mr. chairman , i yield to nobody my concern that this bill has regarding the environment , but that is not the point . 
we have already had our colleague , the gentleman from california ( mr. duncan ) xz4001160 , talk about how we passed specific legislation signed by president clinton that suspended the endangered species act . 
what we are talking about here is far beyond this . 
it is talking about suspending all laws , health , safety , immigration , payment for private property . 
all laws , not the environment . 
my colleagues would be creating not a couple of miles of exception to finish a fence , but you would be creating a zone 7 , 514 miles long under the terms of this bill , 5 , 500 in canada , almost 2 , 000 with the border of mexico , where all laws are suspended in the vicinity of the barrier . 
my colleagues have no idea how much land they are exempting from compensation . 
mr. chairman , there are only 11 , 751 people who have been privileged to serve in this chamber . 
i do not think any of them have ever been asked to vote on anything more irresponsible . 
it is a terrible precedent , unnecessary , and i urge its defeat . 
