Senator Kennedy on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007

“It was in this chamber, a number of years ago, that we knocked down the great walls of discrimination on the basis of race; that we knocked down the walls of discrimination on the basis of religion. We knocked them down with regards to national origin. We knocked them down with regards to gender. We were part of the march for progress and, today, we are called on again. Year after year, we’ve had the broken borders. Year after year, we have the exploitations of workers. Year after year, we’ve seen the people that live in fear within our own borders of the United States for America. This is the opportunity to change it. Now is the time. Now is the time to resume our commitment to the family values of people who want to work hard, people – that care about this country and want to be a part of the American dream – who have seen their sons and daughters in many instances go and fight and lose their lives. That is the challenge. Now is the time. This is the place.”