Chairman. I rise in support of this amendment. and in frustration at the tone of this debate. All this amendment does is require any participating organization to obey U.S. immigration laws. Is that so unreasonable? If it is. then our immigration laws have been made meaningless. This amendment is legitimate because of the very real cost illegal immigration is imposing on our society. In my own home State of California alone. we are required by Federal law to spend more than $1.5 billion a year. and this is only what we can document. on services to illegal aliens. It would be nice if we could afford to provide services to everyone who wants them. The bottom line. however. is that we simply can not afford to do that. California faces an unprecedented fiscal crisis in part because we have become a magnet for illegal immigration. Moreover. this is a crisis of our own making. because we are providing incentives for aliens to come here. We. are providing them free health care. an education for their children in their own language. and a host of other benefits. This amendment tries to eliminate some of these incentives that are attracting these illegal aliens to the United States. It says simple that when we spend our own citizens tax dollars. we will limit the pool of eligible recipients to people who are not violating U.S. immigration laws. What is wrong with that? If we fail to adopt this amendment. it sends a signal that we in Congress are not serious about controlling illegal immigration. That would be a mistake. it would be wrong. and it would be an expense that our taxpayers can no longer afford.
Keywords matched
illegal aliens illegal immigration immigration