Jeff Denham: Still committed to ENLIST, and investigating Amtrak crash
Re “Denham support for his own law is half-hearted” (Online, May 20): Recently The Bee printed a letter from a reader who questioned my commitment to legislation I introduced and have pushed forward over the last three years. My ENLIST Act would allow otherwise qualified undocumented immigrants to earn legal status through full and honorable terms of service in the U.S. military. It is a reflection of what I and many of my veteran colleagues learned during my time in our armed forces: immigrants have served in our military since the very beginning of our country, and being willing to put your life on the line to defend the American ideals is the clearest possible way to pledge allegiance to the United States and show patriotism.
I believe those who are willing to serve should be able to earn legal status.
Though I have pushed my ENLIST Act forward for years, securing co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, discussing with colleagues, and petitioning the Rules Committee to allow it to a vote on the floor as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), this year I did not have the opportunity to testify in front of the Rules Committee after formally offering the bill. Instead, I was traveling to Philadelphia, where less than 24 hours earlier Amtrak train 188 had derailed, leading to the loss of eight lives and several hundred injuries.
As chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, my priority that day was to do everything I could for the victims. I took an Amtrak train to the crash site and back the day that the Rules committee was hearing testimony. On site, I received briefings from Amtrak President Joe Boardman, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) acting administrator Sarah Feinberg and others. Their information has helped me make crucial decisions about federal response to the crash and will inform my actions moving forward as we hold hearings.
I remain committed to pushing my ENLIST Act forward and seeing it reach the House floor for a vote.
Jeff Denham, U.S. Congressman, Modesto
This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Jeff Denham: Still committed to ENLIST, and investigating Amtrak crash."