Providing for Consideration of H.R. Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Schools Not Shelters Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3941. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation with Congressman Marc Molinaro, who is also from the State of New York.

There are two people who are truly responsible for the crisis that we see of 7 million illegal immigrants who have come to the United States. Firstly, there is our President, who decided to open the borders without any type of process, any type of order, and, quite frankly, in violation of our own Federal laws. Then, you have Mayor Adams in New York City, the city in which I reside and represent, who decided to misinterpret New York City's right to shelter law, which was intended for American citizens, not citizens of other countries who just came over the border last week.

The problem is, if you look at New York City right now, you will see that there are more illegal immigrants being housed in our shelters than American citizens. Walk down the streets of the city, and you see homeless New Yorkers, people who have substance abuse issues, people who have mental health issues lying on the streets of our city while the mayor has gone head over heels and has done everything possible to house citizens of other countries who chose not to follow our rules, who chose not to follow the proper process, and have come into our country. We don't vet them properly, and we don't know what their intentions are.

I am the daughter of immigrants. I think that many people are coming here for the right reasons. They do want to have a better life. However, there are many others who are not. We need to differentiate between them. People who come illegally need to follow our process.

Two-thirds of the people who are heard in court are not legitimate asylum seekers. That means they are in this country illegally. The mayor insists that New York taxpayers have to continue to foot the bill of billions and billions of dollars while taxpayers are trying to keep roofs over their own heads. They are trying to pay their mortgages and pay their property taxes, which he keeps raising that levy. They are having their own difficulty, thanks to Bidenflation, in keeping a roof over their head, and now the mayor wants them to house these individuals, as well.

On top of it, they want to add schools, which is where children should be learning. They have lost 2 years of socialization, of physical fitness, of interaction thanks to COVID, and now he wants to take away the school gym.

If anyone says it is a manufactured crisis, look at New York City because it is happening there. The people of New York know it. The people of this country know it, and they know that it has to stop.

House Republicans put forward, by the way, a proposal to stop this, to secure our borders, and every single one of the Democrats voted against it.

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