Senators Divided Over Guest Worker Program

AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/15/06 | Suzanne Gamboa - ap

[OB1kNOb]

"Nobody in the country trusts us on this issue right now because we have not demonstrated the integrity to control our borders," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.

Truer words have never been spoken by a politician. A pox be upon the house of both political parties until our borders are secured and protected. - OB1

[mobyss]

Like most social and political battles in America, those that frame the terms and language of the debate usually win.

The people that support upholding America's border and immigration laws (80%+ of the population) need a rallying cry, a slogan to stand behind to really get momentum going.

Of course, illegal alien apologists use "racism", "bigotry", "this nation is formed by immigrants" (never mentioning that they were legal), and many other sound bites to frame the debate. How is it that the less than 20% of pro-illegal immigration people are winning this debate so far? And they are - have the borders been enforced? Has immigration law been upheld? Has hell frozen over?

Here are a few ideas I've had to re-frame the debate and get momentum behind enforcing the law, maybe to be spoken by public figures or media types:

"America welcomes immigrants coming legally through our 'front door', not those who would illegally break-and-enter through our unguarded 'back doors' in the dead of night"

Maybe a good bumper sticker or T-shirt:

"Put a LID on illegal immigration" (with the letters L-I-D written vertically, meaning "Locate, Incarcerate, and Deport"

Something simple and memorable to get everyone on the same page.

Thoughts?

[dennisw]

"Amnesty to me is not what we are talking about," Graham said. "If I had to pay a $2,000 fine and wait 11 years before I could apply for citizenship I wouldn't think I'd been given amnesty."

Is this faygala so stupid? This prissy boy fails to appreciate that when one comes from an impoverished 3rd world nation citizenship is irrelevant. Legal residency is of paramount importance where he can get a valid driver's license and be covered by labor laws. Can also bring mamacita y todos los hijos to the United States and put them in US schools. Will the USA give the family some kind of national health insurance?

And as Pricilla admits, the guest worker can apply for citizenship after 12 years. Once he gets citizenship he can sponsor numerous relatives for immigration

[blaquebyrd]

How about "VICENTE TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN DAMN CITIZENS!"

[jneesy]

both my senators are on the right side of this y'all need to get yours in line

[jec41]

I thought this was Bush's fault, why is everyone screaming at congress.

[sheana]

They already have national health insurance. It is called...ANY hospital. And best of all, it is FREE, for them anyway. It costs us an arm and a leg though.

[Betty Jane]

How aout

Congress, throw them outor we'll throw you out!

or

Illegals or Citizens?

Choose wisely! (With a picture of a noose or a ballot for the more genteel.)

[HoosierHawk]

Sen. Lindsey Graham..., R-S.C., who supports the McCain-Kennedy approach, argued that lawmakers can't ignore the 11 million undocumented workers in the country. They've been ignoring the 11 million illegal aliens for years.

[Wolfie]

Translation: They're busy divvying up the pro-illegal worker votes to the Senators who are safe from any election challenge.

[trubluolyguy]

Now, I realize you Senators are sold out to Business special interests at the expense of the American worker, but before y'all pass that amnesty bill that Jorge is hoping for, remember that you can be fired. Too many of you THIS YEAR in fact.

[trubluolyguy]

What will be done to enforce this proposed law when these Mexican illegal aliens refuse to go home after the five-year grace period has expired.

---

You xenophobic racist! I bet you will vote for Hillary!

(sorry, out of body experience, very sarcastic)

[BJClinton]

don't any of those refugees from NOLA who lost their homes and jobs want work?

No, they don't. And from what I've seen the work ethic of Latin American immigrants is far better then the indigenous welfare types.

[DeweyCA]

If they are dead set on passing a Guest Worker bill, then make it just that, a plan for temporary workers. Let them work, but no free access to healthcare or education or any other benefits that should only go to citizens. Also no families coming in where the babies would then be declared citizens.

[Dante3]

Good point.

[rock58seg]

President Bush can raise his poll numbers by dropping the phrases, "Guest Worker" and "Religion of Peace" from his vocabulary, He can raise the numbers quicker by pointing out he has done so.

IT could happen, that he comes to his senses.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Please call them INVADERS!


President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.
More Americans are abducted on the border of Mexico than in Iraq!

Start building the fence.

It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their visas and Invaders.

I believe we should give amnesty to these poor CRIMINALS or INVADERS.
This should be a 2 week amnesty to get the heck out of our Country.
The ones who ignore this amnesty should be buried in a tent city jail and fined $10,000 or buried elsewhere.
All aiders and abettors of these CRIMINALS or INVADERS should get 1 year in a tent city jail and a $10,000 fine for each CRIMINAL aided.
Those in government should be the first ones charged.

[blaquebyrd]

"Let them work, but no free access to healthcare or education or any other benefits that should only go to citizens. Also no families coming in where the babies would then be declared citizens.

You and I both know the pro-invasion politicians would never put such stipulations on the invaders. That's why this whole scheme needs to killed. Once the invasion is sanctioned it's over, they're here for good. Making babies, driver's licenses, schools, hospitals, hell my local Wal-Mart already has food with Spanish only labels. Vicente will empty his jails and asylums like Castro did and send us the dregs of his society.

[TLI]

It needs a clause specifically prohibiting any future amnesty.

kinda like the 1986 scamnesty...

http://www.theamericanresistance.com/issues/amnesty.html

 

For over 200 years, the United states only granted amnesty in individual cases and had never given amnesty to large numbers of illegal aliens. Then in 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) which gave amnesty to all illegal aliens who had evaded law enforcement for at least four years or who were working illegally in agriculture. This resulted in 2.8 million illegal aliens being admitted as legal immigrants to the United States.

Because of chain migration, those granted amnesty have brought in an additional 142,000 dependents - relatives brought in to the United States to join their family members.

The amnesty of 1986 was supposed to be a "one time only" amnesty. Yet since 1986, Congress passed a total of 7 amnesties for illegal aliens:

1. The Immigration and Reform Control Act (IRCA) Amnesty of 1986 - the "one-time only" blanket amnesty for some 2.8 million illegal aliens.
2. Section 245(i) The Amnesty of 1994 - a temporary rolling amnesty for 578,000 illegal aliens.
3. Section 245(i) The Extension Amnesty of 1997 - an extension of the rolling amnesty created in 1994.
4. The Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) Amnesty of 1997 - an amnesty for nearly one million illegal aliens from Central America.
5. The Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act Amnesty (HRIFA) of 1998 - an amnesty for 125,000 illegal aliens from Haiti.
6. The Late Amnesty of 2000 - an amnesty for approximately 400,000 illegal aliens who claimed they should have been amnestied under the 1986 IRCA amnesty.
7. The LIFE Act Amnesty of 2000 - a reinstatement of the rolling Section 245(i) amnesty to an estimated 900,000 illegal aliens.

 

[Serenissima Venezia]

The House has already passed a tough immigration enforcement bill without any kind of guest worker program, defying threats from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its allies.

If only our Senators had such courage.