Michele Bachmann: “I thank the gentleman from Texas, Representative Louis Gohmert, and I also thank my colleagues who preceded me and all…”

“I thank the gentleman from Texas, Representative Louis Gohmert, and I also thank my colleagues who preceded me and all the marvelous comments they have given: Mr. Brooks from Alabama and the statistics that he has just given and all the other stories. I look at the context of this issue, Mr. Speaker, and the issue of dealing with the whole strata of illegal immigration. What are we talking about? There are so many aspects. One of those aspects, of course, is the issue of why in the world isn't America's border secure today? This is something that is incomprehensible to the American people because there is something that the American people should demand and that they have a right to expect, and it is that their country has a secure border at every level. Not only just at the point of entry, but for people who come into the United States on a lawful, legal visa. The American people have a right to expect that those people also will stay for the time that we have granted those people and that they will not overstay. The one thing that we've learned, Mr. Speaker, is that 40 percent of the problem of illegal immigration, 40 percent--4 out of 10--people are overstaying their visas. That included some of the terrorists that were involved in the 9/11 bombing. That's why this is so important. We aren't talking just about an academic exercise, Mr. Speaker. We are talking about a national security issue. We're also talking about an economic security issue.…”