Cosponsoring bill to eliminate visa lottery in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis is a cosponsor of H.R. 1430, the bipartisan Security and Fairness Enhancement for America (SAFE) Act of 2007. H.R. 1430 would eliminate the visa lottery. This is a program that each year gives another 50,000 green cards to people without any regard to their humanitarian need or to what they might offer the country or to their having any family connections in the United States. It is a program that promotes massive illegal migration by people who think they may some day win the lottery and be allowed to stay in the United States. The bi-partisan U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform under the leadership of the late Barbara Jordan recommended eliminating the visa lottery. This legislation was passed by a broad majority of bipartisan Members in the 109th Congress (273 - 148) as an amendment to H.R. 4437.

Rep. Bilirakis has taken no action to reduce
major numbers in all categories.

Importing Specific Foreign Workers top

Rep. Bilirakis has taken no action to reduce
the importation of specific foreign workers.

Citizenship for Illegal Alien Babies top

Cosponsoring legislation to deny U.S. citizenship to 'anchor babies' of illegal aliens in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis is a cosponsor of H.R. 1940, The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007, legislation that would end the process of granting automatic citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal aliens. This would put an end to a major source of U.S. population growth and remove an incentive for illegal immigration. It has been, and is currently, U.S. policy to automatically grant U.S. citizenship to the babies born to illegal aliens in the United States -- some 300,000 to 350,000 a year according to a spring 2005 article in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Not only do these births represent additional U.S. population growth, but because the babies of illegal aliens are U.S. citizens, they can then act as 'anchors' to eventually pull a large number of extended family members into the country legally.

Inviting / Repelling Illegal Aliens top

Voted to allow consideration of verification amendments to the health care reform bill in 2009

Rep. Bilirakis voted against the rule to H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Despite high publicity about the big loopholes in the bill allowing illegal aliens to participate in many parts of the new federal healthcare plan, the Rules Committee brought a rule to the House floor that blocked a vote on any amendment giving the Members a chance to close the loopholes. NumbersUSA notified the Members of Congress that a vote FOR the "closed" rule would be graded as a vote to provide rewards and incentives for illegal immigration. In particular, the rule prevented the House from considering the Heller, Deal, and Wilson verification amendments to the bill. By opposing the rule, Rep. Bilirakis signaled his/her opposition to a health bill that creates rewards or incentives for illegal immigration. The rule passed 242-192 (7 Nov. 09; 1:33 PM).

Supported an amendment to deter illegal immigration in 2009
Rep. Bilirakis supported the King amendment (250) to H.R. 2892, the 2010 DHS appropriations bill. This amendment requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove the lookout posts constructed by drug smugglers, thereby making it more difficult for drug smugglers and reducing illegal immigration associated with illegal drug activity. This amendment passed 240-187-1 (24 June 2009, 9:14 pm).

Supported an amendment to require DHS contractors to use E-Verify in 2009.

Rep. Bilirakis supported the King amendment (253) to H.R. 2892, the DHS appropriations bill. The amendment requires all DHS contractors and subcontractors to use the E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of their employees. The King Amendment would have essentially implemented an Executive Order signed by President George W. Bush requiring all federal contractors to use E-Verify but the EO has been continually postponed by President Obama. Use of E-Verify is one of the most effective tools of Attrition Through Enforcement and keeping illegal aliens out of U.S. jobs. The amendment passed 349-84 on 24 June 2009 (9:24 pm).

Cosponsored a bill in 2007 to prevent illegal aliens from receiving Social Security payments for illegal work

Rep. Bilirakis cosponsored H.R. 736, the No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2007. This bill would have prohibited an illegal alien’s work from counting toward qualifying for Social Security; and would have stipulated that this prohibition is not applicable retroactively, so that all benefits already granted would not have been affected. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) was the measure’s main sponsor.

Cosponsored a bill to require the use of official government documents in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis cosponsored H.R. 1314, the Photo Identification Security Act. This bill would have prohibited Federal agencies (for any official purpose) and financial institutions (for purposes of verifying the identity of an individual seeking to open an account) from accepting any form of identification of an individual other than: (1) either: (a) a social security card accompanied by a photo identification card issued by the Federal or a state government; or (b) a state driver's license or identification card, provided that the state is in compliance with the REAL ID Act; (2) a U.S. or foreign passport; or (3) a photo identification card issued by DHS (through USCIS). Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was the measure’s main sponsor.

