Dana Rohrabacher: “I would congratulate the gentleman for underscoring a point that needs to be made, and that is this is not an issue of…”

“I would congratulate the gentleman for underscoring a point that needs to be made, and that is this is not an issue of race. This is an issue of economics and legality. I have had a great outpouring of support from Americans of Mexican descent in California who support this proposal and my basic fundamental position, which is that public services should not be provided for illegal aliens. Mr. Chairman, they support this position because they themselves depend on many of these government services, and see that the quality of the services are being diluted as they are being stretched to the breaking point. We have to make a choice with limited resources between people who are here legally, whether they are citizens or legal residents, and people who are here illegally, because so many people have come here from other countries it is beginning to break down the public services in many of our urban areas, especially in California. Mr. Chairman, those on the floor saying this is a matter of race, because it is so terrible they are going to be asked, and obviously they will only be asking people who look like they are Mexican Americans, or Hispanic-American, will probably be the only ones asked, that is what is being implied, that is not the case at all. This legislation would require people to present their birth certificate to prove legal status. Everybody. Every child.”