Speech #1040267465

I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. and for the hard work and tremendous leadership and expertise of the gentleman from California . on this particular issue. which is of tremendous concern and importance to California citizens. Mr. Speaker. obviously there are many things that we can do to at least reduce the tide. the flow of illegal immigration into California and our other border States. but the best way to control our border is by demagnetizing it. That was clearly pointed out in the Jordan Commission. the commission headed up by the late Congresswoman of Texas. who said we had to reduce and ultimately eliminate social welfare benefits. including a free public education. for illegal aliens. if in fact again we were going to do a good job of controlling our borders. This is just so important in California. and it is pretty clear the direction that this Congress should take. We have to have a national policy which specifies that the Federal Government no longer can impose mandates on State and local governments by forcing them. which is what current law does. by forcing them to provide taxpayerfinanced benefits to illegal immigrants. The decision should rest solely in the hands of State and local authorities to decide where their resources go. That certainly applies in the area of education. One of the more compelling of the border magnets is the free public education California and the other border States are mandated to provide the children of illegal immigrants. who are themselves illegal immigrants. This year their education will cost California taxpayers over $1.8 billion. That is an increase of 144 percent over just 8 years. So make no mistake about it. the availability of free public education is attractive. In the fiscal years 1988 to 1989 there were 187.000 illegal immigrant children in California. Today. there are almost 380.000. That is a doubling in just 7 years.