETTER, AND I'M GLAD I DID IT EVEN THOUGH WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL. AND IT RENEWED MY COMMITMENT TO THIS ISSUE. I'M NOT GOING TO QUIT ON THIS. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE NEXT CHANCE WILL BE.

I KNOW WE HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE, AND SENATOR REID WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE ME MY CHANCE TODAY FOR A VOTE. BUT THIS IS AN IDEA WHOSE TIME WILL COME BECAUSE IT IS AN IDEA BASED ON JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS. TO THINK THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD SEE THEIR LIVES RUINED BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS WERE UNDOCUMENTED, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS BROUGHT THEM TO THIS COUNTRY. TO THINK THAT WE WOULD TURN THEM AWAY FROM AMERICA SAYING WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE TEACHERS AND NURSES AND DOCTORS.

NO, WE KNOW BETTER THAN THAT. WE NEED THEM. WE NEED ALL OF THEM. AND THEIR STRENGTH MAKES US A STRONGER NATION. SO THE DAY WILL COME, AND I HOPE SOON, WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. AND TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW THIS DEBATE SO CLOSELY AND TO THOSE WHO REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEIR FATE WAS IN THE HANDS OF THE SENATORS WHO VOTED THIS MORNING, DON'T GIVE UP. YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN UP YET AND YOU UP.

WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PURSUING THIS. THIS IS A SAD AND TROUBLING MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN HISTORY BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN DIVISIVE. THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE SAYING NOT MORE IMMIGRANTS IN THIS NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. IMMIGRANTS HAVE TO PLAY BY THE RULES, AND FOLLOW THE LAW. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT LET'S NOT TURN OUR BACK ON THE HERITAGE OF THE NATION. OUR STRENGTH IS THE DIVERSITY. THE FACT WE COME FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD TO CALL THIS PLACE HOPE. THE FACT OUR PARENTS AND GRANTS HAD THE COURAGE TO PICK UP AND MOVE RATHER THAN BE CONTENT WITH A LIFE OF MEDIOCRE OPPORTUNITY. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MADE AMERICA. THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO DEFINE WHO WE ARE. IT'S WHY WE ARE SPECIAL IN THIS WORLD, IF WE ARE AND I THINK WE ARE. AND WE CAN'T LET THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GO.

WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LET THEM GO. FOR THOSE SEVERAL OF THE SENATORS TODAY WHO REALLY STUCK THEIR NECKS OUT A MILE, A POLITICAL MILE, TO CAST THIS VOTE, I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND THESE "DREAM" ACT KIDS THANK YOU, TOO. THE AMERICAN DREAM WILL BE THERE SOME DAY AND WE WILL MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS. I YIELD THE FLOOR AND I SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.