Speech #1040271701

Mr. President. while I am awaiting the return of the distinguished minority whip. I observe that one of the issues that I am fixing to bring up is the socalled Gallegly immigration bill. This had been a part of the illegal immigration bill that had been passed and was in conference between the House and the Senate. It was the provision that the President objected to strenuously. And the administration and the Democratic leadership indicated that they would never allow us to pass the conference report through the Senate that contained this Gallegly language. This language would allow States. on a prospective basis. if I understand it. to not be required to have to provide free education for the children of illegal immigrants. There are many States now that have a financial burden of being told by the Federal Government. "We cant control our borders. we cant control illegal immigration into this country. but in spite of our failure. you have to provide free education." In the State of California. I think we are talking about well over 300.000 children. at a cost to that State of $2 billion for the education of the children of illegal immigrants. Should we not allow the States to have options here? As I understand it now. any children now in the schools could stay until they are through. But in the future. illegal aliens would be told they are not going to be able to get free education forever for their children in the school system. It is a magnet. It draws illegal immigrants into this country to get access to this free education system. Somebody has to worry about the taxpayers in the State of California or Texas or Arizona. or in America. I thought that this was a very important part of the illegal immigration legislation. But it was so strenuously objected to. and a filibuster was threatened in the Senate. The President said he was going to veto it. So it was removed from the illegal immigration bill. So then we find that the administration found new provisions to object to. They. for instance. said that they would take down the entire illegal immigration bill and maybe not agree to the omnibus appropriations conference report. unless the language in there that was removed. which said that we had to accept illegal immigrants. even though they were HIV positive. which leads to a cost of well over S100.000 and maybe even more. for HIVpositive illegal immigrants. I find that inexplicable. Again. it is a magnet. You get an HIVpositive problem. what is your solution? Come into America illegally and your medical needs will be taken care of by the taxpayers of America. But it was so important to the administration. until it threatened to take down the entire effort of negotiations on illegal immigration and on the continuing resolution. I think it is a terrible policy. But again. to try to get an agreement. that provision was removed.