Posted on 04/07/2006 7:07:15 PM PDT by pulaskibush
This morning Democrat obstruction dealt a serious blow to Americas border security and to Americas national security.
Several weeks ago, I introduced an enforcement first border security bill the Secure Americas Borders Act that would have greatly increased the number of border security agents, that would have built physical barriers in high traffic areas and utilized remote sensors and UAVs elsewhere, that would have provided for real workplace enforcement.
But I knew that 44 Democrat Senators would use every means at their disposal to obstruct an enforcement first approach. And I recognized that we must deal with the 11-12 million illegal immigrants currently living in America today.
So I helped broker an agreement that would have coupled the strong border security and interior enforcement provisions of my Secure Americas Borders Act with a temporary worker plan that gave those immigrants whove been here for longer than five years the opportunity to gain legal status but only by beginning at the end of the line, behind those millions around the world who want to come to America honestly and legally. And only if they kept a job, learned English and American history, passed a national security and criminal background check, and paid a fine and back taxes. Those who had been here less than five years would have been required to leave the country, with only some allowed back in.
Yet Democrats led by Harry Reid and provoked by the far left of their party decided to cripple this compromise legislation by refusing to allow us to vote on several crucial amendments amendments that would have greatly strengthened the border security and enforcement provisions of the compromise bill. Over 300 amendments had been filed and the Democrats refused to let the Senate vote on virtually any of them. Here are a few of those amendments on which the Democrats blocked a vote:
An amendment by Senators Kyl and Cornyn, which would have prevented illegal immigrants who had been convicted of felonies such as burglary; involuntary manslaughter; and assault and battery from getting green cards
An amendment by Senator Isakson, which would have prevented the creation of any new temporary worker program until the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security certified that our border is secure An amendment by Senator Dorgan, which would have made the temporary worker program truly temporary by refusing to provide green cards to future temporary workers
An amendment by Senator Ensign, which would have allowed the National Guard to help secure the border
Because of the Democrats stubborn obstruction of these amendments, the Senate will not be able to pass border security and immigration reform at this time. We will not have 15,000 new border patrol agents. We will not expand the program of expedited removal for illegal aliens caught at our border. We will not have a nationwide, mandatory verification program for hiring workers.
More to follow in the days ahead.
Bill Frist, M.D. VOLPAC Post Office Box 158552 Nashville, TN 37215 Office: (615) 386-0045
You are receiving this email from VOLPAC because you have subscribed online on our website, donated to VOLPAC, been a past supporter in a non-financial way or your contact information was gathered from Republican voter files. If you do not wish to receive email communications from VOLPAC, please click here to unsubscribe.
Paid for by VOLPAC and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.volpac.org
The email was billfrist@volpac.org.
I'm replying with my article.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611002/posts
What do you all think?
What do I think? Well, I think President Bush should start enforcing the laws that are on the books. I think he should stand up to President Fox. I think he should stand up for America. Last week, he said he was going ot enforce our laws. I think he should do that. What do you think?
If they have time for regulating Baseball, and halftime activities at the superbowl, they have time for border security and immigration.
This was the plan. No Action.
I think it's pure b.s. There was no provision to drop the hammer on the illegals who choose to remain illegal and how the #$%@ do you figure out how an "undocumented" alien has been in the country. I do like the Ensign ammendment, though.
Yes, the ThugoRats stink, as usual, they reach out of the gutter to block anything that might be good for America -- BUT in this case, the news that this got stalled, is GOOD FOR AMERICA. This legislation does NOT CONTAIN anything of substance that would CLOSE THE BORDER to further illegal alien traffic and security risks. NOTHING.
The Congress is good at using the scarlet fish, and still thinks the American people don't know their end game relative to the border....with El Jefe sitting in the wings, happy as a clam, along with his buddy, Vincente, and their open border attempt at ONE AMERICA. Sorry boys, America is not buying it and the amendments that might give the American citizen a fighting chance at saving our country from liberal, pro-illegal pols, still has to play.
THE BORDERS NEED TO BE CLOSED. PRIORITY ONE. The rest can come later.
IMMIGRATION DRAMA IN THE SENATE [Stephen Spruiell]
One Republican Senate staffer who's been working on the immigration bill tells NRO how it all went down: Around Wednesday afternoon, it became clear that Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) were preparing to offer their compromise bill as an alternative to the original Judiciary Committee bill. The compromise wasn't really a compromise at all, because both bills were big on amnesty and weak on enforcement.
On Wednesday night, as soon as the floor was clear, Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) entered the Senate chamber and added their own substitution - an enforcement-only bill that called for the construction of a fence, the addition of more enforcement personnel and broader use of surveillance technology, among other measures. Under Senate rules, their substitution blocked the Hagel-Martinez bill from consideration.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-'08) wanted a vote on the Hagel-Martinez compromise, and so he sent the bill back to the Judiciary Committee with instructions that the committee strip out the Sessions-Nelson enforcement bill and add in the Hagel-Martinez compromise.
The committee complied, and sent the bill back to the floor with the changes Frist wanted. This morning, the Senate voted 38-60 against cloture on the Hagel-Martinez compromise, and 36-62 against cloture on the original Judiciary Committee bill - effectively killing both. The similar margins, the staffer says, "show you that the compromise didn't get us very far."
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
"But" always wipes out whatever came before it.
Senator, you coulda been a hero. But you took the cowards way out.
Now ya got nuthin'...
Coulda been a hero, but instead, he's a big zero. Damn straight he's a coward.
I got the same email. I thought it was just some more talk with no real action.
Like hell.
We have laws in this country they can enforce that don't need Dem cooperation in the form of new legislation.
The fact they don't enforce existing law means "amnesty" from their voters politically with these excuses will not be available.
Enforce existent laws on the book Senator.
For 40yrs the leadership of this country has sat back and done nothing to enforce the sovereignty of this nation. Neither the House nor the Senate plan, with or without amendments, would accomplish what is needed.
Call me when the shooting starts.
------
Exactly. How they thought this would not snowball into the mass invasion that it is today, is beyond comprehension...or is it? Let the next guy worry about it, right? The bottom line is gross malfeasance on the part of the Washington government -- they should all be impeached.
How can they be BEHIND people who WANT to come if they got here ahead of them?
I may visit the Frist blog that came with the email sometime tommorrow.
Can't imagine a group of Mexicans without someone hoisting the Virgen of Guadalupe. News here today, Friday in Mexico, G.W. Bush approved 4 million Mexicans are going to stay,and the rest come home. News....flash has it rumored that the Congress is giving a free pass to all illegals, they get to choose which laws they want to abide by.
Yes, we have plenty of laws that can be enforced now! Is there anybody who really thinks that our Constitution or laws prevent the POTUS from protecting our borders? This is crazy. Bush just needs to do his job. If he doesn't, his legacy will be in the toilet. He will be remembered as the President who couldn't even defend the country's borders.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.