Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview Friday that the “American people have run out of patience” with Washington, DC, politicians who push for amnesty of illegal immigrants.
Congressman Barletta discussed the establishment Republican discharge petition to force a vote on an illegal alien amnesty bill.
Barletta called the move a “disaster.”
Rep. Barletta told Breitbart News, “I think it would be a disaster. We finally have an opportunity to fix the problem of illegal immigration, something that I’ve been fighting since I was a mayor back in Hazleton over a decade ago. This is our chance. We should not even consider doing anything until we can assure the American people that the problem of illegal immigration will be over.”
“You wouldn’t replace the carpet in your house if you still had a hole in the roof,” Barletta remarked.
Twenty-two establishment Republicans have signed a discharge petition to force a House Floor vote on an illegal alien amnesty bill. If 25 Republicans and 193 Democrats sign the petition, the bipartisan coalition can force a House vote on amnesty legislation. The House Freedom Caucus opposes the amnesty immigration bill but hopes to get a Floor vote on the President Trump-endorsed Goodlatte immigration bill.
“We should not do anything until we secure the border and guarantee the American people, not DACA and a promise, ending the ability for people to come into the country illegally once and for all,” Barletta said. “We have an opportunity to end chain migration. We have the opportunity to make E-Verify mandatory. We have the opportunity to punish sanctuary cities. We have thousands of communities that have become sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. We have the opportunity to stop visa overstays.”
Rep. Barletta won the Pennsylvania Senate Republican primary on Tuesday, defeating State Rep. Jim Christiana. Barletta hopes to defeat incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) in the general election.
Congressman Barletta was one of the first lawmakers to endorse Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Barletta suggested politicians should focus on how immigration impacts the American people, rather than illegal immigrants who live in the country.
Barletta said, “When is Washington going to finally listen to the American people? What is it going to take for Washington to listen finally, and we have the opportunity to do something about that [immigration]? We can treat the DACA recipients with compassion, but we have to think about the American people, too. They should not be asked to do this again, people pouring into the country, competing with their jobs, putting the national security at risk, and the only thing people want to talk about is those who are here illegally, and we can do something for them. Why don’t we do something for the American people?”
The House Freedom Caucus tanked the farm bill on Friday after the Republican leadership did not provide adequate assurances to conservatives that they will vote on the Goodlatte immigration bill.
Rep. Barletta remarked, “Who believes a promise from Washington? That’s what they said when they gave the last amnesty in 1986. We legalized them, gave them amnesty for a promise, and here we are in 2018. This should have been solved yesterday, rather than tomorrow.”
The Pennsylvania Republican continued, “The American people are sick and tired of nothing being done about illegal immigration. President Trump made it a major part of his campaign. The American people responded because they’re craving someone with a backbone to do something about the problem of illegal immigration. This impacts so many aspects of our country. It impacts our hospitals because illegal immigrants use them for primary health care. Our schools are impacted. It also depresses the wages of the American worker. There’s nothing good about illegal immigration.”
Barletta concluded, “I believe that the politicians in Washington should see the writing on the wall; the American people have run out of patience with them.”
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