President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program [Transcript]

The White House ^ | Jan 7, 2004 | President George W. Bush

[Dog]

. Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws, and perpetuates illegal immigration. America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America. (Applause)

This is not amnesty..

[TomServo]

Bookmarked...

[alnick]

Why are you mischaracterizing what I said?

[NittanyLion]

It recognizes reality, does not reward illegal behavior and has political side benefits.

Illegals currently here will have an opportunity to become legal. That sounds like rewarding illegal behavior to me...

[NittanyLion]

Why are you mischaracterizing what I said?

I was asking you a question. Based on your comments I couldn't tell whether you supported this plan, or merely thought it isn't as bad as represented on FR.

[george wythe]

This speech bears no resemblence to the wild claims being made all over this site today by so many Freepers. Mass hysteria.

That's why I refused to comment on those threads until I saw the President's speech.

Furthermore, President Bush is proposing only broad principles, but the devil's in the details.

Now we have the chance to lobby Congress to shape the legislation as close to our wishes as possible.

The game has just begun.

[McGavin999]

An understanding of what it means to be an American is not a formality in the naturalization process, it is essential to full participation in our democracy. My administration will examine the standard of knowledge in the current citizenship test. We must ensure that new citizens know not only the facts of our history, but the ideals that have shaped our history. Every citizen of America has an obligation to learn the values that make us one nation: liberty and civic responsibility, equality under God, and tolerance for others.

YEAAAAAA!!!

[GROOVY]

If I am reading it right, the illegals will have no advantage over people who remain in their own country and apply, in terms of achieving citizenship.

[SunStar]

So you think this amnesty is a good idea?

Hmm... I thought it was a Guest Worker Program, and that the following paragraph explains the difference.

"Some temporary workers will make the decision to pursue American citizenship. Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way. They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start. I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship. Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws, and perpetuates illegal immigration. America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America."

[NonValueAdded]

Thanks, your post is the reason I put up the transcript. I don't want to hijack the live thread and there is lots of commentary over there. However, it is important to have the actual words available for reference and reflection once the heat dies down (say in 2005 or so). I'd sugest bookmarking this thread and reading it again in a month or so and see if the perspective changes.

[SunStar]

Illegals currently here will have an opportunity to become legal. That sounds like rewarding illegal behavior to me...

They have to pay a fine in order to do so...

Or, they can go home, and apply from Mexico without the fine.

[CalKat]

Amnesty is a governmental pardon. These illegal immigrants are being granted amnesty by virtue of the fact that they will not be prosecuted or deported for the crime of entering this country illegally. Calling it by another name does not change the fact that it is amnesty.

[Biblebelter]

When his Daddy broke his no new tax pledge, it was a punch in the gut to those who elected him. Somehow I feel the son just delivered a punch in the gut to me and many others who helped to elect him and in that election more than any other we the individuals voters feel he would not have been elected if not for our individual vote. Well, he may be able to afford to punch some voters in the gut if he were assured that Dean would be his opponent. But ol' Wesley Clark is more wily than angry and Clark could be a formidable candidate. Clark represents the proverbial choice of the devil we don't know. There are many Americans who might choose the devil that they don't know.

[SunStar]

These illegal immigrants are being granted amnesty by virtue of the fact that they will not be prosecuted or deported for the crime of entering this country illegally.

Actually, they are still illegal aliens if they do not apply for the program. And if they apply for the program, they have to pay a fine in order to get the blue card. I suspect that many current illegals will go home and apply from Mexico.

[NittanyLion]

Right you both are. Kind of.

This is amnesty in the traditional sense of the word. Millions of current illegals will be granted pardon and allowed to remain. Their previously illegal behavior has been rewarded by this program.

In the political sense, amnesty has come to be associated with granting citizenship. I should probably have refrained from using the word, knowing the context in which it generally appears.

[SunStar]

When his Daddy broke his no new tax pledge, it was a punch in the gut to those who elected him. Somehow I feel the son just delivered a punch in the gut to me and many others who helped to elect him and in that election more than any other we the individuals voters feel he would not have been elected if not for our individual vote.

The difference is that this President didn't break a pledge. He's been saying since the 2000 campaign that he supported a guest worker program. If you voted for him thinking otherwise, it was your mistake.

[JoeSchem]

I propose a new temporary worker program that will match willing foreign workers with willing American employers, when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs.

Right now, no Americans can be found to fill the jobs because the jobs are offered under the table, with no taxes or benefits paid, which is why illegals can take home $10 an hour and still be hired over Americans taking home $7 or less per hour. And there are Americans who would be willing to work for even less, but here in Washington State, thanks to a minimum wage of $7/hr that applies only to American citizens, they have to become destitute rather than find employment.

You think millions of illegals are going to flock to be legalized, and thereby be subjected to the same taxes as the rest of us -- and thereby become as unemployable as the rest of us? No, I can assure you the only ones who'll sign up for this program are the ones planning to go back to Mexico soon and now we'll give them full Social Security benefits as they head out the door! The utter cluelessness of this proposal reflects George W. Bush's lack of contact with the real world of working people.

By saying, "There are some jobs that Americans will not do," he is directly insulting the work ethic of millions of hard-working American citizens. Quite an arrogance for someone who has never held a real job -- unless you count shaking hands of potential investors for a group of business partners at a time when your father just happens to be President of the United States.

[NittanyLion]

They have to pay a fine in order to do so...Or, they can go home, and apply from Mexico without the fine.

I guess we'll wait and see what the fine is. But I highly doubt they're going to do as you suggest and leave the country in order to come back.

[SunStar]

Their previously illegal behavior has been rewarded by this program.

Not really... If they go home, they get the reward of the FREE blue card. That's an incentive to "deport" themselves.

[SunStar]

But I highly doubt they're going to do as you suggest and leave the country in order to come back.

If not, they pay the fine, get their blue card, and then are required to leave (or renew) after three years.