Political Quotes

“I rise as a sponsor of H.R. 3429, the LEAP Act. We all agree that immigrants should come to this country legally, and LEAP will remove the magnet that brings undocumented workers to the country in the first place, jobs. LEAP will improve current employment verification programs so that businesses can make sure that employees are legally authorized to work in this country. Right now, employers are in a catch-22 situation. Under the law, they cannot hire illegal immigrants; but they do not have all of the tools necessary to hire legal workers. The bill is not anti-immigration. I certainly recognize the many benefits that legal immigrants bring to this country. Most people who come across the border without proper documentation only want to improve their lives and the lives of their families. But we must remember that there are a lot of people who also want to come to America and must wait years, perhaps, to come legally. It is not fair to them if we do not enforce the law. Madam Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will support this common sense approach to discourage illegal immigration.”