The unofficial transcript of the Senator Reid's remarks can be found

below.

MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT, LAST NIGHT THE PROCESS BEGAN TO WHAT

WE CALL RULE 14, TWO IMPORTANT BILLS. THEY WERE JUST

ANNOUNCED

BY THE CLERK, THE DREAM ACT AND THE FIREFIGHTERS COLLECTIVE

BARGAINING. IT HAD BEEN MIGHT BE INTENT TO FILE CLOTURE ON

BOTH

OF THESE BILLS LAST EVENING, HOWEVER SUPPORTERS OF THE

ORIGINAL

BILLS REQUESTED THAT SOME MODIFICATION BE MADE. THESE CHANGES

ARE REFLECTED IN THE BILLS. I INTEND TO MOVE FORWARD ON BOTH

OF

THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION. IN ADDITION, I INTEND TO FILE

CLOTURE THIS WEEK ON THE 9/11 HEALTH BILL. I'LL FILE CLOTURE

ON

{09:34:55} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

ALL THREE OF THESE AT THE SAME TIME. MR. PRESIDENT, AS YOU

KNOW, THE CURRENT CONTINUING RESOLUTION EXPIRES THIS FRIDAY.

WE'RE WAITING HOUSE ACTION ON A SHORT-TERM C.R. WHICH WE'LL

RECEIVE LATER THIS WEEK. I HOPE MEMBERS ON BOTH SIDES WILL

ALLOW US TO ACT QUICKLY ON THIS SHORT-TERM C.R. WHEN WE

RECEIVE

IT SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TO COMPLETE OUR WORK THAT'S

ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. AS WE WORK TO

CLEAR THE SHORT-TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION, HOUSE AND SENATE

{09:35:30} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES ARE WORKING ON LEGISLATION TO FUND

THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. EARLIER

 THIS MORNING I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MY REPUBLICAN

COLLEAGUES

INDICATING THEY WILL FILIBUSTER ANY LEGISLATIVE MATTER

BROUGHT

TO THE FLOOR PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF THE SPENDING AND TAX

BILLS. NO ONE IS MORE ANXIOUS TO PUT THESE BILLS BEHIND US

THAN

I. HOWEVER PASSING EITHER WILL REQUIRE REPUBLICAN VOTES. I

WISH

I COULD REPORT WE'RE CLOSE TO WRAPPING UP ACTION ON THESE

BILLS

{09:36:03} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

BUT WE'RE NOT. THE FIRST MEETING THAT WAS REQUESTED BY THE

PRESIDENT IS TAKING PLACE THIS MORNING. SENATOR McCONNELL

CHOSE

SENATOR KYL TO REPRESENT THE REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE. I

CHOSE

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SENATOR BAUCUS, TO

REPRESENT DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE. SO THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD

ON

THAT TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT. MY

REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES KNEW THIS AS THEY DRAFTED THIS LETTER.

THEREFORE, THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THE TRUE EFFECT OF THIS LETTER

{09:36:34} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

IS TO PREVENT THE SENATE FROM ACTING ON MANY IMPORTANT ISSUES

THAT HAVE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. WITH THIS LETTER, THEY HAVE

SIMPLY PUT IN WRITING THE POLITICAL STRATEGY THAT THE

REPUBLICANS PURSUED THIS ENTIRE CONGRESS, NAMELY, OBSTRUCT,

DELAY; OBSTRUCT, DELAY ACTION ON CRITICAL MATTERS AND THEN

 BLAME THE DEMOCRATS FOR NOT ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE. VERY CYNICAL, BUT VERY OBVIOUS, VERY

TRANSPARENT. SO I, MR. PRESIDENT, -- WE MUST MOVE FORWARD ON

{09:37:08} (MR. REID) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE. WE HAVE NUMEROUS JUDGES THAT NEED TO

BE

TAKEN CARE OF, AND I'M TRYING TO WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH THE

REPUBLICAN LEADER ON THOSE. SO I HOPE THAT EVERYONE

UNDERSTANDS

THERE ARE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH. THERE ARE

MEETINGS

GOING ON AS WE SPEAK TO TRY TO HELP US MOVE FORWARD ON THE

ISSUES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO COMPLETE ACTION HERE AT THE

EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE. MR. PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU ANNOUNCE

MORNING BUSINESS?

{09:37:39 NSP} (THE PRESIDING OFFICER) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }

THE PRESIDING OFFICER: UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE

LEADERSHIP

TIME IS RESERVED. UNDER THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THERE WILL NOW BE

PERIOD OF MORNING BUSINESS WITH THE SENATORS PERMITTED TO

SPEAK

THEREIN FOR UP TO TEN MINUTES EACH, WITH THE REPUBLICANS

CONTROLLING THE FIRST 30 MINUTES AND THE DEMOCRATS

CONTROLLING

THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.

[NILC Summary: S.3992 is not yet up on www.thomas.loc.gov , the official page for
congressional bills. ]
1. Creates conditional nonimmigrant status for 10 years, followed

by 3 years of LPR status prior to application for naturalization.

1. Authorized to be employed

2. May travel outside the US and may be admitted without a visa if

carrying valid evidence of status and if not absent for more than 180 days.

3. Treated as lawfully present except for purposes of eligibility

for health care (see number 17).

2. Eliminates repeal of in-state tuition ban.

3. Broadens the definition of institution of higher learning to

include vocational institutions

4. Must show good moral character since time of entry into the

country (rather than date of enactment)

5. Creates more grounds of inadmissibility, deportability, and

other grounds for exclusion.

1. Ineligible for engaging in voter fraud, unlawfully voting,

marriage fraud, public health risk, likely to become a public charge, student visa
abuse, polygamy, draft evasion, persecution of others

2. Ineligible for one felony or three misdemeanor convictions.

6. Lower age cap from 34 to 29.

7. Requires submission of biometric and biographic data, a

background check, a medical examination (restates current law)

8. Expands required disclosures and creates exceptions to

confidentiality requirement for criminal, homeland security, or national security

purposes.

9. Application deadline for conditional nonimmigrant status- alien

must apply for conditional status within one year after obtaining high school
degree or GED, admittance to institution of higher education, or date of enactment.

10. Requires selective service registration.

11. Requires alien to demonstrate prima facie eligibility to receive

stay of removal while application pending.

12. Burden of proof - requires alien to demonstrate eligibility by a

preponderance of the evidence.

13. Adjustment to LPR status

1. Must show good moral character during the 10 years in

conditional status

2. Cannot have been absent from the US for a total of more than

365 days during the conditional status

3. Application deadline - must file for adjustment of status

during the period beginning 1 year before and ending on either the date that is 10
years after the date of the granting of conditional nonimmigrant status or any
other expiration date of the conditional status.
14. Requires alien to pay back taxes before conditional status

removed.

15. Retroactive benefits section maintained.

16. No Expedited Processing of Applications section, as included in

earlier version.

17. Eligibility for Health Care:

1. While in conditional nonimmigrant status, ineligible for

subsidies under the Exchange.

2. 5-year bar under PRWORA is considered completed within the

conditional status period.