Sean Reyes: “I am here this afternoon, Madam Chair, because I spent a whole career on the border between the United States and…”

“I am here this afternoon, Madam Chair, because I spent a whole career on the border between the United States and Mexico, so I know and understand the frustrations that we face as a country about controlling and doing a better job, and understanding and identifying and stopping those that are coming into this country. This arises perhaps out of frustration, making sure that we do a better job. But this amendment is not a good idea. It was not a good idea 4 years ago, it was not a good idea last year, and it certainly is less of a good idea today, because just recently, President Bush activated 50,000 reservists. That tells us, it sends a very clear message that we do not have enough troops to go around. Those reservists that have been activated have been activated because we are about to go and make those accountable for the very acts that my colleague mentioned, the bombing and the terrible and tragic acts against the World Trade Center and against our own Pentagon. This is not an argument about illegal immigration, this is not an argument that we are engaged here in about who has a better plan. It is a practical understanding of the limitations that our military is capable of carrying out.”