Opposing H.R. H.R. and H.R. 6976

Floor Speech

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Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition of H.R. 5585, H.R. 6678, and H.R. 6976, a series of Republican messaging bills.

This week, instead of working in a bipartisan manner to fix our broken immigration system, the Republican Majority brought their partisan messaging bills to the House Floor. These three bills are unnecessary. As our laws are written today, conviction of these crimes already makes a person with a green card or visa deportable. For example, H.R. 5585 makes fleeing border patrol a deportable offense-- this is already a deportable offense. H.R. 6678 makes an immigrant who commits Social Security fraud deportable--this is already a deportable offense. H.R. 6976 makes a person deportable if convicted of a serious DUI--this is already a deportable offense.

These bills are unnecessary, but what is radical about them is that they change due process under the United States Constitution. In two of the bills, the crimes described do no longer require a conviction to make a lawful resident deportable. In America, you are innocent until proven guilty. This has been the law of the land for hundreds of years. These bills are a slippery slope and move to take away the rights of those legally present in the United States. My concern is, will Republicans stop there, or will U.S. citizens be next?

With the bills House Republicans have brought to the Floor this week, along with their unjustified and unprecedented impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas in the Homeland Security Committee, they continue to demonstrate they are not willing to work toward real solutions to bring order to the border and fix our immigration system. You deserve real solutions to these issues. I am committed to working with anyone who is serious about bringing forward meaningful solutions to the problems at our border.

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