House Republicans expressed concerns at a House Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday that the Senate immigration bill repeats the mistakes of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA).
The Republicans voiced their opinions that the so-called "Gang of Eight" bill falls short of the goal of ending illegal immigration in the United States, especially given the Obama administration’s inability to enforce current immigration laws.
The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday.
"We’re jumping the gun," Rep. Louie Gohmert (R., Texas) told the committee.
The Republicans on the House committee stressed that the border must be secured and current laws enforced before meaningful reform can be considered. Many called the bill amnesty.
Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa) said the bill represented "the largest and most expensive amnesty act in the history of the United States." He went on to say that IRCA, which was signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, was Reagan’s greatest political mistake.
IRCA granted amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Proponents of the Senate bill said IRCA was singularly focused on border security. The new bill goes further, they said.
However, Republicans are not convinced. The Senate bill would grant amnesty to over 11 million illegal immigrants without doing much to effectively enforce border security laws.
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) told the committee the Senate bill "could end legal immigration" by making it easier to become a legal immigrant illegally.
None of the witnesses testifying could specify a deadline by which time the border would be secure.
Additionally, there is concern over the broad authority granted to the Department of Homeland Security, a political appointee.
Witness Chris Crane, president of the National Immigration and Customs Enforcement Council, was concerned the bill gave the DHS secretary too much discretion.
Several Republicans expressed the belief that there was a political motivation behind the hastily passed immigration bill.
The bill could be beneficial to Democrats and the Obama administration, which has been pushing for reform.
"My constituents want a real remedy, not a political remedy," said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.).