Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is calling on his House colleagues to support the effort to remove an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act seeking to allow illegal immigrants granted executive amnesty to enlist in the military.
“The NDAA, as amended by Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), undermines America’s border security and ratifies portions of President Obama’s illegal amnesty for illegal aliens,” Brooks wrote in a letter to House members Thursday morning.
Later Thursday the House is expected to consider an amendment offered by Brooks that would remove the Gallego language from the NDAA.
Brooks’ four page letter highlights his myriad concerns with the Gallego amendment and its implications.
“As America’s military downsizes, there are a limited number of enlistment opportunities for American citizens,” Brooks wrote. “Each time an illegal alien takes an enlistment opportunity, an American or lawful immigrant loses an enlistment opportunity. The ratio is one-to-one. Period. That is the math.”
Brooks further pointed to the effect foreign labor has had on the U.S. job market.
“For fifteen years, American families have struggled in an anemic job and wage market. Rep. Gallego’s amendment makes job and income prospects for American citizens even worse,” Brooks wrote.
He concluded by reminding House members who they represent.
“I submit we are in Congress to represent and promote the interests of Americans,” he wrote. “In contrast, Rep. Gallego’s amendment does not, in any way, shape or form, represent or promote the interests of Americans. To the contrary, Gallego’s amendment betrays Americans by encouraging the Secretary of Defense to hire illegal aliens rather than Americans.”
Read excerpts of Brooks’ letter highlighting his five major concerns:
I. Overall Economic Environment: Struggling American Families Hammered by Foreign Labor
For fifteen years, American families have struggled in an anemic job and wage market. Rep. Gallego’s amendment makes job and income prospects for American citizens even worse.
According to official federal government jobs data,[1] from 2000 Q1 to 2014 Q1, the American economy had a net gain of 5.7 million jobs in the 16 to 65 age bracket. Incredibly, American born citizens lost 127,000 jobs during this 14-year period.
Further, due to job losses plus population growth, in 2014 there were 17 million more jobless American born citizens than in 2000!
The 2000 to 2014 job market for American born citizens rivals the worst in American history.
In contrast to the economic hardship, job losses, and wage suppression suffered by American born citizens, during those same 14 years, foreign-born persons (legal and illegal) gained a net 5.7 million jobs in the American economy. In fact, every American born citizen demographic lost ground. Hispanic-Americans lost ground. African-Americans lost ground. Caucasian-Americans lost ground. American males lost ground. American females lost ground.
Amnesty and open-border advocates’ arguments to the contrary, job losses and economic hardship were not limited to low-paying, blue collar jobs “that Americans won’t do”. American-born citizens age 16 to 65 had a net job loss, and foreign-born persons had a net job gain, in each of the following high-paying fields:
*Engineering
*Health Care
*Sales
*Architecture
*Office Management
Rep. Gallego’s amendment to take military service jobs from American citizens and lawful immigrants and give them to DACA illegal aliens must be examined in this overall economic climate.
II.Americans In Military Service Positions Are Being Fired
Americans serving in our military are already being hammered with lay-offs and RIFs. Rep. Gallego’s amendment makes matters worse.
From 2010 to 2014, 92,498 American citizens (and lawful immigrants) were either laid off from military service or their positions were lost to reductions in force. In 2014, there were 1,338,487 Department of Defense (“DoD”) uniformed personnel positions compared to 1,430,985 in 2010.
In 2015, DoD states it will eliminate another 27,807 uniformed personnel positions.
By 2019, DoD estimates it will eliminate another 37,680 uniformed personnel positions.
In total, between 2010 and 2019, DoD states it either has or will eliminate a 157,985 uniformed personnel positions, thereby costing American citizens and lawful immigrants 157,985 military service opportunities. DoD estimates it will have 1,273,000 uniformed personnel positions in 2019.
What is the result of America’s military’s reduction in force? Americans serving in combat in Afghanistan and elsewhere have literally been handed “pink slips” . . . while they are risking their lives for America! That is outrageous.
III. Military Enlistment Quotas Are Met by Americans and Lawful Immigrants
There is no labor shortage that justifies supplanting Americans and lawful immigrants with illegal aliens in order to meet military recruitment and retention requirements. In 2014, every branch of the military met their recruiting and retention requirements (collectively called “accessions”)…
…
IV. Bottom line: Who Do We Represent in Washington?
I submit we are in Congress to represent and promote the interests of Americans.
In contrast, Rep. Gallego’s amendment does not, in any way, shape or form, represent or promote the interests of Americans. To the contrary, Gallego’s amendment betrays Americans by encouraging the Secretary of Defense to hire illegal aliens rather than Americans.
To be clear, every military service position Gallego’s amendment helps an illegal alien take is a job denied to American citizens and lawful immigrants.
As America’s military downsizes, there are a limited number of enlistment opportunities for American citizens. Each time an illegal alien takes an enlistment opportunity, an American or lawful immigrant loses an enlistment opportunity. The ratio is one-to-one. Period. That is the math.
I hope you will concur that, contrary to the Gallego amendment, it is not the sense of Congress, and it is not the sense of the American people, that struggling American families should be denied military service opportunities at the hands of illegal aliens.
I hope you will also concur that rewarding illegal alien conduct by giving good paying military service positions to illegal aliens only encourages and begets more illegal conduct and worsens America’s border security issues.
Today’s vote to strip the Gallego amendment from the NDAA boils down to one question. Do you support and represent illegal aliens or do you support and represent Americans?
I urge you to support and represent Americans by voting to strike Rep. Gallego’s amendment from the NDAA.
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