Mr. Chairman. I rise today in opposition to the socalled Border Protection. Antiterrorism. and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. H.R. 4437. I am deeply concerned with this legislation because it fails to seriously address our Nations true immigration problems. Our nations immigration system needs a serious overhaul. but this is not it. This is a bill that has been rushed to the floor. about a week after it was introduced and after only one committee hearing that later discharged the bill on a party line vote. For an issue as important as this. we should work together. we should work towards consensus. we should take the time it takes to get it right. Instead. the Republican leadership is more interested in passing legislation that may look good on a press release. but does not solve our immigration problems and is not realistic. If the Republican leadership was serious about securing our borders and preventing the entry of undocumented immigrants. they would fully fund the additional 10.000 border agents that we authorized when we passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. Public Law 108458. last year. The addition of these agents. which had broad bipartisan support. was a provision that would have a direct impact on securing both our Southern and Northern borders and had broad bipartisan support.
Keywords matched
undocumented Illegal Immigration immigration immigrants Border Protection