Washington, DC - Congressman John Barrow (GA-12) was recognized by NumbersUSA as having earned one of the highest NumbersUSA Immigration-Reduction Grades out of 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

The "TOP TEN IN THE HOUSE" had the purest records in fighting illegal immigration and in opposing efforts to use overall high immigration numbers to drive down wages and to drive up population growth, congestion, energy use, and environmental degradation.  NumbersUSA's grades reflect every recorded floor vote, committee vote, and co-sponsorship of bills that would affect overall immigration numbers (both legal and illegal). The grades cover actions taken in the current Congress and the previous Congress (2005-2008).

"Congressman Barrow has publicly stated that if there is a conflict in an immigration vote between what is good for the workers of his District and what the leaders of his Party want, he will not hesitate to side with the workers and their families," said Roy Beck, President of NumbersUSA.  "Rep. Barrow's record of immigration votes and co-sponsorships has proven that he has the courage to back up his tough talk with real actions.  The national leaders of both political Parties have abysmal immigration records of siding against American workers; fortunately, there is a growing number of Representatives in both Parties -- and Rep. Barrow is one of them -- who understand the need to protect American workers from the wage depression caused by illegal immigration.  NumbersUSA's computer analysis of congressional actions finds Rep. Barrow to have the third best immigration record of all Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives."

"Illegal immigration isn't just a problem of economic security, it's an issue of national security," said Barrow.  "We've got folks in this country who want to work and can't because illegal immigrants are forcing their wages down.  That's wrong and it's got to stop."

Barrow was also recognized for taking, what NumbersUSA called "the single most important" action of this year to reduce illegal immigration: signing a Discharge Petition to try to force the Speaker of the House to call a vote on H.R. 4088, the SAVE Act. That effort fell 27 signatures short of the 217 required.

NumbersUSA Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with more than 850,000 on-line activist members who work for lower overall immigration numbers that don't force U.S. population growth and congestion and that don't depress American wages.

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Contact: Jane Brodsky, (202) 225-2823

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