WASHINGTON (11 Mar.) – U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, signed a discharge petition Tuesday for the immediate consideration of H.R. 4088, the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007.

The SAVE Act includes several border security and immigration enforcement initiatives as well as a more streamlined process to verify employee eligibility. This bill has received wide bipartisan support and currently has 141 cosponsors, including Congressman Bilirakis.

If the discharge petition obtains the necessary 218 signatures, a majority of House members, it would force a floor debate on the SAVE Act. Bilirakis signed the petition because he believes that the Congress must act immediately to strengthen border security and stop the flow of illegal aliens, criminals, and potential terrorists across our border.

“This petition would provide one of the best chances we have to pass meaningful immigration reform this year,” said Bilirakis. “We need to approach this issue in a bipartisan fashion; without the poison pill of partisan politics."

Bilirakis added, "The SAVE Act has been able to garner strong support from both Democrats and Republicans, and does not grant amnesty to illegal immigrants and boosts enforcement of existing laws. We have found an area of common ground between the two parties, and the Majority leadership should not hold this bill hostage any longer; the politics of obstruction must end.”