Last updated on: 12/19/2016 | Author: ProCon.org

Martha McSally, MPP Biography

Title:
Member of the US House of Representatives (R-AZ)
Position:
Not Clearly Pro or Con to the question "Should the Government Allow Immigrants Who Are Here Illegally to Become US Citizens?"
Reasoning:

“In fiscal year 2015, fewer people were apprehended by the US Border Patrol, than overstayed their visas and are suspected of still being in the country, making the estimate closer to 60% of those illegally in the United States.

I am concerned that there are unidentified national security and public safety risks in a population that large, which has historically been the primary means for terrorist entry into the United States…

[O]nce we identify overstays, especially those who present national security and public safety threats, we must dedicate the resources necessary to promptly remove those in the country illegally – otherwise we put our citizens at risk unnecessarily.”

Statement made for US House of Representatives Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee meeting, “Overstaying Their Welcome: National Security Risks Posed by Visa Overstays,” docs.house.gov, June 14, 2016
Theoretical Expertise Ranking:
    Experts
Individuals with advanced degrees in fields relevant to immigration. Also top-level government officials (such as foreign leaders, US presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court Justices, members of legislative bodies, cabinet members, military leaders, etc.) with positions relevant to immigration.
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Member, US House of Representatives (R-AZ), 2014-present
  • Chair, US House Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
  • Member, US House Committee on Armed Services
  • Member, US House Committee on Homeland Security
  • Professor, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany), 2011-2012
  • Retired Colonel, Major and Pilot, US Air Force, 1988-2010
  • Legislative Fellow, National Security Advisor for Senator Jon Kyl, US Air Force Legislative Fellowship Program, 1999
Education:
  • Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Air University, 2007
  • MPP, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1990
  • BS, Biology, United States Air Force Academy, 1988
Other:
  • First female fighter pilot in US history to fly in combat and to command a fighter squadron
  • Twitter handle: @RepMcSally
Quoted in:
  1. Should US Customs and Border Enforcement Use Military Equipment to Help Prevent Illegal Immigration?