The committee plays an important role in strengthening our economy and putting Americans back to work.

In this economy, all Americans are forced to tighten their belts and do more with less.

This bill is the first major revision of the patent system in 60 years.

Ranking Member Conyers and I requested a budget cut of 5 percent below the funding for the 111th Congress.

The Obama administration's refusal to fully enforce immigration laws allows illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States, forcing millions of unemployed Americans to compete with them for scarce jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding me time, and I also want to thank him for his sponsorship of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, our immigration system should be designed to benefit Americans and our economy. And this…

The Administration is putting illegal immigrants ahead of the interest of American taxpayers and unemployed Americans.

Secure Communities is an important and effective immigration law enforcement program. This program simply makes sense.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Yesterday, we began debate on the balanced budget amendment, debate that I hope culminates today with a bipartisan two-thirds vote in its favor. The American people of all political stripes and from…

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I will yield the gentleman an extra minute. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized for 3 minutes.