Responding to bipartisan immigration reform plans that would provide undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) on Tuesday called the efforts premature because America’s borders are not yet secure.
“We’re talking about replacing the carpet, John, while we still have a hole in the roof,” Barletta told CNN’s John King. “These types of proposals will only make the problem worse.”
Barletta also questioned the fiscal sense of the proposals. “Right now, when we’re trying to balance a budget in Washington, the cost of a pathway to citizenship for 10 to 12 million illegal aliens will be about $2.7 trillion dollars, when you consider Medicare, Social Security, unemployment compensation, food stamps and other welfare programs.”
“So, you know, I think we’re rushing,” he added. “I think this is a political fix, more than it is a practical policy decision, that we’re going to secure the borders, we’re going to make sure we track people and we’re going to make sure we can afford what this is going to cost.”