Boozman

A drop in the number of illegal immigrants is a reflection on our stricter laws and enforcement that is going on around the country, but we must do more to hold illegal immigrants and employers who hire them accountable for breaking our laws.

Despite the immigration raids across the country, it’s hard to believe that enforcement alone brought about an 11 percent decrease.

The weak economy may be a contributing factor to the change in numbers of illegal immigrants. It’s harder to find vacancies in the jobs generally held by illegal immigrants, so coming to this country isn’t as enticing.

We need to take further action to make sure our laws are being enforced and to fix the system that allows illegal immigrants to come to this country.

To see the report, click here.

Rep. John Boozman was honored Monday with the 2007 Gold Mouse Award for having one of the top Internet sites in Congress.

Click here for the press release.

This is the second Gold Mouse Award for Rep. Boozman - the first coming in 2003.

Congratulations to all the winners!

2007 Gold Mouse Award Winners

Rep. John Boozman joined with the Arkansas House delegation in honoring University of Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles.

This week, as Democrats introduce thier budget which includes the largest tax increase in American history, the Republican Study Committee - of which Rep. Boozman is a member - has introduced the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Former Congressman Dick Armey has written about Conservative member’s efforts to protect American’s from the tax code in a recent piece for Human Events.

Earlier this week, I signed on to co-sponsor the Photo Identification Security Act (H.R. 1314), legislation offered by my good friend, Rep. Marsha Blackburn .

In my opinion, and the opinion of many, this legislation is basic, common-sense. H.R. 1314 requires both the federal government and banks to accept secure forms of identification, and would prevent the latter from issuing credit cards to undocumented, illegal immigrants.

I have no problem with banks opening accounts, providing home loans, or issuing credit cards to legal immigrants to the United States. The access to our banking system is a necessary step to documented residents and workers to realize their own American Dream. However, extending the same products to illegal immigrants sends a mixed message that I can not support.

On the one hand, we want immigrants to the United States to honor our laws and our immigration policy. Many have taken years to obtain the proper documentation, due to the backlog of the system. On the other hand, our banks - which we in Congress regulate - are in the position of advocating a complete disregard of our laws by tacitly encouraging illegal immigrants through their policy of granting them access to accounts without so much as a valid identification.

The acceptance of Matricula Consular cards issued by the Mexican Government presents a risk to our financial system as well as our national security. The only thing a Mexican citizen wanting to obtain a card is required to present to a consular office is a birth certificate - which are free to be purchased from willing sellers.

This presents a danger to our financial system as it would allow individuals to open multiple accounts, under different names with no consequences. Additionally, non-Mexicans could purchase a birth certificate, obtain a consular card, and open an account - granting them access to send and receive wire transfers from all over the world.

This is something I can not support. Immigrants who are in the United States legally already have the proper documentation to exist in our financial system. There is no good reason for banks to grant access based on unsecured documents, except to generate revenue by exploiting illegal immigrants living in the United States.

Congratulations to the United States Senate, passing an increase of the minimum wage, while protecting the businesses which will have to pay the increased wage.

Senate Republicans praised the measure as a responsible package that would help workers who earn the minimum wage and the businesses that employ them. They implored House leaders to accept the compromise and send it to President Bush, who put out a statement yesterday praising the Senate bill.

“I want to reiterate our hope that the House will not derail this bipartisan approach,” said Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) “Middle-class relief is in their hands.”

This is truly an example of the bipartisan approach which the people want out of Congress. The Senate bill is a winner for those who want to help workers, a winner for those who want to help business, a winner for those who want to help both, and - more importantly - a winner for the American people who do the work and own the small businesses which employ the majority of minimum-wage workers.

You may remember Rep. Boozman (who voted for the House bill) signing-on to a GOP-backed minimum-wage bill which called for the tax relief in order to give employers an opportunity to follow the PAYGO rule followed in the House.

“I believe if you increase costs in one area, you must reduce costs to balance it all out. Instead, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have ignored their own rhetoric by forcing small businesses to increase costs without providing them a way to balance it out with tax relief,” (Boozman said).

It probably also helped things out in the Senate when you had a fellow Arkansan say the tax relief was needed following the House vote.

“It makes sense that we look for ways to provide relief for our small businesses as we work to pass a minimum wage increase,” said Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark.

Now, it is up to the House to take a lesson from the bipartisanship shown in the Senate and give workers a higher rate of pay.

Rep. Boozman took to the floor of the House this afternoon in support of the House Democracy Assistance Commission, a bipartisan group he helped found.

Last night after the State of the Union, Rep. Boozman joined several other Members in Statuary Hall just outside the House Chamber.

Normally, the statues are the dominant feature - except for the State of the Union.

535 Congressmen and Senators; 535 communications staff; 23 camera positions; 23 network talents; about 100 other radio/TV/print reporters - and a whole lot of cellphones.

Here is a quick sample of the craziness that is the world’s largest cattle call.

Rep. Boozman appeared on First News this morning with Bob Steele on KARN Radio in Little Rock, speaking about the State of the Union.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Rep. Boozman appeared this afternoon on the Fort Smith FM dial, on the The Steve Duigan Show on KFSA 950 AM.

Click here to listen to this afternoon’s interview.
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