Thread: Goodlatte Urges House Comm. to Consider End to Visa Lottery

Rep. Goodlatte Urges House Committee to Consider End to Visa Lottery

Thursday, January 7, 2010, 8:28 PM EST - posted on NumbersUSA

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, who also serves as the Vice-Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the committee's chair urging him to consider a bill that would put an end to the Visa Lottery (H.R. 2305).

Rep. Goodlatte (R-Va.) proposed H.R. 2305 that would end the controversial program that issues 50,000 permanent Green Cards without any regard to their humanitarian needs, what they might offer the country or their having any family connections in the United States. The bill has 45 cosponsors.

Visas are awarded, through the lottery, to applicants from countries that don't receive a lot of Green Cards from the United States. Among the nation's that receive visas are Iran, Sudan, Cuba, and Syria. Thirteen of 14 nations on the Transportation Security Administration's airport watch list, including Nigeria, are on the list of nations eligible for the lottery. Nigeria is home to the terrorist who attempted to blow up a flight on Christmas Day.

The visa lottery program poses a national security threat. Under the program, each successful applicant is chosen at random and given the status of permanent resident based on pure luck.

Usually, immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals who have an existing connection with a family member lawfully residing in the United States or with a U.S. employer. These types of relationships help to ensure that immigrants entering the country have a stake in our nation’s continued success, and have needed skills to contribute to our nation’s economy. However, under the visa lottery program, visas are awarded to immigrants at random without meeting such criteria.

The nature of the lottery is such that we have no control over who applies for admission to our nation. This flawed policy is just foolish in the age in which we live. Those in the world who wish us harm can easily engage in this statistical gamble with nothing to lose.

-- Rep. Goodlatte

The visa lottery is a dangerous game with our national security. America already has the most generous immigration policy in the world, admitting over one million legal immigrants each year. But under the current lottery system, up to 50,000 randomly selected alien applicants win visas each year, many from countries with a significant terrorist presence. We should end this dangerous game for the sake of our national security.

-- Rep. Lamar Smith, Ranking Member House Judiciary Committee

In 2007, the GAO issued a report that said that the visa lottery “is vulnerable to fraudulent activity committed by and against applicants…â€

Time for a gently forceful letter to my Congresscritter.

I am puroud to have this man represent my district. I have voted for him before and hopfully will vote fore him many more times in the future. Keep up the good work!

Yea and one of them wins the Lottery, the whole family wins the Lottery.

Dixie

Sponsor: Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6]

Current Co-Sponsers

COSPONSORS(45), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)


Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] - 5/7/2009
Rep Bilbray, Brian P. [CA-50] - 5/7/2009
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] - 5/7/2009
Rep Blunt, Roy [MO-7] - 5/7/2009
Rep Boozman, John [AR-3] - 5/7/2009
Rep Boucher, Rick [VA-9] - 5/7/2009
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] - 5/7/2009
Rep Cantor, Eric [VA-7] - 5/7/2009
Rep Chaffetz, Jason [UT-3] - 5/21/2009
Rep Conaway, K. Michael [TX-11] - 5/7/2009
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 7/31/2009
Rep Fleming, John [LA-4] - 6/18/2009
Rep Forbes, J. Randy [VA-4] - 6/3/2009
Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] - 5/7/2009
Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2] - 5/7/2009
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] - 5/7/2009
Rep Gordon, Bart [TN-6] - 7/30/2009
Rep Harper, Gregg [MS-3] - 5/7/2009
Rep Heller, Dean [NV-2] - 5/7/2009
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] - 7/30/2009
Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] - 5/7/2009
Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] - 10/14/2009
Rep King, Steve [IA-5] - 5/7/2009
Rep Kline, John [MN-2] - 6/3/2009
Rep Lamborn, Doug [CO-5] - 5/7/2009
Rep Linder, John [GA-7] - 5/21/2009
Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9] - 7/8/2009
Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [IL-16] - 9/23/2009
Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] - 9/23/2009
Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] - 7/30/2009
Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 6/3/2009
Rep Miller, Candice S. [MI-10] - 5/7/2009
Rep Myrick, Sue Wilkins [NC-9] - 5/7/2009
Rep Neugebauer, Randy [TX-19] - 5/7/2009
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] - 9/23/2009
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] - 5/7/2009
Rep Posey, Bill [FL-15] - 6/18/2009
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] - 5/7/2009
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] - 5/7/2009
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 5/7/2009
Rep Smith, Adrian [NE-3] - 5/21/2009
Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] - 5/7/2009
Rep Sullivan, John [OK-1] - 5/7/2009
Rep Tiahrt, Todd [KS-4] - 7/8/2009
Rep Wittman, Robert J. [VA-1] - 5/21/2009