Speech #1040191418

I want to say first that even though I am offering an amendment to this bill. I want to express my personal appreciation to the gentleman from Texas who is the sponsor of the bill. This is the first attempt to look at our immigration laws in 10 years. and I think that it Is something that is obligated to be done by the Congress. Mr. Chairman. it is obviously something that is not easy to do. All of the Members of the House and all of the public watching us know what difficult issues and questions we have to review and resolve here in this issue. and we are here because of the leadership of the gentleman from Texas on this bill. I want to add also that although there is always room for legislation. there is always room to consider new laws. I have become convinced that in the area of immigration. along with numerous other areas. the real solution ultimately Is enforcing the laws that are already on our books. Mr. Chairman. I am informed that a significant percentage of those people in the country Illegally at this time entered legally. They entered on student visas or tourist visas or some other legal way of entering the United States and simply would not leave when their time expired. We have such a poor system of keeping track of these individuals that basically they stay with impunity and ignore our laws. just as much as people who enter illegally in the first place. A portion of this bill would try to improve our system in terms of keeping track of these individuals. But I think that if we simply are able to more efficiently enforce laws we have. we will go a long way toward solving the immigration problems that have been identified. Mr. Chairman. I want to speak in favor of this amendment. This amendment would eliminate the new refugee process that is placed In the bill. Currently. the refugee limits every year are set In a consultation process between the President and the Congress. The bill would change that to making the figure whatever it is set in statute. so that It could only be changed by law. Congress must pass a bill. the President must sign the bill. Otherwise. there can be no change in the figure. upward or downward. for refugees regardless of the world situation. We would have a fixed figure virtually forever. The reason the provision is in the bill to change the refugee system is that the bill argues that the consultation process could be abused. In other words. the administration. Republican.