Charles Melancon on Immigration Democrat

I have been a staunch hawk on immigration

But Melancon maintained he has a strong stance against illegal immigration. "I have been a staunch hawk on immigration," said Melancon.

Supports SCHIP, despite insuring illegal immigrant kids

Melancon voted for the measure, trying to debunk claims by opponents that it would amount to government-run insurance, health care for illegal immigrants or coverage for high-income families. "Making sure children have health insurance is not only the right thing to do, it's also much more cost-effective for taxpayers than leaving them uninsured and using the emergency room as a primary-care provider," Melancon said.

Vitter opposed the bill, saying it was disproportionately skewed toward states such as New York, which has higher incomes for eligibility than Louisiana, he said. In New York, the program's cutoff for a family of four is $88,200. Louisiana taxpayers shouldn't subsidize those states, Vitter said. "It just makes no sense to me," he said.

Supports secure fence; law enforcement; and REAL ID

Melancon voting records:
• Voted YES on HR 6095 on 9/21/2006: Immigration Law Enforcement Act; Bill Passed 277-140
• Voted YES on HR 6061 on 9/14/2006: Secure Fence Act; Bill Passed 283-138
• Voted YES on HR 4437 on 12/16/2005: Border Security Bill; Bill Passed 239-182
• Voted YES on HR 418 on 2/10/2005: Real ID Act; Bill Passed 261-161