Hudson urges local Tea Party to spread the message

He said it was imperative for Republicans to take back control of the United States Senate and the best way to do that it to make people aware of the issues.

“Every one of you is an important tool to get our message out there,” Hudson said. “Talk about it during your bible school, talk to your friends and coworkers.”

Hudson, who is on the Committee on Homeland Security, spoke at length about the need for an alternative to the current immigration reform bill that was recently passed by the Senate and is now heading to Congress. The House Republican majority must pass core components of immigration reform to get the bill to a House-Senate conference committee, but Hudson says that is not going to happen.

“We are not going to conference with the Senate with this bill,” Hudson said. “We are not even close.”

Hudson explained the issue of closing the border should take precedence over determining how existing illegal immigrants can become citizens.

“We can't deal with the 11 million that are already here until we reach a 90 percent capture rate at our borders,” Hudson said. “We should take citizenship off the table until we verify we have reached that rate.”

He detailed four bills currently being discussed that would address the border security issue. They included local and state enforcement; verification of identification; restructuring of the VISA process and a system to allow seasonal workers to return to their country of origin without becoming a citizen.

“Most of these illegals don't want to be U.S. citizens,” he said. “Let them come here to work and then let them go back home.”

While taking questions from the crowd, Hudson also touched on recent hot topics, including the National Security Agency scandal. Hudson said he has thoroughly researched the NSA phone surveillance program and determined that although he is still wary of some components, he believes the program is valid.

“This is the program that was directly linked to preventing the New York subway attack,” Hudson said. “I believe the guidelines are strict enough to warrant it. The program only addresses time, location and duration, that is all. The government is not spying on U.S. citizens.”

The final topic of discussion was Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. Hudson expressed his extreme dislike for the Act and vowed to do everything in his power to hinder the controversial law.

“I will do anything it takes to get rid of Obamacare,” Hudson said. “Even if it means shutting down the government. We can delay the one-year mandate, delay the individual mandate, delay the tax, delay, delay, delay. We will chip away at this thing and force the Senate to take action.”

Hudson was elected in November 2012 to represent North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. Prior to his election, Hudson served as District Director for Congressman Robin Hayes and led the congressman's North Carolina offices for six years. He is also on the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He graduated from Myers Park High School in Charlotte and earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He and his wife, Renee, live in Concord.

The Dispatch, By: Sharon Myers