Chairman. today. I rise in strong support of the amendment by my friend and colleague. DUNCAN HUNTER. which would increase the appropriation for the Border Patrol by $60 million. As my colleagues must know. the condition of the Californian economy is terrible. The lingering recession. the massive defense cuts that the State Is asked to bear. and unfunded Federal mandates are all contributing factors to Californias fiscal woes. The largest unfunded Federal mandate in California is immigration. As my California colleagues have already pointed out. half of the babies born in San Diego and Los Angelos are born to immigrants. Twentyfive percent of the people incarcerated in Californias prisons are foreign born. Governor Pete Wilson has estimated that California pays $1.4 billion for the social. health. and correctional services provided to immigrants and refugees as mandated by national immigration policy. Along with several of my California colleagues. Republican and Democrat alike. I have made the elimination of unfunded Federal mandates one of my highest priorities. We have to take firm actions to address the problems of these unfunded Federal mandates before they completely overwhelm our State and local jurisdictions. I wholeheartedly support Congressman HUNTERS amendment since it will augment the resources of the Border Patrol so that they can prevent illegal immigrants from entering our country and placing further burdens on our local budgets. It should be understood that additional cuts and rescissions can be made in this legislation to more than offset the $60 million increase that the amendment calls for. Again.
Keywords matched
foreign born refugees immigration illegal immigrants immigrants Border Patrol