Voted in favor of employment verification in 2008

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of bill, HR 6633, to reauthorize the E-Verify program for a period of 5 years. The E-Verify program allows businesses to determine the legal status of new hires and prevents illegal aliens from being hired, thus making the program an important tool in the Attrition through Enforcement anti-illegal immigration strategy. The bill passed by a vote of 407-2 (31 July 2008; 7:44pm).

Voted in favor of preventing illegal aliens from receiving federal housing funds in 2008
Rep. Bilirakis vote in favor of an amendment to H.R. 5818, the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008. This amendment would prevent illegal aliens from receiving Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds pursuant to this act. The amendment passed by a vote of 391-33 (8 May 2008; 11:30 am).

Voted in favor of restricting funding to business that hire illegal aliens in 2008

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of an amendment to HR 5819 that would prohibit SBIR or STTR awards from going to a small business concern if an unlawful alien has an ownership interest in that concern or in a concern that has interest in the small business. The amendment also prohibits SBIR and STTR awards from going to businesses that have repeatedly hired, recruited, or referred unlawful aliens. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program ensure that the nation's small, high-tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government's research and development efforts. The amendment passed by a vote of 406-0, with 3 present.

Voted in favor of punishing sanctuary cities in 2008

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of a motion to H.R. 5719, the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act. This motion would have recommitted H.R. 5719 with instructions to add language to deny tax exempt interest with respect to bonds of sanctuary states and cities, thereby putting pressure on cities that do not enforce immigration laws and cities who do not cooperate with federal authorities on immigration matters. This motion failed by a vote of 210-210.

Cosponsoring bill to increase border security and require workplace verification in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis is cosponsoring H.R. 4088, the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007. The bipartisan SAVE Act would help reduce illegal immigration by broadening and enhancing border security and interior enforcement measures. Perhaps the most important aspect of the SAVE Act is its requirement that ALL employers use the E-Verify electronic workplace verification program, an inexpensive, quick, and accurate way to verify the employment eligibility of ALL employees. This would go a long way toward removing the job magnet for illegal immigration. As well, the SAVE Act includes a number of border control provisions. Among the provisions specifically relating to border control are: (1) increasing the number of full-time border patrol agents by 8,000 through 2012; (2) more funding available for the Tunnel Task Force; (3) a student loan repayment program and other incentives to help recruit former members of the Armed Services, National Guard, and other Reserve Components; (4) new and updated border security, surveillance, communication, and apprehension technology; (5) an equipment sharing initiative between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, with progress reports made available to Members of Congress; (6) an official national strategy to secure all U.S. borders and ports of entry; (7) and, empowering governors in border states to declare a border emergency and request temporary redeployment of up to 1000 additional Border Patrol Agents.

Cosponsoring bill to reduce illegal immigration

and increase interior enforcement in 2007 Rep. Bilirakis is a cosponsor of the Charlie Norwood CLEAR Act of 2007. The Charlie Norwood CLEAR Act of 2007, H.R. 3494, essentially mandates the federal government to pick up every illegal alien apprehended by local authorities, and it would pay local police and sheriff's departments for detaining the illegal aliens. As well H.R. 3494 would require that all aliens who violate immigration law be entered into the National Crime Information Center database, therefore greatly increasing the chances for state and local police to apprehend them; would create a new criminal offense for unlawful presence in the United States; would require DHS to build or acquire 20 more detention facilities in the United States, with a total of at least 10,000 beds, so that more aliens can be detained pending their removal or a decision on their removal; would encourage state and local governments to provide DHS with information on suspected illegal aliens and, subsequently, reimburse them for the costs of doing so; and would, two years following enactment, cut off State Criminal Alien Assistance Program funding (which aids states in incarcerating illegal aliens who commit additional offenses) to any state (or a municipality therein) that has a sanctuary policy in place. This legislation would not only stop the illegal population in the United States from growing above its estimated 10-12 million level but also would begin slowly and steadily reducing the illegal population. Click here to read a summary of the bill.

Voted for an amendment to prohibit Social Security funds from being used administer benefits accrued from work performed in Mexico.
Rep. Bilirakis voted for the Gingrey amendment to HR 3043, an amendment to prohibit the use of funds by the SSA to administer Social Security benefit payments, under any agreement between the United States and Mexico establishing totalization arrangements between the two countries. The amendment passed 254-168.

