Speech #1040100919

Mr. Chairman. as chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee that has just marked up comprehensive legislation to end the problem of illegal immigration. I rise in opposition to the Mollohan amendment on reimbursing our States for the costs of incarcerating illegal aliens. The Mollohan amendment violates the commitment that we made to our Governors and ignores Congress culpability in the problem of illegal immigration. The solution to the problem of illegal immigration is to prevent illegal Immigrants from entering the United States. And removing illegal immigrants if they arrive. My bill. the Immigration in the National Interest Act. will accomplish this goal. It fulfills one of the Federal Governments central functions: securing our Nations borders. In the past. Congress has been part of the problem. not the solution. Past Congresses have ignored the problem of illegal immigration and failed to stem the tide of illegal aliens entering our country. While Congress dithered. illegal immigrants entered our Nation in record numbers. with upwards of 1 million illegal aliens permanently entering our Nation every 3 years. Congress failure to secure our Nations borders has been a disaster for our citizens. our local government. and our States. Our citizens have been plagued by crime committed by illegal immigrants. And States have been forced to pay the costs of incarcerating criminal aliens whom the Federal Government did not prevent from entering our country and preying on our citizens. These State costs have resulted directly because. in the past. Congress refused to address the problem of illegal immigration. What has been the cost to States of Congress failure to stem the tide of illegal immigration? The General Accounting Office estimates that incarcerating illegal immigrant felons costs States at least $650 million per year. That translates into $66 million that New York cannot spend on schools. $43 million that Texas cannot spend on roads. and $400 million that California cannot spend on health care. All because the Federal Government failed to do its Job. Mr. Chairman. I do not generally favor reimbursement as a means of solving our illegal immigration problems. We should prevent illegal aliens from entering the country. rather than spending money on them after they get here. However. Congress has made a commitment to our governors to help reimburse some of the costs that they have incurred.