Speech #980112336

Mr. Speaker. the determination of the Speaker of the House to ignore the hemorrhaging of our Nations immigration laws has predictably done nothing to solve the problem. With the absence of remedial legislation. the magnetic attraction of employment in the United States continues to lure a flow of undocumented aliens across our border. Although it has been only 2 weeks since the Speakers memorable comments. you may be interested to know that in the intervening time. the U.S. Border Patrol has apprehended approximately 44.295 persons attempting to enter the United States without benefit of papers. Although our Speaker has indicated that there is no national constituency to solve this problem. along the southern border alone there have been approximately 40.343 apprehensions since he informed this body of his determination to kill any hope that we might have for immigration reform. Along the Chula Vista sector. a small stretch of the California border sometimes referred to as worlds largest land crossing. approximately 13.574 undocumented persons were apprehended. Similarly. approximately 9.681 apprehensions were made in the El Paso area. Although this is a cause for great concern on the part of people in my part of the country. I am chagrined to conclude that nothing less than an act of Congress to move the Speakers district office to the Western United States will evidently suffice to capture his attention. In last Thursdays Washington Post. Columnist Carl Rowan aptly characterized the Speakers inaction as a "political decision to deny Congress an opportunity to deal with the important issue of illegal immigration." Rowan went on to state that "This situation is a classic example of how political gamesmanship obliterates the national interest." Mr. Speaker. the problem is not going to go away and its time to stop playing political games and bring the immigration bill to the floor of the House for a vote.