Voted for an amendment to reduce the time period of a country's "temporary protected status."
Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of the Forbes amendment to HR 2638, which would prohibit funds pursuant to this bill from being used to extend the "temporary protected status" designation of a country. This amendment failed 123-298.

	Voted against an amendment to reduce funding for the visa waiver program.
	Rep. Bilirakis voted against the first Tancredo amendment to HR 2638, which would prohibit funding from HR 2638 from being used to fund the visa waiver program. This amendment failed 76-347.

Voted in favor of an amendment to increasing funding for the construction of a border fence
Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of the Brown-Waite amendment to HR 2638. This amendment re-directs $89 million set to be appropriated to the Undersecretary for Management's account to the Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology Account, with a view towards constructing at least 700 miles of fencing along the southern border. The amendment was adopted 241-179.

Voted on House floor for amendment to fully fund the training of immigration enforcement officers

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of the Drake Amendment to H.R. 2638, the appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The Drake Amendment would fully fund the president's budget request ($26.4 million) for the training and support for the voluntary participation of local law enforcement officers in immigration law enforcement, an important force multiplier in the fight against illegal immigration. This amendment passed 286-127.

Cosponsoring resolution calling on the President to enforce existing immigration laws in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis is a cosponsor of H. Res. 499, providing a sense of the House that the Bush Administration should implement statutorily-mandated immigration and border controls and enforce existing Federal immigration law, including, notably: (1) implementation of the entry and exit portions of US-VISIT; (2) enforcement of existing provisions requiring the sanctioning of employers who do not comply with "unlawful employment" laws; (3) compliance with the Secure Fence Act of 2006 through completion of the fencing called for along the U.S.-Mexico border; and (4) increasing the use of expedited removal procedures for all illegal aliens eligible for such removal under Federal law. In addition, it would provide a sense of the House that taking these steps would: (1) result in a considerable decrease in illegal immigration into the United States; and (2) vastly improve U.S. border security.

Voted against "sanctuary cities" for illegal aliens in 2007

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of an amendment (H. Amdt. 294) to offered by Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO). The Tancredo amendment would prohibit funds from the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill from being distributed to states and localities that have "sanctuary policies" in place that prohibit or inhibit communications between Federal and state/local authorities. The Tancredo Amendment passed by a vote of 234 to 189.

Member of the bipartisan Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in the 110th Congress

Rep. Bilirakis is a member of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in the 110th Congress. The Immigration Reform Caucus was established in 1999 to review current immigration policy, propose new immigration policies and provide a forum in Congress for addressing the positive and negative consequences of our immigration policies. The Immigration Reform Caucus agenda for the 110th Congress includes efforts dedicated towards identifying legislative solutions to address the issue of illegal immigration.

Voted in favor of preventing illegal aliens from voting in union elections

Rep. Bilirakis voted in favor of a Motion to Recommit H.R. 800, the Employee Free Choice Act of 2007. The Motion to Recommit, introduced by Rep. McKeon (R-CA), would have recommitted H.R. 800 to the Committee on Education and Labor with instructions to report the legislation back to the House with an amendment that would require that all employees allowed to vote in union elections be citizens or legal residents of the United States. This would have prevented illegal aliens from voting in unionization elections. This would have been an important interior enforcement measure because illegal aliens should not be allowed to have an influence in whether a workforce decides to be unionized or to block unionization. Businesses should not be allowed to use illegal aliens to stop unionization desired by its American workers. And unions should not be allowed to use illegal aliens to force unionization on American workers who don't want it. Although some Representatives voted against the Motion to Recommit because it would have delayed final passage of the bill, a vote in favor of the Motion to Recommit was clearly a vote in favor of interior enforcement and against allowing illegal aliens to vote in union elections. Motion to The Motion to Recommit failed by a vote of 202-225.

Tell Representative Bilirakis what you think of his immigration record.
Phone:	(202) 225-5755
Fax:	(202) 225-4085
E-Mail:	email available via website.
Website:	No known web site.
D.C. Address:	1630 Longworth, U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Tell us if you think you see even the tiniest error on this page.
E-Mail us with corrections:	http://numbersusa.com/helpform