Providing for Consideration of H.R. American Dream and Promise Act of 2019
Floor Speech
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Mr. BIGGS. Madam Speaker, I want to give context to this before I talk specifically about the idea of a closed rule here, which I oppose so much.
First of all, there are about 690,000 in the DACA population, but there is an estimate that there is another 1 to 1.2 million, though no one really knows what that number is, who might have applied but chose not to apply under the Obama-era DACA regulations.
We also have a significant population, post-2012, who have been brought here. We had a surge in 2013 and a surge in 2014 of unaccompanied minors. We have again seen a surge in the last few months even. We don't know what the population looks like for this.
Another way to put this into context is this way: We have a million people who have absconded from their court dates. That means they haven't shown up. They got an order to appear, and they are not showing up. We have another million with active removal orders.
That is 2 million people who are roaming the country. We don't know who they are, where they are.
We brought in 1.2 million legal immigrants last year. That is a good thing.
We are going to catch more than 1.2. We will apprehend more than 1.2 million illegal aliens coming across our border this year. These are numbers that are almost unfathomable.
That population I just mentioned would be the second largest city in the United States after New York City, more than Los Angeles itself.
When we say that we are going to apprehend 1.2 million this year, when one talks to Border Patrol agents, people who conduct censuses on these things, they will say that we have no idea any longer what the getaway number is. A year ago, they thought they were catching 1 in 2. Four months ago, they thought they were catching 1 in 3. Today, they will say that they have absolutely no idea.
Last week, in El Paso alone, one group of over 1,000 people were apprehended.
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Mr. BIGGS. A group of 1,000 was apprehended, and 2,200 came in through El Paso, in 1 day alone, who were apprehended. We are averaging about 4,500 apprehensions a day in this country.
What happened when this bill came to markup? Why is it, in my opinion, a real problem that we have a closed rule here? The Republicans offered a number of amendments. We pointed out issues that we thought were of concern. We offered amendments to address those issues, such as allowing repeat criminals and gang members to obtain green cards. We offered amendments that would allow application information regarding illegal status to be used for deportation. We attempted to prevent fraudulent applications from being filed.
But none of these and a whole host of other amendments offered by Republicans were accepted, even some that were just absolutely rational, such as those with DUIs that resulted in an accident where someone was seriously injured or even killed. They were not prevented from obtaining this path of legalization.
Here we are today, and now they are saying no amendments can be offered from either side of the aisle. I have essentially opposed every closed rule since I came to Congress. I think it actually undermines this process where we represent districts and come to try to offer amendments. I have offered many amendments and had them all shut down, quite frankly, whether by vote or in the Rules Committee.
But the reality is, I represent a district, and when the majority closes a rule like this, it is preventing me from representing a border State that has a great deal of difficulties because of the rampant border crossings of illegal aliens.
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