Madam Speaker. I rise today deeply disappointed that proposed legislation to deal with our failed immigration laws fell short today on a procedural vote in the other body. An impressive bipartisan coalition of Senators---including Arizona Senators KYL and MCCAINworked tirelessly for the past several months to craft immigration reform legislation. Unfortunately. their efforts were not fruitful. Doing nothing to address our nations immigration crisis is irresponsible. The Federal Government cannot continue to shirk its responsibility to protect our borders. Todays failure leaves the burden of dealing with illegal immigration on State and local governments. My district in Southern Arizona deals with the negative impact of illegal immigration every day. I will not relent in my efforts to find ways to remove the unfair burden placed on local law enforcement. health and social service agencies and our public schools. I urge my colleagues and the leadership of the House to come together in a bipartisan fashion to craft smart immigration reform that is tough. practical. and effective. We must roll up our sleeves and exhibit the leadership that is needed on this critical issue. The House has already made some progress. I applaud our efforts to address the problems we face along our border in our Homeland Security Appropriations bill. This includes adding more border patrol agents and increasing the use of technology to secure our border. I also urge fully fund federal programs. such as SCAAP. that reimburse local law enforcement agencies for the apprehension and detention of illegal immigrants. EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS. Vol. 153. Pt. 13 The cost and burden of illegal immigration remains primarily on the shoulders of local and state governments. especially those on the border. The fight for comprehensive immigration reform goes on and it must remain a top priority in Congress. We must pass comprehensive immigration reform.
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illegal immigration border patrol immigration illegal immigrants