Karen Handel: “I thank Chairman Goodlatte for yielding. Madam Speaker, earlier today I voted in support of the Goodlatte- McCaul bill…”

“I thank Chairman Goodlatte for yielding. Madam Speaker, earlier today I voted in support of the Goodlatte- McCaul bill, and I stand here today in support of H.R. 6136. This bill is a commonsense measure that addresses many aspects of our broken immigration system. It will end the lawlessness at the U.S.- Mexico border, while also providing thoughtful and compassionate solutions to protect children at the border. Specifically, this bill will finally secure our borders, which is critical to national security. It provides $25 billion in advanced funding for the border barrier system, more border patrol personnel, and surveillance technology. That is advanced funding. That does not happen very often here in Congress. This bill also includes much needed measures to curb visa overstays. It limits extended family migration, eliminates lottery visas, deters sanctuary cities, and addresses asylum fraud. Further, H.R. 6136 establishes a new framework for DACA individuals. This framework is a sensible and, again, compassionate long-term solution that allows for legal residency through competitive, merit- based process. Importantly, the DACA provisions are contingent on the actual deployment of money and resources for that border wall system and the other border security measures. While this bill is not perfect, because few things are, it does represent a significant and meaningful step forward in fixing our immigration system.…”