| Usually supports less immigration, less population growth, less foreign labor. |
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Each symbol in the left-hand column below
signifies an action for HIGHER immigration. |
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Each symbol in the right-hand column
below signifies an action for LOWER immigration. |
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Rep. Altmire 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. Altmire 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).
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Rep. Altmire is cosponsoring H.R. 3308, the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2009. 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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).
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Rep. Altmire 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).
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Rep. Altmire cosponsored a bill, HR 662, 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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).
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Rep. Altmire 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).
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire voted against 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.
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Rep. Altmire voted in favor of 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire 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.
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Rep. Altmire voted against 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.
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Tell Representative Altmire what you think of
his immigration record. |
| Phone: |
(202) 225-2565 |
| Fax: |
(202) 226-2274 |
| E-Mail: |
email available via website. | | Website: |
www.altmire.house.gov |
| D.C. Address: |
1419 Longworth, U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
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