Published: 04-01-08
Pressuring Democrat Leadership to Address Border Security
This month Congressman Thelma Drake (R-VA) filed a discharge petition for the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE Act H.R. 4088) a bipartisan immigration proposal introduced by Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC). A discharge petition is a way to bring a bill out of the committee of jurisdiction and send it to the House floor for consideration. It is a powerful tool used to move stalled legislation but it is rarely used because it requires 218 signatures—an absolute majority.
The discharge petition was filed on March 11 2008 and garnered 181 signatures in four days. In light of the Democrat leadership’s failure to act on any immigration legislation this year Congresswoman Drake’s discharge petition would have forced the House to consider this valuable bill. The SAVE Act is an enforcement first immigration proposal that strengthens border security worker verification and interior enforcement.
When Congressman Shuler introduced the SAVE Act last fall I was pleased to see some Democrats standing up to their leadership’s amnesty agenda. The SAVE Act puts policy ahead of politics and has the potential to make significant progress in the fight against illegal immigration. But despite the pressure of a discharge petition Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to bring this legislation to the floor.
The SAVE Act is an enforcement-first bill that strengthens border security and implements an employee verification system. The SAVE Act has three main objectives:
1. Border Security
This bill makes important steps in strengthening border security by increasing Border Patrol Agents by 8000 over the next four years. It adds 6400 agents to the Southern Border and 1600 agents to the Northern Border. In an effort to combat drug smuggling through a network of underground tunnels H.R. 4088 increases funding for the “Tunnel Task Force” by 50. The bill also requires coordination between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
2. Worker Verification
The SAVE Act expands the E-Verify program by requiring all businesses to comply within four years of the bill’s enactment. As you may remember E-Verify is a comprehensive program that allows employers to check the legal status of potential and current employees by matching names with social security numbers. The program is fast and easy to use. H.R. 4088 also protects employers who encounter problems but have put in a “good faith” effort to comply. The SAVE Act is supported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB).
3. Reduction through Interior Enforcement
This legislation increases the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Criminal Alien Program (CAP) officers ultimately facilitating a greater number of deportations. It also funds additional bed space in detention facilities. This is important because detainees are often released due to a lack of resources and bed space in the facilities. Additionally the bill identifies the need to address the inadequate number of federal judges in certain areas of the country that are overwhelmed with pending immigration cases.
The SAVE Act is also endorsed by NumbersUSA the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) and National Association of Police Organizations. I believe the SAVE Act is an important step in enhancing our enforcement efforts and addressing illegal immigration. I am encouraged by the support of the discharge petition and I hope to see 37 more members sign the petition and send it to the floor for consideration.
As a nation founded by immigrants the United States will continue to welcome the hard work ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of legal immigrants. In contrast illegal immigration undermines the rule of law on which our nation was founded and poses a significant national security risk that is precipitated by porous borders. Without question border security is national security.
I will continue to you keep you updated on the status of the SAVE Act and other immigration issues. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Evan Shoop in my Washington DC office at 202.225.2231 or email her at Evan.Shoop@mail.house.gov.
