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Gallagher Statement on Immigration Vote

June 21, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Today Rep. Mike Gallagher released the following statement after the House failed to pass H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act of 2018:

"During my service in the Marine Corps, I spent time stationed at the Southern border where I saw our broken immigration system firsthand. Our porous borders facilitate the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., exacerbating the opioid crisis that devastates communities across the country, including in Northeast Wisconsin. And for too long, an outdated system of quotas and lotteries have impeded our economy's ability to innovate, and instead prioritizes those with family ties over the world's best and brightest.

While there's no perfect piece of legislation, the Goodlatte bill made significant progress toward securing our borders and fixing our broken immigration system. The bill authorized border wall funding and enforcement, while also protecting families and the DACA population. By prioritizing highly-skilled and educated workers, this bill moved us toward a merit-based immigration system that would help us compete more successfully in the global economy. It also made long-overdue updates to the agricultural guest worker program that farmers in Northeast Wisconsin depend on for a stable workforce.

It's been thirty years since we passed meaningful immigration reform, and our country needs it now more than ever. Given the failure of this measure, Congress should stay in session until we can pass legislation that fulfills our duty to protect our borders and fixes this broken system."