Tucson, Ariz. – Today, ranchers and law enforcement officials from across Southern Arizona stood up for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ strong border security record and condemned AZ-08 GOP candidate Jesse Kelly’s TV ad claiming Giffords supports amnesty.

No one knows the security challenges along the Southern Arizona border better than those ranchers and law enforcement official who live and work there everyday. Today they released the following statement concerning Kelly’s misleading claims:

“Securing the border and stopping the narco-traffickers who threaten our communities is Southern Arizona’s greatest challenge, and no one has done more to address this challenge than Gabrielle Giffords. Since the day she took office, Gabrielle has been our advocate, pushing for commonsense enforcement measures like cracking down on employers who hire illegal workers, deploying boots on the ground and funding our law enforcement agencies.

“Jesse Kelly’s claim that Gabrielle is soft on border security is an election year stunt. The truth is that Giffords does not support amnesty. She does support real action to fix our broken immigration laws, and her work to protect our community from smuggling violence has been effective and aggressive.”

Law enforcement officials taking part in today’s joint statement include:

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada
Yuma County Sheriff Ralph E. Ogden
Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall
Pinal County Attorney James P. Walsh
Former Cochise County Attorney Chris Roll

Ranchers taking part in today’s joint statement include:

Warner and Wendy Glenn, Cochise County ranchers
Kerry Kimbro and Kelly Glenn-Kimbro, Cochise County ranchers
John Ladd, Cochise County rancher
Bill McDonald, Cochise County rancher
Dennis Moroney, Cochise County rancher
Dr. Gary Thrasher, Cochise County rancher

Gabrielle has a strong record of border security accomplishments. Since taking office,

• She helped double the number of Border Patrol officers stationed in the Tucson Sector.
• She pushed through a bill that brought home over $600 million to fund 1,000 more Border Patrol agents and three new operating bases along the border.
• She fought successfully to bring National Guard troops to the border.
• She authored a bill that cracks down on smugglers who use ultralight aircraft to bring drugs over the border. This bill recently passed in the House by an overwhelming bipartisan majority, 412-3.
• She introduced the New Employee Verification Act with Republican Sam Johnson of Texas. This bill would create a new mandatory electronic employment verification system along with a voluntary biometric pilot program. It would be more effective than the current E-Verify system.
• She worked to establish a Border Patrol checkpoint along I-19. Kelly continues to oppose this common sense measure.

Kelly’s new TV ad makes two blatantly deceptive claims about Gabrielle’s record:

Claim 1: Gabrielle Giffords “voted against funding the double layer fence.”

False. The measure Kelly’s ad refers to would have meant eliminating funding for high tech equipment that the Border Patrol needs and that has proven highly effective in tracking and apprehending smugglers. Gabrielle will not vote to eliminate funding for the Border Patrol—no matter how much pressure comes from Washington, DC.

Claim 2: Gabrielle Giffords “supports amnesty.”

False. What Giffords supports is Arizona Representative Jeff Flake’s STRIVE Act, a bipartisan attempt to fix our nation’s broken immigration laws.  That’s what Kellycalls amnesty.  Kelly is using Rep. Jeff Flake to raise money for him and campaigned with Flake in Phoenix on Tuesday. Will Kelly condemn Rep. Flake for writing this bill?

Earlier this year, the Arizona Republic‘s non-partisan AZ Fact Check site assessed that the STRIVE Act is not an amnesty bill, as it “does not support granting automatic legal status to those here illegally and would impose penalties on those here illegally.” http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/azfactcheck/fact-story.php?id=5.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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