Posted on 05/22/2007 4:52:08 PM PDT by voicereason
E-mail from Senator Casey responding to my letter about illegal immigration. This is the full text received today:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding illegal immigration. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them.
The United States’ heritage of immigration has helped to make it the greatest nation in the world. It is extremely important to me, however, to ensure that Pennsylvanians and Americans are protected from the security risks associated with immigration, both legal and illegal. I support a comprehensive approach to immigration that will maintain a balance between offering opportunities to honest, hardworking men and women who want a better life for their families, and defending our homeland security from foreign threats.
I believe that the Bush Administration and previous Congresses have not effectively accomplished that balance. They have neither enforced existing immigration policies, nor prevented illegal immigration. Experts now estimate that ten to fifteen million illegal immigrants live here and another 500,000 cross the border each year.
Last year, the Senate passed S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. The bill was not perfect, but it was an earnest bipartisan effort to reform immigration laws in this country. If I had been in the Senate, I would have voted for the bill because I believe it is long past time to take action and the bill contained important reforms. I was disappointed then when the Senate and the House versions of the immigration bill contained too many differences that were never able to be resolved and the bill was not sent to the White House for the President’s approval.
I believe that this issue is too important to be derailed by political gridlock. I’m very pleased, therefore, that the Judiciary Committee held a hearing in February with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to reconsider comprehensive immigration reform. I was also encouraged to hear more recently that a bipartisan group of senators has been meeting informally with high administration officials and that these senators are now beginning to draft a compromise immigration bill they hope will serve as the leading vehicle for comprehensive reform this Congress. I look forward to giving full consideration to that bill when it reaches the floor.
I will work with my colleagues from both parties in the Senate to protect our domestic priorities and your tax dollars while promoting an effective immigration policy. My foremost concerns are protecting national security and promoting economic growth for current U.S. workers and future generations of Americans. Please continue to share your thoughts with me on this important issue and know that I will keep them in mind as I consider a fair and balanced immigration policy.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to frequently visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. In the months ahead, I will continue to develop the site in order to allow you to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington. If you wish to e-mail me, you can do so on the web site.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
There are a lot of red flag words in there like “comprehensive”, “fair” and “reform”.
Here’s mine from Kay Bailey Hutchison:
Thank you for contacting me regarding illegal immigration in the United States. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.
Congress substantially revised our nation’s immigration laws in 1996, including the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, expanding the Border Patrol, imposing significant penalties on immigrant smugglers, and establishing expedited deportation procedures. In the wake of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, we have been forced to reexamine our immigration laws and policies in order to eliminate vulnerabilities in our national security while continuing to meet the intent of the Constitution and the demands of international commerce.
Since 2001, Congress has addressed many immigration and border security concerns in the USA PATRIOT Act, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the REAL ID Act of 2005. Key provisions have included a systematic plan to monitor the southern border with unmanned aerial vehicles, authorization for an increase in the number of personnel devoted to enforcing immigration laws, and requirements that all applicants for state-issued identification and drivers’ licenses prove their lawful presence in the United States.
In October 2005, I introduced S. 1823, the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Empowerment Act, which would grant state and local officials expanded authority to arrest, detain and prosecute illegal aliens. The legislation would have created a Volunteer Border Marshal Program. In addition, I met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to discuss broad immigration reform measures and the new provisions outlined in my bill. I also led Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) on a tour along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley to highlight the need for more agents, technology and funding to secure our borders. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have worked hard to secure more than $322 million in additional appropriations over the past year for border security, including funding for 1,500 new Border Patrol agents (bringing the total number to 14,819 Border Patrol agents), 50 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators, 168 detention officers, and almost 2,000 detention beds. To this date, we have ended catch and release and accelerated the deportation process. I strongly supported provisions for an additional $1.9 billion in immediate funding for border security to cover the first 1,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents who will be deployed to the border in the next two years. These funds, as provided in the Fiscal Year 2006 Emergency Supplemental appropriations bill, will assist with the temporary deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops aiding the Border Patrol with surveillance and logistics. Though S. 1823 was not considered by the full Senate prior to the adjournment of the 109th Congress, I understand that more needs to be done.
The United States has one of the most open immigration policies in the world, and I am aware of the important contributions our immigrants make to our nation. Temporary work visas play an important role in ensuring U.S. companies have the workers they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. However, U.S. immigration policy must ensure American workers have every opportunity to compete for available jobs. In the areas of our economy where voids of talent and skills exist, we need to invest the resources necessary to fill those gaps. For example, I believe we need to increase our country’s skills in the areas of math and science, and in 2006 I cosponsored an amendment to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 to assist in this effort by increasing our funding for Advanced Placement courses.
