Speech #1040191478

Mr. Chairman. illegal Immigration hits my district harder than just about any other In the country. It Is estimated that more than 43 percent of all illegal Immigrants reside in Californiaand there may be many more. Today we face a major crisis. California public hospitals must deal with an overwhelming number of births to illegal aliensalmost 40 percent of their deliveries. Incredibly. Illegal immigrants cross our borders at a rate which could populate a city the size of San Francisco In less than 3 years. Half of the 5 million illegal aliens in the United States use fraudulent documents to obtain jobs and welfare benefits. We have finally found the resolve to make the muchneeded overhaul of the Nations Immigration laws. Chairman SMITH and I have worked very hard to ensure the bill contains provisions crucial in securing our borders. The first of these provisions increases the border patrol to 10.000 agents. The second initiative cuts off all Federal benefitsexcept emergency medical careto illegal aliens. By eliminating benefits to illegal aliens. we eliminate the incentive for them to cross our borders. Mr. Chairman. my Republican colleagues and I have worked with unprecedented resolve to clamp down on illegal immigration. I urge all of my colleagues to do what is right for California and the Nationsupport H.R. 2202.