[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 168 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2637-E2638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BORDER PROTECTION, ANTITERRORISM, AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CONTROL ACT 
                                OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4437) to 
     amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen 
     enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border 
     security, and for other purposes:
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the so-
called Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration 
Control Act of 2005, H.R. 4437. I am deeply

[[Page E2638]]

concerned with this legislation because it fails to seriously address 
our Nation's true immigration problems.
  Our nation's immigration system needs a serious overhaul, but this is 
not it. This is a bill that has been rushed to the floor, about a week 
after it was introduced and after only one committee hearing that later 
discharged the bill on a party line vote. For an issue as important as 
this, we should work together, we should work towards consensus, we 
should take the time it takes to get it right. Instead, the Republican 
leadership is more interested in passing legislation that may look good 
on a press release, but does not solve our immigration problems and is 
not realistic.
  If the Republican leadership was serious about securing our borders 
and preventing the entry of undocumented immigrants, they would fully 
fund the additional 10,000 border agents that we authorized when we 
passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, Public Law 
108-458, last year. The addition of these agents, which had broad 
bipartisan support, was a provision that would have a direct impact on 
securing both our Southern and Northern borders and had broad 
bipartisan support. However, when it comes time to fund these 
additional agents, Congress consistently comes up short.
  This bill is strongly opposed by a broad range of organizations such 
as U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 
American Farm Bureau, National Association of Homebuilders, Catholic 
Charities USA, Associated Builders and Contractors, United Auto 
Workers, among others. This broad coalition of organizations and 
interest groups understands that H.R. 4437 is not a solution to our 
existing immigration problem and in fact may exacerbate it.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

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