"In a world of complex new challenges and evolving global threats, our national security is paramount. As a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I will continue to do everything I can to keep our country safe, fight for responsible immigration reform, and exercise robust Congressional oversight at every level."

-Senator Roland W. Burris

Senator Burris is committed to protecting this nation from foreign threats, defeating terrorism, and fixing our broken immigration system. He will continue to support legislation that moves toward these goals in a responsible way.

In addition, Senator Burris takes the responsibility of Congressional oversight very seriously, and will work with his colleagues to ensure that federal programs are administered fairly and without waste, fraud, or abuse.

International Terrorism

Terrorism is a transnational threat that challenges democracies and disrupts the moral and social order of the world.  Senator Burris believes that one of his responsibilities is to enact legislation that will keep the American people safe.  We must not only focus our efforts on preventing terrorist attacks, but must also invest in preparedness and response capabilities.

The goals of both President Obama and the 111th Congress include defeating terrorism worldwide, strengthening our bio and nuclear security, improving our intelligence capacity and information sharing capacity, and promoting the resiliency of our infrastructure.  Senator Burris will work hard to make sure the Federal Government continues to collaborate with state, local, and private sector partners in forming a national approach centered on prevention and mitigation of terrorist threats.

Immigration Reform

Senator Burris believes strongly in this country’s strength through diversity.

America is a proud nation of immigrants.  Nevertheless, failing to know the identities and whereabouts of millions of foreign nationals within our borders represents an enormous gap in U.S. intelligence.  This gap presents a problem for federal, state, and local law enforcement, as they try to protect citizens and non-citizens from harm.  It is evident that inadequate pathways to legal immigration and ineffective law enforcement tactics contribute to millions of people living and working inside the United States without authorization.  To combat this, Senator Burris believes we need comprehensive legislation that coordinates a series of fragmented needs into a coherent whole.

The most reasonable response to our immigration problem is to secure our borders, prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants, and establish a rational path to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants who are already contributing to our country.  A number of programs are on the legislative calendar and, if passed, will initiate changes in our immigration system. 

One example is an expansion of the E-Verify program, which aims to assist employers in identifying undocumented workers.  Another program, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also known as the DREAM Act, would provide citizenship to undocumented teens who have proven to be contributing members of society.  Senator Burris supports these measures as steps toward achieving the final goal of tough, fair, and practical immigration reform.