Speech #990284116

Chairman RODINo and I have both pledged in our oversight capacity. and it will not matter who is in the majority or minority. to assure that this legislation works. because. you see. by doing nothing we perpetuate a status quo which we all. every single one of us. agree is reprehensible and repugnant. I can certainly understand why some do not care for legalization. Legalization is a necessity if we are going to preserve our scarce INS [Immigration and Naturalization Service] resources. to deter future illegal immigration. and to remove a fearful. easily exploited subclass from our society. These things will only happen along with employer sanctions and more immigration enforcement. I say that one of the principal reasons we are in this box in the United States is because of a piece of legislation passed in 1952 called the Texas proviso. How ironic. but not coincidental. that the Senator from Texas has played such a leading role in this debate over the immigration bill. It was originally because of certain interests of Texas that we are here today at all debating immigration reform because. in 1952. the Texas congressional delegation was successful in adding the Texas proviso which stated that it was illegal to harbor or conceal or transport or aid an illegal alien. but the word "employment" was not considered as being harboring or aiding. So the law of the United States is the most bizarre of any law in any country. It simply means it is legal to hire an illegal. but it is illegal for the illegal to work.