Posted on 09/11/2006 8:46:31 AM PDT by conservativecorner
House Majority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) last week would not rule out passing a comprehensive immigration bill before Congress recesses for the mid-term elections.
When a reporter asked him if it was realistic to assume Congress would not pass such a bill in the limited time left on the legislative calendar, he replied, “That is not fair.”
Boehner said that “conversations about the overall bill, the larger bill, are going to continue,” but suggested alternative methods to secure the border were being planned.
“You will see us, I think, again this month, move to include additional money for fencing on the border, more money for agents on the border and more money for surveillance on the border,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.) echoed Boehner’s remarks. Frist said, “Through the Defense appropriation bill and the Homeland Security appropriation bill, we will put heavy resources on making our borders secure. We need to aggressively, through legislation and through appropriations, secure our borders,”
Over the August recess, the Congressional Budget Office quietly released a report that estimated the total cost to taxpayers of the immigration bill that passed the Senate would be $127 billion over the next decade.
When I asked if that was an acceptable cost, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said, “One of the alternative proposals of our colleagues on the Republican side is to put 11 million people in jail.Who wants to pay for that? What does that get? I don’t know specifically how they allocated the costs or their priorities of the bill that may or may not be judged as a good investment, but let me say that the alternative is far more costly.”
Enforcement Alone
Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R.-Ariz.) said passing a bill could be possible if it focused on enforcement alone. “No if, ands or buts” he said, “and certainly no add-ons from the comprehensive camp.”
Rep. Steve King (R.-Iowa) said he would welcome appropriations funding for border security but that he’d rather see stand-alone legislation. “Mr. Pence is not going to get his Ellis Island kiosks this year,” he said, referring to the immigration plan being pushed by Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.) that mandates immigrants visit foreign “Ellis Island Centers” to apply for citizenship.“So why don’t we do what we all agree needs to be done and let’s be done,” said King.“That is to shut off the four million people a year pouring across our Southern border and then take up the debate in January.”
If by November 8 the Southern border is not secured, King advised voters to “look at the voting records of the candidates on the ballot. If they support House enforcement then stand with them because they are for controlling our borders. If they voted against it, brand them with the scarlet letter ‘A’ for amnesty and vote accordingly.”
Of all days, one would think that supporting the President in the War would be job one. Guess I`m wrong
"I know most analysts don't believe that to be true yet, though"
Of course most analysts are not going to admit immigration is a major issue.
If fact, IF the GOP loses the house, analysts will say the Iraq war was the reason
or the economy was the reason. They will never admit that the lack of an ENFORCEMENT First bill wil be the reason many conservatives MIGHT stay home on election day. AND I said MIGHT... not WILL.
"However, there have been no terrorist attacks originating from across the southern border, and the vast majority of the illegals who cross the border are not terrorists in the first place."
And you know this HOW?
With 3000+ people waltzing across our borders each week unaccounted for there are bound to be a few Islamofacists in there. Do a search here on FR and see how many people are caught from Islamic country's. Now imagine how many are not caught.
"Most of our elected representatives are dumber than a doorknob"
Quite the contrary. They get BIG BUCKS from BIG BUSINESS.
And BIG BUSINESS, both Republicians and Democrats LOVE CHEAP
MEXICAN LABOR.
They are not dumb, they know the GOP Grassroots has nowhere to go.
Just like the democrats know the black communnity has nowhere to go.
So, stay home, don`t vote. Maybe the Rats will win, maybe they will lose. Of course you will be giving up your right to help solve the issue of the illegals but, you still have the right to keep your head in a place that anatomically difficult for most of us.
Who said anything about not voting? I'm going to vote for the most conservative person, one who will put the good of the country before the lobbyists.
"The illegals are the second issue and it is a crime that so many of those that post hereare so hung up on the illegals"
The illegals crossing the border ARE A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT NOW.
Do you believe that only Mexican Illegals are the only illegals crossing the border? You had better wake up a get a reality check my fellow freeper.
Can you name a terrorist attack that occurred as a result of somebody crossing our southern border? I can't.
As you'll no doubt have noticed, I acknowledged the possibility that it could happen, and the resultant need to know who crosses, and when they leave. Presumably you're smart enough to realize the full implications of what has to happen in order for that to take place.
Very good effort.
Though your theatrics might touch the heart strings more with a few string violins in the background.
When you decide to be serious, instead of stating if I don't vote for a RINO I'm unpatriotic, I'll give you more respect.
Well what you said too....but I would still argue about their dumbness. ;)
Point taken.
You said they were "intricately intertwined." (Did you really mean "inextricably intertwined?") Either way, to say that they're "intertwined" would imply that terrorism and illegal workers are crossing for the same reasons. They're not -- and thus the manner in which you deal with the problems is different.
The border is certainly a common point between the two problems: it's good to require registration, to include a background check of some sort. One hopes that the background check will catch bad guys, but one suspects that it would be weak.
That said, the tracking problem is completely different for terrorists vs. guess workers. "Guest workers" are relatively easy to track, because they have employers, and the vast majority would really be here to work. Their off-hours are not of much concern.
Terrorists might make use of the same program, and they would probably also be "trackable" through the employment system ... but their off-hours are the part that really matters to the intel folks, and that's probably not trackable.
I have NO Doubt your idea would work.
All that is needed is a national call by the President. But that will never happen
"I'm glad he and I are on the same page. Re-elect the majority which are border enforcement Republicans."
I guess that means we need to vote out the GOP senators that want amnesty?
Right. Since it is actually the Senate, not the house that wants amnesty.
"You are right, staying home and not voting isn`t a real crime. Allowing the Rats to take over Congress must be OK too. After all, those Republicans need a wake up call."
If you want to SEND A MESSAGE write a letter ... Dont destroy this country with Cindy sheehan style leftists in power as your 'message'.
JEEZ.
rjebt Knows this because he has better information than the U.S. Goverment.
You see, even though the U.S. Gov can't even tell how many illegals are actually here, just guess at it. He has a crystal ball that tells him only Illegal Mexicans cross the border...never ant terrorists who pose as mexicans.
$50K for Rep or Senate seat
$100K for VP
$150K for Pres
Those amounts would be given out for both the primaries and the actual election. And that is the only cash they get. For a Rep or Senator, all the cash must be spent within their district. Any left over after the election goes back to the government.
And no loans. If I've got a very safe seat, I can't take some of my money and give it to another candidate.
The amounts have been kept low on purpose to encourage quick, effective campaigns.
Consider: No more DNC, RNC, moveon,org, no more meddling in local campaigns, etc.
This will never happen as the "big money" donors would squash it like a bug. But it is food for thought.
And while we're at it, let's pass term limits also.
My point is that if we stay home, the Rats are going to win. As a famous man and as my Mom`s oldest kid said, "If the Rats win, we lose."
That`s lose all the fights, the War, the border, taxes, abortion, guns, everything that we are for, the Rats hate. Please, don`t stay on the sidelines, VOTE and vote often.
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.