Ernest Istook: “although I cannot be present for the final vote, I support and have co-sponsored H.R. 4437, to improve America's border…”

“although I cannot be present for the final vote, I support and have co-sponsored H.R. 4437, to improve America's border security dramatically. I am absent so that I can be at my daughter's wedding. It was scheduled long ago, when nobody expected that the House would be in session at this time. As the grandson of immigrants, I have a deep and personal appreciation for the desire and courage it takes to leave your home in search of a new and better life. My father's parents were born in Hungary and they came to America legally through Ellis Island. I welcome and embrace those who come here and who do so legally. But entering our country illegally is different--very different. It is difficult to obey the laws of this country when your very first act is to break them. Illegal immigration is an affront to those who wait patiently for the chance to come here legally. Illegal immigration drains the resources of our schools and of our social support network. It encourages disrespect for the laws which are necessary for a good and orderly society. This bill represents the first serious effort in decades to address this immense problem which has constantly worsened due to a lack of resources, a lack of resolve and a lack of enforcement of our laws. When our borders are not secure against illegal immigration, it means they also are not secure against drug-smuggling or against terrorists.…”