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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of January 29, 2024

Washington, January 28, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:

Keeping Our Streets Safe from Intoxicated Illegal Immigrant Drivers

Every day in the United States, around 37 people die due to a drunk driver – that’s one person every 39 minutes. Drunk driving is a dangerous crime that not only puts the driver at risk, but everyone else on the road. 

With the seriousness of the crime and the potential deadly consequences, you would think that if an illegal immigrant was caught driving under the influence, they would be deported and barred from reentering the country – unfortunately, however, that is not always the case. 

In a tragic incident earlier this month, a mother and son were killed in a car crash by an intoxicated illegal immigrant who had already been deported four times and arrested on three previous occasions for DUIs. 
 

In 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 175 illegal immigrants who had multiple DUI convictions during a two month national operation.

It’s common sense: Congress should uphold the rule of law and deport illegal immigrants who threaten the safety of our communities and pose a dangerous risk on the roads. American families deserve our protection, and it's our responsibility to deport and bar these migrants to keep our streets safe.

H.R. 6976, the Protect our Communities from DUIs Act, introduced by Rep. Barry Moore, makes driving intoxicated or impaired a deportable offense for illegal immigrants and grounds to bar them from entering the country.

House Republicans are standing up for the safety of our communities by fighting to deport illegal migrants who fail to uphold our laws. Will Democrats join us in defending our roads, or continue turning a blind eye to the needs of the American people?


Banning Hamas Terrorists From Entering the United States

On October 7, 2023, over 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 taken hostage in the barbaric Iranian-backed Hamas attacks against Israel, making it the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. 

During these attacks, the terrorists chanted “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”, declaring themselves enemies of democracy and the United States.

Now, because of President Biden’s disastrous immigration policies and raging border crisis, those same terrorists can cross into the United States through our southern border and plan attacks on the American people. 

In Fiscal Year 2023, 169 individuals on the terrorist watchlist were apprehended by Customs and Border Patrol attempting to illegally cross the border, and migrants from over 230 countries were arrested in the past year.


We cannot allow these barbaric terrorists who hate our country and everything America stands for to cross our borders or live in our communities. House Republicans are bringing legislation to ensure Hamas terrorists are kept out of our nation.

Rep. Tom McClintock’s legislation, H.R. 6679, the No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act, makes illegal immigrants that are members of Hamas or participated in the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel inadmissible to or deportable from the United States.

Let’s be clear: Biden’s border crisis is a massive threat to our national security and communities across the country. House Republicans will continue working to protect American families from Biden’s policy failures.
 
Protecting American Families from Social Security Fraud

More and more, we are seeing illegal immigrants commit social security fraud and steal hard working Americans’ social security numbers: In 2017, there were 1.2 million cases where an illegal migrant used a stolen or fabricated social security number. 

Despite their crime and the devastating effects social security fraud can have on the victim, the current system fails to hold illegal immigrants who commit social security or identification fraud accountable, with removal proceedings dragging out over several years due to burdensome bureaucracy. 

For example, one illegal alien committing identification fraud was placed into removal proceedings in 2005, but the process didn’t end until 2013. 

Additionally, there is currently no guarantee that an illegal immigrant committing social security fraud can be deported or declared inadmissible to the United States.

This is unacceptable: Illegal immigrants who steal social security numbers or create false ones should not be allowed to stay in the United States or enter our borders.

H.R. 6678, the Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock, makes social security fraud committed by an illegal immigrant grounds for deportation or barring them from admission into the United States. 

House Republicans won’t stop fighting to ensure that illegal migrants who commit crimes that hurt hard working Americans and families are held accountable and not allowed to remain in the United States. 

 
Cracking Down on High Speed Chases With Illegal Immigrants Fleeing Arrest

On December 7, 2022, Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., was killed in the line of duty while pursuing illegal immigrants who were fleeing capture near Mission, Texas. 

High speed chases often result in tragic losses of life, whether it’s migrants in the cars when traffickers crash, Americans struck by illegal immigrants fleeing capture, or law enforcement officers in the line of duty.

Too many innocent Americans have paid the price for illegal immigrants recklessly breaking our laws and engaging in high speed chases to avoid detention. We must ensure that there are meaningful consequences in place for any illegal migrant who threatens the safety of our communities and lives of our citizens. 

In honor of Agent Raul Gonzalez, Jr., and his sacrifice while fighting to protect our southern border, House Republicans are bringing forward a bill that holds traffickers and illegal immigrants accountable and makes them think twice before fleeing arrest.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s legislation, H.R. 5585, the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, creates new criminal offenses for operating a vehicle within 100 miles of the southern border while fleeing from Border Patrol agents, or any law enforcement officer assisting the U.S. Border Patrol, including serious jail time and prohibition from ever receiving legal status in the United States. 

House Republicans are sending traffickers, cartels, and other illegal immigrants the message that if they risk the lives of American citizens, we will hold them to the full extent of the law.