WASHINGTON—Today, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee’s lone hearing on the Gang of Eight’s comprehensive immigration reform legislation will take place next Wednesday, despite the fact that the Gang has yet to release any language or even any summary of their bill.  In response, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement:
 
“A single hearing scheduled so quickly to discuss legislative language that is not yet even available is completely inadequate for Senators or the American people to get answers to the many questions a bill of this magnitude will inevitably raise.  We could not possibly have a meaningful hearing with a substantive discussion of what will surely be over 1,000 pages of provisions we haven't even yet seen.”
 
“I have urged Senator Leahy to allow members of the Committee sufficient time to review any comprehensive immigration bill and to hold hearings on the numerous issues that have evolved since the Committee last considered comprehensive immigration reform more than five years ago.  Many topics are ripe for serious discussion, including the changing demographics of Mexico and other sources of illegal immigration, the effect of a new guest worker program on the economy, the metrics DHS will use to measure border security, and the long-term costs of mass naturalization.
 
“Our immigration system is in need of reform and I am enormously disappointed that my colleagues are looking to rush another thousand-page bill through the Senate.  This is not how important, sweeping changes should be made.”