Now more than ever, as America faces the threat of terrorism, we must ensure that our nation's borders are secure.  As a member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, I have been working with my colleagues to address the problems in our current policy.  On December 16, 2005, I voted in favor of H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act.  In all, this bill includes over a dozen enforcement provisions that range from mandating employment eligibility verification to requiring border patrol uniforms be made in the U.S.  H.R. 4437 also contains measures to provide needed visa reform, permit local involvement in immigration enforcement, implement tougher penalties for alien smuggling, and crack down on employers who hire illegal aliens.  This is a meaningful piece of legislation that takes significant first steps in toughening our border security.

Like you, I strongly oppose any proposal to grant amnesty to illegal aliens.  The blanket amnesty that went into effect in 1986 only promoted more illegal immigration into this country.  Today, with nearly 8-10 million illegal aliens in the United States, the need to improve enforcement of our immigration laws and support provisions that make the legal immigration process viable has reached a critical juncture. 

I also believe we cannot currently handle any additional temporary work visa programs.  Right now, over 40% of those who obtain non-immigrant work visas in the U.S. overstay their allotted time.  The Department of Homeland Security estimates that even as long ago as January 2000 the visa overstay population in the United States was 2.3 million people.  It is unreasonable to believe that any guest-worker program could legitimately function, if we are not even able to enforce our current laws. 

I am committed to reducing illegal immigration into our country.  I support more limited and verifiable forms of immigration.  Throughout our history, immigrants have made important scientific, cultural and political contributions to the United States.  I believe immigration policy must ensure that the contributions of law-abiding individuals are not eclipsed by the negative impact that illegal immigration can have on our country.  I will work with President Bush and the Congress to ensure that border enforcement is increased, immigration laws are enforced, and that employers hiring illegal aliens face much more stringent sanctions.  I plan on doing all that I can to ensure the Senate returns a strong enforcement bill with no amnesty or guest-worker provisions.

Recently, the U.S. Congress has passed H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This bill will assist those charged with protecting U.S. borders with gaining operational control of all borders through enhanced Border Patrol operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology. The bill would require the establishment of over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along the southwest border.

One area where American citizen’s end up footing the bill when it comes to illegal immigration is in health care. With the passage of the Medicare Modernization Act, assistance will be available to health care practitioners who treat illegal aliens. Below is a description of this important new law and information that will be useful for health care providers that would like to seek compensation for this type of care: