By: Rep. Miller
This week I am very happy to report that Senate Republicans were successful in defeating passage of the notorious Senate immigration bill. This legislation would have provided amnesty to millions of illegal aliens by making it nearly painless for them to attain legal status in our county. I feel certain that if the House is given the opportunity to vote on the bill, we too will keep it from passing. I am relieved to know that the majority of our Senators oppose handing out citizenship to the illegal aliens, who by definition are in fact criminals, when they find their way across our borders.
Earlier this week in the Republican Conference, my colleagues and I let our voice be heard loud and clear when we voted on a resolution opposing the Senate immigration bill. House Minority Leader John Boehner stated, "House Republicans have been very clear about our priorities. First things first: we must secure our border and enforce our laws."
I am adamantly opposed to this amnesty bill, which was constructed by the Democrats and the Bush administration, as it would add to our immigration problem by providing numerous avenues for illegal aliens to fast-track their way to citizenship. Passing the Senate immigration bill would have been a disservice to the rest of this nation, including those attempting to immigrate through lawful channels.
In addition to the large volume of phone calls and mail my office has received on immigration, Monday night's Tele-Town Hall only confirmed that an overwhelming majority of my constituents oppose any form of amnesty. Like me, first and foremost you want our borders secured, in addition to strict enforcement of our current laws.
Let me make it perfectly clear that I will not support a provision that grants any sort of amnesty to illegal immigrants because such an action would deliver a damaging message that breaking the laws of this nation, laws that keep our citizens and legal residents safe, is somehow okay. Illegal immigrants not only pose a threat to our national security but also unfairly drain social services to which lawful taxpayers have contributed.
One hundred years later, the inspiring words of President Theodore Roosevelt continue to hold true when he explained what it means to be a true American citizen:
In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American (1907)
I do not believe the countless illegal immigrants have come into this county "in good faith" or to "assimilate himself to us" as stated by President Roosevelt. These criminals and their blatant disregard for our laws will no longer be overlooked, will no longer be tolerated. The American people want our borders secured and the longer Congress and the Administration wait to take action, the more our American citizens suffer.