Speech #1040192243

Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the BermanChryslerBrownback amendment to H.R. 2202. This bill was drafted in response to concerns echoed across this Nation about the influx of immigrants in this country. both legal and illegal. However. a vote for this amendment is a vote to kill any attempt to pass legal immigration reform in the 104th Congress. We are a country of immigrants. Our ancestors came here for the promise of a better life and a better place to raise their families. They wanted the American dream. This bill does not deny this dream to anyone. Contrary to what has been said about this bill. it maintains Americas historic generosity toward legal immigration and places a priority on uniting families. Our current system of legal immigration is clearly flawed. There is currently a backlog of 1.1 million spouses and young children of legal immigrants who are forced to wait years to join their families. H.R. 2202 provides for the highest level of legal immigration in 70 years. averaging 700.000 per year over the next 5 years. People should not be fooled into believing the rhetoric that only illegal immigration needs reform. The unfortunate fact is that the majority of illegal immigrants in this country entered the country legally with tourist visas. But our Government gives them every incentive to stay here illegally after their temporary visa has expired. Just by virtue of being here. they are automatically entitled to generous Government assistance for health care. food stamps. and education benefits. Where is the incentive to leave? We can put up bigger fences. hire more border patrol agents. and establish a foolproof system to detect fraudulent documents. However. until we reform legal immigration. we will continue to face the same problems. The BermanChryslerBrownback amendment will kill legal immigration reform. H.R. 2202 fairly and generously reforms legal immigration. and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote "no" on this amendment.