Members of Congress to Testify About Illegal Immigration -- GOPUSA

Members of Congress to Testify About Illegal Immigration
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
November 10, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- Several U.S. lawmakers will testify before a House immigration subcommittee on Thursday, giving their perspective on how illegal immigration affects their communities.

The House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, chaired by Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.), announced it would hold a 2 p.m. hearing to address the following questions:

-- How many illegal aliens cross through border districts and how many times do they cross each year?

-- How do illegal aliens impact the infrastructure of border districts?

-- Has crime increased in these districts?

-- What is the relationship between increased border enforcement and violent crime?

-- Has illegal alien population growth added to the burden on the American taxpayer?

-- What are the costs of providing medical care to illegal immigrants at emergency medical facilities?

-- What are the potential costs to constituencies of another major terrorist attack in the United States as a result of poor immigration security and control?

-- How are local schools impacted?

Witnesses scheduled to testify at Wednesday's hearing include Reps. Henry Bonilla and John Culberson, both Texas Republicans; and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.).

In December, the House Judiciary Committee is expected to consider immigration enforcement legislation. Some Republicans have proposed an end "birthright citizenship" -- conferring automatic U.S. citizenship for children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants.