Turn Out the Ligths: the Party Is Over

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: THE PARTY IS OVER

Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, Americans are fed up. They are worn out, burned out and pocketed out of taking care of illegals who come here and expect a handout and a free ride, and now Americans, they are speaking out.

Recently, taxpayers in Houston forked out over $125 million in hospital costs in just 1 year by treating more than 53,000 illegals, taking advantage of the system in our hospitals, taking advantage of Americans, and really taking advantage of legal immigrants.

Mr. Speaker, it is morally wrong for illegals to enter this country with the expectation that they will live off of others. It is morally wrong for them to expect that Americans will pay to take care of them, take care of their health costs, their education costs and their social services costs.

But now it is becoming illegal for illegals to get these services that even many Americans do not receive. Taxpayers are finding their own answers, while some Federal lawmakers in Washington remain deaf to their desire because they are too busy dueling over illegal immigration doctrines.

State leaders are stepping in across the country. Just this week in Colorado lawmakers took a cue from their citizens by cutting through the conflict and passed 11 bipartisan bills, taking a tougher stance on illegal entry.

Just like Houston, illegals have been drawn to Colorado like moths to a flame, and like many States, Colorado has left the porch light on for them because they have bad laws that encourage illegal entry such as laws that protect employers that hire illegals, providing illegals benefits that many Americans do not receive such as unemployment, grants and even medical care.

This may explain why half of Colorado's immigrants are illegal, but those days may be over because now State legislators are aiming to flip the switch and turn out the lights and turn off the benefits that make being illegal so lucrative.

This week, they passed 11 immigration bills, including making people prove that they are legal residents of Colorado in order to receive State and Federal benefits. That is a far-reaching requirement which will require many of those 1 million people to prove that they are in the State legally to receive benefits. Without that proof, they lose the benefits that Americans have to pay for because Americans always pay, always pay for illegal entry.

Illegals will lose unemployment checks, grants to pay energy bills and even some public medical care, and even applying for these perks means a monetary punishment to illegals.

They are also now busting business owners who, until recently, have left their own porch lights on, guiding illegals their way in the name of a bigger bottom line. Those businesses who exploit illegals make a profit off of cheap labor, but Americans pick up the tab for all social services. Now, they are going to lose a grip on that filthy lucre that they have gotten.

Businesses that exploit those already living in the shadows of our society, beyond the scope of Federal work and wage regulations, it will cost those illicit businesses money in the form of fines if they do not keep records proving that they hire only legal residents.

And while many Americans do not turn out at the polls, it seems some illegals find some way to vote in this country, and now it is going to be a felony if they do so.

And while Colorado legislators have been hard at work, they are letting the voters make the really tough decisions. They are asking them in November on the ballot if they should sue the Federal Government for not enforcing Federal immigration laws. Voters will also be asked to deny tax benefits to business owners who hire illegals.

Mr. Speaker, each day my office gets inundated with calls, e-mails and faxes of people demanding their voices be heard, demanding we secure the borders, demanding that government enforce the law, and demanding that government uphold its greatest responsibility, protecting the citizens.

Mr. Speaker, the bills are mounting up. Illegals have run up their tab. Now it's time we turn out the lights because, Mr. Speaker, the party is over.

And that's just the way it is

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