The United States--A Nation of Laws

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, there is no denying that we are a kind and caring Nation. We have always welcomed those who have come to this country in order to make better lives for themselves and their families. In fact, many of the successes we have achieved in the fields of science, business, and art are directly attributable to individuals coming here with their ideas and ambitions.

But we are a Nation of laws.

Granting amnesty to those who have come here illegally not only erodes the rule of law, but it is unfair to the millions of folks who have respected our legal system and are working to gain citizenship in the right way. Further, undocumented immigration poses a threat to our national security. We have no way of tracking whether these individuals who are crossing our borders have ties to criminal enterprises, terrorism, or whether they are even carrying dangerous communicable diseases.

This is why it is critical we secure our borders.

The recent surge of illegal immigration at the border is a direct result of the Obama administration's failed policies. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, over the past year, there has been a 92 percent increase in the number of unaccompanied children crossing over our southwestern border. By usurping the legislative process and changing parts of existing laws while refusing to enforce others, the Obama administration has created an immigration policy that rewards those who have come here illegally.

Now the President has requested $3.7 billion to purportedly combat this immigration crisis. Unfortunately, according to the administration's own proposal, only a small portion of that money--roughly 9 percent--would be used to actually secure our southern border. Rather, if history has shown us anything, it is that, if we give this President a blank check, he will simply squander it on furthering his far-left agenda. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to reject the President's request and to, instead, use our resources, including the National Guard, in an effort to strengthen our border security and deport those who have come here illegally.

United States immigration policies are some of the most generous in the world, but we simply cannot condone illegal immigration. To that end, I will continue to support by any means necessary, whether legislative or legal, to ensure our current laws are enforced and to prevent this President from unilaterally implementing policies that circumvent our rule of law.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source