Thread: Dem from border district: security must precede immig reform

The Hill
Dem from border district says security must precede immigration reform
By Michael O'Brien - 05/26/10 04:48 PM ET

A Democratic lawmaker from a district bordering Mexico concurred with Republicans Wednesday in saying border security must precede comprehensive immigration reform.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D), who represents Arizona's 8th congressional district, which borders Mexico, said border security must be the first priority for lawmakers and President Barack Obama and his administration.

"First and foremost, we have to secure the border," Giffords said during an appearance on CBS's "Washington Unplugged" webcast. "I really don't believe at this point, in the national dialog, we're going to have a comprehensive bill until we really, finally secure the border."

Giffords, a second-term lawmaker, had goaded Obama into agreeing to send 1,200 National Guard troops to the border in the state, mirroring a GOP proposal but still well short of the 3,000 troops Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl had requested.

The Democrat is considered somewhat of a centrist, and said that she still supports comprehensive immigration reform, which would give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. But, like many Republicans, Giffords said that securing the border is the first priority.

'I agree, and many of us in Arizona — Congressman [Jeff] Flake, Sen. McCain, and Sen. Jon Kyl, myself — have advocated in the past for a comprehensive immigration reform bill," she said. "I think we need do it, for a lot of different reasons. But we have to secure the border first."

"And that means all discussion about national security — and I serve on the House Armed Services Committee — the billions that we send abroad, we have to protect the United States," Giffords said. "National Security means border security."

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Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... ion-reform

The more they talk about amnesty and border security increasing etc the more illegals are flowing towards and across our border...

Way to go guys. As if you werent stupid before with giving illegal aliens tons of incentives to cross...

gabby, gabby, gabby.

what the american people want and need are idiots like you and others to understand we already have laws. you and your elected elite in DC need to understand americans want laws on the books enforced. we dont need NEW LAWS to take the place of existing laws.

Our response is consistent and clear: just secure the border period -- with no form of any amnesty afterwards.