[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 43 (Thursday, April 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1566-H1567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RESPONSIBLE IMMIGRATION REFORM

  (Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a strong supporter of 
effective immigration reform and with a sense of urgency that Congress 
must act decisively to secure our borders and control illegal 
immigration.
  Every day we put off sending the President border security 
legislation simply allows more opportunity for illegal immigrants to 
break our laws and cross our borders.
  America must not continue to be a foster home for those who 
deliberately break the law. Rather, we must be a Nation that respects 
law and encourages safe and legal immigration.
  The burden of illegal immigration is increasing daily for American 
citizens as hospitals and schools are filled with illegal immigrants 
who cannot pay for

[[Page H1567]]

their education or their medical expenses. Indeed, illegal immigration 
is not a victimless crime, and as long as our Nation continues to turn 
a blind eye, illegal immigrants have all the incentives in the world to 
risk their lives crossing our border.
  As the Senate deliberates their approach to reform, I believe we in 
the House need to continue to emphasize border security first and 
foremost, our opposition to amnesty, and support for a national guest 
worker program that treats those seeking jobs here as exactly that, 
guests not citizens.

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