Time is running out on the 110th Congress, yet the Democrat majority has yet to move a single piece of border security or immigration reform legislation through the House of Representatives—despite the American people’s repeated calls for action from their lawmakers in Washington. I have personally proposed a number of options, from gaining operational control of our borders through physical barriers, to increasing the minimum number of Border Patrol officers and support staff needed to enforce our laws. Another option that’s gaining support is to cut off the job magnet that draws so many illegal immigrants to this country.

E-Verify, the program currently used by many states and one that I support, gives companies the ability to check the employment eligibility status of new-hires, the primary goal being the reduction of unlawful employment in the United States. The expansion of this program, or one like it, would be an important step in solving the greater border security problem; if illegal immigrants realize they will not be able to find jobs in this country, fewer people will illegally cross our nation’s borders.

There is no one proposal that will magically fix every problem associated with the illegal immigration crisis in this country, but that is no excuse not to move forward on current legislation that will effectively address certain issues. When Republicans controlled Congress, we had a proven track record, having passed both H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, and the Secure Fence Act of 2006, legislation authorizing the construction of 700 miles of fencing along our southwestern border. The Secure Fence Act was signed into law in October 2006. Today, over 18 months into the 110th Congress, we’re still waiting on Democrats to take action on a substantive border security bill. We need action now—the American people shouldn’t have to wait any longer.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 9:25 am and is filed under Politics .