Speech #1040041821

Mr. President. I rise today to introduce. and now send to the desk. the Illegal Immigration Control and Enforcement Act of 1995. This bill incorporates many of the concepts in the immigration package that I introduced in the last session of Congress. New proposals have been added. however. after consultation with many. including Californias law enforcement officials and others interested in curbing illegal immigration. Mr. President. I offer this legislation not to compete with Senator SIMPSONS S. 269. which he introduced on January 24. but rather to complement it. Little in this bill is duplicative of Senator SIMPSONS legislation. I am convinced that. combined. these two bills could offer a strong. straightforward program to stop illegal immigration. There simply is no time to lose. The crisis of illegal immigration continues in California and throughout the Nation. Too many people are still able to illegally cross our borders. and too few States. most notably California. carry the burden of having to support. educate. and often incarcerate the hundreds of thousands who enter this country illegally each year. There is no doubt in my mind that our border enforcement has improved in the last 2 years and I want to thank this administration for an unprecedented commitment to that end. I am equally convinced. however. that steps already taken have been insufficient to fully address the problem. Despite its major flaws and probable unconstitutionality. proposition 187 in California was overwhelmingly approved by voters last November. The message was clear: Stop illegal immigration. If Congress does not heed this warning. I fear an even more serious backlash nationwide against all immigrants. including those who want to come to our country legally.