Speech #1010044073

We will go from six down to five. This will happen regardless of the outcome of the Shelby amendment. Whether we count illegal aliens or not. my State is bound to lose a seat. So my support for this amendment is based upon my respect for representative government. as well as my respect for sound statistics as a basis for the division of 435 Representatives among the States in the House of Representatives. It is a commonsense approach that I am arguing. I believe we would find a solid consensus if we were to travel among the citizens of our States and discuss the issue of whether or not we ought to have any illegal aliens in this country. You will find no commonsense understanding nor any tolerance toward illegal aliens being in this country at all. We passed legislation in 1986 to solve this problem. I hope that legislation. passed thanks to the leadership of Senator SIMPSON and other people in this country who worked hard. will work. But it is a fact that it is not keeping all illegal aliens out of this country. So illegal aliens in this country is a fact of life. Our police and the INS have to be oriented toward moving those people out of this country. Or. through the Simpson amendment. we can punish those who knowingly hire illegal aliens. However. that Just does not solve our problem. So you reach the commonsense question of whether people who are in this country Illegally ought to have the right to participate in shaping the laws for those who live here legally.