Question:
Senate immigration bill 'far worse' than in '86 - Reid-Kennedy,
Congress and the administration have no credibility with the American
people?
Answer:
The latest immigration bill approved by the Senate is "far, far worse" than
the 1986 immigration bill that granted amnesty to 2.7 million illegal aliens
and created the magnet for the millions more who have come here since, a
House panel was told at a hearing yesterday.
In addition to providing legalization to about four times as many
illegal aliens as did the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA),
witnesses said, the current bill also repeats mistakes made 20 years ago
that will render the border-enforcement provisions and employer sanctions
meaningless.
"The Senate amnesty would condemn the United States to the same harmful
consequences that IRCA caused," James R. Edwards Jr. of the Hudson Institute
told the House Judiciary's subcommittee that handles immigration. "Only now,
its effects would be far, far worse."
Rep. John Hostettler, the Indiana Republican who is chairman of the
subcommittee on immigration, border security and claims, said the problem
with the 1986 legislation was that it allowed legalization before measures
were put in place to enforce immigration restrictions and punish those who
violated immigration laws.
"Time showed us that IRCA has utterly and completely failed," he said.
"Illegal immigration has not been controlled, but has increased
significantly in the past two decades."
Democrats on the panel, for the most part, criticized Republicans for
holding what they called a "mock hearing" and accused them of trying to
score political points off the explosive issue just months before the next
election.
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, ranking Democrat on the subcommittee,
said the reason the 1986 bill did not work is that it was not
"comprehensive" enough, a criticism she also leveled at the enforcement-only
bill approved by the House last year.
"Although IRCA had legalization programs and new enforcement measures,
it did not address all of the essential issues," she said. "For instance, it
failed to provide enough legal visas to meet future immigration needs."
Mrs. Jackson-Lee also castigated Republicans for smearing the Senate
bill with the term "amnesty" because it will grant citizenship rights to
some 10 million illegal aliens already here.
"It was derived from the Latin word 'amnesti,' which means amnesia," she
said after giving the definition. "S.2611 does not have any provisions that
would forget or overlook immigration law violations."
Replied Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican: "I don't care what we call it.
It's a bad bill, and America knows it's a bad bill."
Though Republicans repeatedly referred to the bill as "Reid-Kennedy" for
Sens. Harry Reid and Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats noted that the legislation
has broad support among Senate Republicans including Majority Leader Bill
Frist. President Bush also has been highly supportive of the bill.
Michael Jackson, deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security, said Mr. Bush is committed to a "three-pronged approach" to
immigration reform. He wants to strengthen the border, enhance interior
enforcement of immigration laws and create a temporary-worker program.
Asked whether this election year is causing problems for the White House
in making their case, Mr. Jackson replied, "There is a lot of focus on
gaining control of the border this year and we welcome that."
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, a Texas Democrat who served 26 years in the Border
Patrol, was among those who testified yesterday. He accused Mr. Bush and
Republicans in Congress of wasting time with the hearings.
"Talk is cheap," he said. "What border residents want and what Americans
want when it comes to border security and immigration reform is action."
But Mr. Hostettler warned that action without consideration for the
mistakes of 1986 will only create a bigger problem in the decades to come.
"Congress and the administration have no credibility with the American
people," he said.
"Why should Americans have any reason to believe that the supposed
enhanced enforcement provisions in Reid-Kennedy will be effectively enforced
by the administration any more than successive administrations have enforced
IRCA?" Mr. Hostettler asked. "The administration will probably implement
amnesty for millions of illegal aliens quite quickly. Enforcement will
likely lag behind if it occurs at all. We will find ourselves in exactly the
same place we found ourselves 20 years ago."
http://insider.washingtontimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=200607...
--
CB
The crucial steps are these. Build a fence along the 2,000-mile border
to stop the flood. End welfare benefits to illegal aliens, except
emergency medical treatment. Vigorously prosecute employers who hire
illegals. Cease granting automatic citizenship to "anchor babies" of
illegals who sneak across the border to have them. Take care of mother
and child, then put them on a bus back home.
Turn off the magnets, and the illegals will not come. Cut off the
benefits, and they will not stay. In five years, the crisis will be
over.
As this is what America wants...
~~Pat Buchanan
--
As we've indicated before, the final immigration-reform legislation must
provide for the following: Strict border security and enforcement; automatic
detention and deportation of those crossing our borders illegally; no
extension of amnesty or fast-track citizenship; preservation of our
tax-subsidized medical, educational and social services for American
citizens; strong penalties against employers who hire illegals; and
Americanization of new legal immigrants. It should also disallow birthright
citizenship for children of illegal aliens, and we support legislation to
that end.
--
"The Social Security Trust Fund should be for Americans in their retirement
years. I vigorously oppose a Totalization Agreement with Mexico, which would
allow millions of illegal Mexicans to access those funds," said Rep. Virgil
Goode, R-Va.
"The Social Security Administration and State Department should provide TREA
Senior Citizens League with the information they are requesting on behalf of
seniors. I support a resolution to disapprove Totalization with Mexico if
and when the President signs off on this bad deal," Goode added.
I'm surprised that the republicans have managed to manufacture an issue that
will eclipse the price of gasoline as a turning point in the November
elections.
They never miss an opportunity to kiss an opportunity.
Time for them to move over and give the democrats their time to screw things
up.
They have, Lib/Dims have sided with appeasement to those who seek the
destruction of Israel.
Or is it just hate for Bush so therefore anything he attempts should fail?
No, a simple right to live without being killed. Call it Christian if you
want, bigot. We know just how you Libs value life.
Arabs are squatters from a long ways back. When Jews came back from al
corners of the globe, the UN gave them 1/4 of what they had 2000 years ago.
Instead of being happy with what they had, (3/4 if Israel), Arabs instead
sought to steal it back and Israel had to kick ass to defend its self. In
the process she took the Golan Heights so that Syria couldn't lob scuds over
to kill Jewish settlers.
What should piss so called Palestinians off is the fact that no Arab nations
would accept displaced refugees during the war(s). Instead they were put in
camps like dogs.
Jews just want to live in peace but the dogs of Hebala, the PLO and Hamas
will not stop killing. They will not stop until every Jew is dead.
You'd like that, wouldn't you mullah head?
