Political Quotes

“Today I rise with a heavy heart to speak about my constituent, Pierce Corcoran. On December 29, 2018, Pierce was struck and killed by a vehicle operated by an undocumented immigrant in Knoxville. This is a personal matter for me, Madam Speaker, because I have been friends with Pierce's family for many years, and they remain in my prayers. Pierce was an incredible, hardworking, fine Christian young man who will be deeply missed. People want to come to our country for new opportunities and the pursuit of happiness, and this Nation is full of incentives that attract not only legal, but also illegal immigrants. The most recent data shows that there are approximately 606,000 overstayed visa recipients and 10.7 million unauthorized immigrants. Removing incentives that encourage unlawful immigration and demagnetizing that attraction must be a priority for Congress moving forward. With stronger laws and increased border security, tragedies like the one that occurred in my home district could and should be avoided, and families like Pierce's might be saved from such a heartbreaking situation. ____________________”