Thread: Gallegly says power shift has been challenge

Gallegly says power shift has been challenge
By Michael Collins (Contact)
Friday, December 28, 2007


WASHINGTON — Rep. Elton Gallegly knew he'd have a tough time getting any of his bills passed when Democrats returned to power in the House and the Senate last January.

But that didn't stop him from trying.

The Simi Valley Republican started off the new year by filing a package of bills on one of his signature issues, illegal immigration. Before he was finished, he had written a dozen proposals that, if approved, would significantly reduce the number of people coming into the United States illegally and lower the number of illegal immigrants already living and working here.

Just as he suspected, not one of the measures had been enacted into law by the end of the year.

"My record on getting these (kinds of) bills passed has historically been very, very good,"

Gallegly said recently from his office near the Capitol.

But, he said, "I didn't introduce all 12 of these bills with the idea that I was going to get all of them passed this year."

His goal, he said, was to offer a solution to a problem that threatens national security, divides much of the country and flummoxes many of the nation's leaders.

"People say you talk about illegal immigration, you talk about all of these problems, you can recognize all of these problems, but why don't you come up with a solution?" Gallegly said. "That's what I'm doing.

"The halls are full of people who recognize problems. But what we were elected to do was come up with solutions. That's what these bills do."

One of his most challenging years

Gallegly, who just completed his 21st year in the House, said the past year has been one of the most challenging in his life.

With Democrats back in the majority, Gallegly and other Republicans not only had a hard time getting their bills heard, but they also often found themselves shut out of the legislative process altogether, particularly on matters like spending, Gallegly said.

The power shift in Congress also made for a hectic work schedule.

"The number of votes we've had this year is unlike anything we've had in 20-plus years," Gallegly said. "Normally, you have 600, 700 or maybe 750 votes. This year, we're up to 1,200. That's the good news. The bad news is that the overwhelming majority were not of any substance."

His immigration proposals may have stalled, but Gallegly had better luck with another bill. In May, President Bush signed into law a bill Gallegly had sponsored to strengthen the nation's laws against animal fighting. The bill, which increased federal penalties for activities such as dog- and cockfighting, was the first Republican-sponsored piece of legislation to be signed into law this year.

A few weeks later, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury for running a dog-fighting ring. Vick later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 months in jail.

Hopes high for Field Lab bill

"The timeliness of that was uncanny," Gallegly said. "Of course, none of us had any clue of the issue with Michael Vick."

Gallegly has high hopes that Congress might pass another one of his bills, this one dealing with workers sickened by exposure to radiation while working at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory south of Simi Valley.

Gallegly's bill would make it easier for those workers with specific diseases to receive federal compensation benefits. The bill has been referred to the House Education and Labor Committee's Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, and Gallegly is hoping a hearing on the measure will be held soon.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is pushing similar legislation in the Senate.

"This has truly been a bipartisan issue," Gallegly said. "This has not been a Republican issue. It hasn't been a Democratic issue. It hasn't been a philosophical issue. It has been an issue that has an impact on everyone in the region."

On illegal immigration, Gallegly worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the detention of criminal aliens in Ventura County jails.

An immigration bill Gallegly helped write in 1996 authorized a program to screen for criminal aliens at local jails. Enforcement, however, had been a problem, so Gallegly arranged for a meeting with two ICE officials, who promised better cooperation on the program.

Gallegly said he believes getting personally involved in those kinds of issues is one way he can continue to be effective in the Democratic-controlled Congress.

"I find you can be a lot more effective if you just work behind the scenes," he said.

Regarding the prospects for broader immigration reform, Gallegly said those pushing for comprehensive reform might try again in a few years. But he said he would continue to vigilantly fight such proposals as long as they continue to provide amnesty for illegal aliens.

"Comprehensive immigration reform is a code word for amnesty," he said. "It's de facto amnesty, no matter how you look at it. And I have said from the beginning, I will not support amnesty.''

No plans to leave office

As for the coming year, Gallegly said he plans to run for a 12th term. He had said after a health scare in March 2006 that his current term would be his last.

He remains in good health, he said, "other than I'm not quite as fast as I was when I was a track star in high school. But I still can get from point A to point B about as quick as most.''

"I can tell you it has been one of the most challenging years of my life," he added. "But it's not a time for rookies, either."

Calif.) - Rep. Bilbray
(Calif.) - Rep. Calvert
(Calif.) - Rep. Campbell
(Calif.) - Rep. Doolittle
(Calif.) - Rep. Hunter
(Calif.) - Rep. Miller
(Calif.) - Rep. Rohrabacher
(Calif.) - Rep. Royce

These are the U.S. Reps. from CA sup[porting the SAVE Act. I don't see his name ?