Voting Record on Legislation Involving Immigration
(2010) HR 5281 DREAM Act
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (216/198)
Summary: -Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of an undocumented immigrant and grant him or her conditional nonimmigrant status for a period of 5 years if the following provisions are met (Secs. 6 & 7):
-The undocumented immigrant in question has been residing in the United States for 5 or more years and was younger than 16 years old when he or she initially entered the United States;
-The undocumented immigrant has been "a person of good moral character" since he or she initially entered the United States which includes, but is not limited to, having not been convicted of an offense punishable by more than 1 year of prison;
-The undocumented immigrant has either been admitted to an institute of higher learning or has earned a high school diploma or GED (General Education Development) certificate;
-The undocumented immigrant has "never been under a final administrative or judicial order of exclusion, deportation, or removal", unless:
-The undocumented immigrant has been able to lawfully remain in the United States after such an order was issued; or
-The undocumented immigrant received the order before he or she became 16 years old; and
-The undocumented immigrant is under the age of 30, as of the date of the bill's enactment.
-Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to charge a $525 surcharge per application for relief and requires the application for relief to be made within 1 year of the undocumented immigrant's date of graduation from high school (Sec. 6).
-Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to use biometric, biographic, and other data to conduct background checks on each applicant, and to determine whether any criminal or national security factor exists that would make the undocumented immigrant ineligible for relief (Sec. 6).
-Requires each applicant for relief to undergo a medical examination, arranged by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Sec. 6).
-Defines "conditional nonimmigrant" as an undocumented immigrant who may have an intention of permanently residing in the United States and is not required to have a foreign residence (Sec. 5).
-Authorizes a conditional nonimmigrant to (Sec. 7):
-Be employed in the United States; and
-Travel outside the United States for a period no longer than 180 days and be readmitted without having to obtain a visa.
-Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend conditional nonimmigrant status for 5 additional years if provisions, not limited to those listed below, are met (Sec. 7):
-The undocumented immigrant has demonstrated "good moral character" during the time he or she held conditional nonimmigrant status;
-The undocumented immigrant has either acquired a degree from an institution of higher learning in the United States or has completed at least 2 years in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States; and
-The undocumented immigrant has served in the Armed Forces for at least 2 years, or has been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces.
-Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate conditional nonimmigrant status if the Secretary determines that the undocumented immigrant has ceased to meet the requirements of the status, has become a public charge, or has received a dishonorable or other than honorable discharge from the Armed Forces (Sec. 7).
-Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to collect a surcharge of $2,000 per application for an extension of conditional nonimmigrant status (Sec. 7).
-Authorizes any conditional nonimmigrant to apply to have his or her immigration status changed to that of "lawfully admitted for permanent residence", and to be naturalized upon compliance with immigration laws (Sec. 8).
-Specifies that false statements provided in an application for relief under this bill are punishable by no more than 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine (Sec. 11).
-Prohibits the publication of information disclosed by individuals in application for relief under this bill, and fines any individual who uses, publishes, or permits such information to be examined no more than $10,000 (Sec. 12).
Sires's Vote
Y
(2010) HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (239/182)
Summary: -Appropriates $10 billion for the Department of Education for an Education Jobs Fund, which shall award grants to local educational agencies to finance the retaining, rehiring, and hiring of elementary and secondary education employees (Title IV, Ch. 1).
-Appropriates $4.95 billion for student financial assistance, including Federal Pell Grants (Title IV, Ch. 1).
-Rescinds $500 million in appropriations for the Department of Education to be allocated for state education incentive grants, as provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("stimulus bill") (Sec. 4158).
-Appropriates $500 million for the Department of Homeland Security for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Title IV, Ch. 1).
-Appropriates $163 million for the Department of Defense for the construction, renovation, repair, or expansion of elementary and secondary public schools on military installations (Title IV, Ch. 1).
-Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, upon being instructed to do so by the President, to provide oil spill unemployment assistance, in an amount deemed appropriate by the Secretary, to an individual whose unemployment is caused by an oil spill "of national significance," and specifies that such assistance shall not be extended beyond 26 weeks after the individual became unemployed (Sec. 4152).
-Appropriates $50 million for the Department of Defense for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (Sec. 4101).
-Appropriates $16.5 million for the Department of Defense for a "soldier readiness processing center" (Title IV, Ch. 1).
