On the House Floor
H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act, passed 397 to 27. The bill provides funding for our defense priorities, including increased funding for equipment reset and equipment for the National Guard. Additionally, the bill includes a military pay raise of 3.5 percent and prohibits TRICARE fee and premium increases. To protect our troops against the threat of improvised explosive devices, funding is authorized for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, body armor and up-armored humvees. It also authorizes funding for the implementation of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, which addresses the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and establishes medical case managers to ensure wounded service members receive the necessary care and services they need.
Ending Mortgages for Illegals
Last night, I introduced legislation on the House Floor that would prevent financial lenders, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from issuing mortgages to illegal aliens. The amendment that I proposed would prohibit the offering of residential mortgages to anyone without a valid Social Security number, thus preventing illegal aliens from getting loans. Currently, people who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), rather than Social Security numbers can qualify for home loans, however, there is no way of ensuring whether they are legal residents. Because the Social Security Administration does verify legal residence status prior to issuing a number, a Social Security card would provide lenders the confidence of knowing that the people seeking mortgages have a legal right to be here.
One of the purposes of H.R. 1427 is to reduce the portfolio sizes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. What better way to accomplish that than to prohibit mortgages for illegal immigrants? Not only will this change decrease the market risk, but it will also eliminate one more incentive that draws illegal immigrants to our country. The simple fact is that government-sponsored lenders should not be in the business of assisting illegal immigrants to purchase homes in the United States. Allowing illegal immigrants to purchase a primary residence here is just another incentive that encourages illegal immigration. That needs to stop now. This amendment would not affect U.S. citizens or legal U.S. residents because they too can receive a work-authorized Social Security number. The only people who have to worry about this change are the very people who broke federal law to enter or stay in the country in the first place. This important amendment comes to the House Floor for a vote on Monday.
Secure Rural Schools Update
I also offered an amendment to H.R. 1427 last night which would have allowed counties which receive payments authorized by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act to use the Affordable Housing Fund for schools, roads, law enforcement, and Resource Advisory Councils which are all vital to the basic infrastructure in these counties. Before the government makes a new promise, it should make good on the obligation already made to the 615 counties across the country which are now struggling to deal with the lack of funding for basic infrastructure needs. My amendment was defeated by a procedural motion, but I will continue to fight for funding in this critical area.
Quote of the Week
“This week’s attempted quashing of longstanding House procedures is a sign of serious disarray in the Democratic Caucus. The motion to recommit, on the books since 1822, is a tool for the minority to offer alternative legislation which dates to the James Madison administration. One would think that the “most honest and most open” Congress in history would need to honor it to keep its self-appellation intact. And yet, the threat this week from the House leadership, before its exposure by the minority on Wednesday, was to rewrite the rules as no Congress before it to rid the leadership of this literally ancient mechanism of accountability.” – The Washington Times editorial on May 18, 2007 regarding Nancy Pelosi’s attempt to curtail minority input during debates after Republicans have passed 11 motions to recommit with overwhelming, bipartisan support in the last 4 ½ months.
|
