Debbie Lesko: “And I thank Representative Shalala for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Madam Speaker, circumstances demand that we…”

“And I thank Representative Shalala for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Madam Speaker, circumstances demand that we make substantial improvements to our Nation's broken immigration system. My home State of Arizona is at the forefront of a crisis on our Nation's southern border, but the bill before us today offers no solutions and will instead, I believe, exacerbate the problem. I have represented the people of Arizona for over a decade. Last Congress, I was honored when the people of Arizona's Eighth Congressional District sent me to represent them here in Washington, D.C. For my constituents, as residents of a border State, fixing our broken immigration system is a top priority. With Customs and Border Patrol apprehending 4,500 people per day and, in April, over 100,000 people just in that month alone, it is critical to develop and implement a solution immediately. As a member on the Homeland Security Committee, the Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, and the House Rules Committee, I stand ready to work with my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to develop real solutions to our immigration crisis. Unfortunately, with the bill and the rule before us today, it is evident that the majority has no intention of advancing consensus legislation to fix our broken immigration system. The bill advances a series of what I believe are flawed policies.…”