I support the development of a guest worker program that would allow foreign nationals to work in the United States in industries where labor is in critical demand. For this reason, I have been joined by Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) in proposing a new visa category. Our proposal would create the Secure Borders, Good Neighbors and Secure Authorized Foreign Employees (SAFE) Visa program. The program would grant visas to authorized nationals of NAFTA or CAFTA-DR countries who receive employment offers in job areas in the United States that have been certified by the Secretary of Labor as having a shortage of workers. The Good Neighbor SAFE Visa is a positive step in the right direction. This plan puts border security first and addresses those who knowingly hire illegal workers, but it also recognizes the need for a temporary worker program that operates without amnesty and harnesses the power of the private sector to avoid creating a huge new government bureaucracy.
I believe that granting citizenship or lawful permanent residence status to those who entered our country illegally would only encourage others to break our laws in the future. For these reasons, I opposed amnesty provisions set forth in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. I voted against S. 2611 because I believe that any legislation addressing immigration must first address the safety and security needs of the United States. In a world where terrorists continue to seek to harm Americans, we must protect our citizens. We have every right to know who is in our country, who has crossed our borders, and the purpose and the length of the visit. We are negligent if we do not know these things.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 was passed by the Senate on May 25, 2006, by a 62 to 36 vote. Though S. 2611 passed the Senate, it was not considered by the House of Representatives prior to the adjournment of the 109th Congress. I will keep your views in mind as the Senate continues to consider this important issue in the 110th Congress.
I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Please do not reply to this message. If you have additional comments, send your remarks through Senator Hutchison’s website at http://hutchison.senate.gov/. Thank you.
RINO.
Thank you for contacting me regarding illegal immigration in the United States. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.
Congress substantially revised our nation’s immigration laws in 1996, including the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, expanding the Border Patrol, imposing significant penalties on immigrant smugglers, and establishing expedited deportation procedures. In the wake of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, we have been forced to reexamine our immigration laws and policies in order to eliminate vulnerabilities in our national security while continuing to meet the intent of the Constitution and the demands of international commerce.
Since 2001, Congress has addressed many immigration and border security concerns in the USA PATRIOT Act, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and the REAL ID Act of 2005. Key provisions have included a systematic plan to monitor the southern border with unmanned aerial vehicles, authorization for an increase in the number of personnel devoted to enforcing immigration laws, and requirements that all applicants for state-issued identification and drivers’ licenses prove their lawful presence in the United States.
In October 2005, I introduced S. 1823, the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Empowerment Act, which would grant state and local officials expanded authority to arrest, detain and prosecute illegal aliens. The legislation would have created a Volunteer Border Marshal Program. In addition, I met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to discuss broad immigration reform measures and the new provisions outlined in my bill. I also led Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) on a tour along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley to highlight the need for more agents, technology and funding to secure our borders. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have worked hard to secure more than $322 million in additional appropriations over the past year for border security, including funding for 1,500 new Border Patrol agents (bringing the total number to 14,819 Border Patrol agents), 50 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators, 168 detention officers, and almost 2,000 detention beds. To this date, we have ended catch and release and accelerated the deportation process. I strongly supported provisions for an additional $1.9 billion in immediate funding for border security to cover the first 1,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents who will be deployed to the border in the next two years. These funds, as provided in the Fiscal Year 2006 Emergency Supplemental appropriations bill, will assist with the temporary deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops aiding the Border Patrol with surveillance and logistics. Though S. 1823 was not considered by the full Senate prior to the adjournment of the 109th Congress, I understand that more needs to be done.
The United States has one of the most open immigration policies in the world, and I am aware of the important contributions our immigrants make to our nation. Temporary work visas play an important role in ensuring U.S. companies have the workers they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. However, U.S. immigration policy must ensure American workers have every opportunity to compete for available jobs. In the areas of our economy where voids of talent and skills exist, we need to invest the resources necessary to fill those gaps. For example, I believe we need to increase our country’s skills in the areas of math and science, and in 2006 I cosponsored an amendment to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 to assist in this effort by increasing our funding for Advanced Placement courses.
I support the development of a guest worker program that would allow foreign nationals to work in the United States in industries where labor is in critical demand. For this reason, I have been joined by Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) in proposing a new visa category. Our proposal would create the Secure Borders, Good Neighbors and Secure Authorized Foreign Employees (SAFE) Visa program. The program would grant visas to authorized nationals of NAFTA or CAFTA-DR countries who receive employment offers in job areas in the United States that have been certified by the Secretary of Labor as having a shortage of workers. The Good Neighbor SAFE Visa is a positive step in the right direction. This plan puts border security first and addresses those who knowingly hire illegal workers, but it also recognizes the need for a temporary worker program that operates without amnesty and harnesses the power of the private sector to avoid creating a huge new government bureaucracy.
I believe that granting citizenship or lawful permanent residence status to those who entered our country illegally would only encourage others to break our laws in the future. For these reasons, I opposed amnesty provisions set forth in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. I voted against S. 2611 because I believe that any legislation addressing immigration must first address the safety and security needs of the United States. In a world where terrorists continue to seek to harm Americans, we must protect our citizens. We have every right to know who is in our country, who has crossed our borders, and the purpose and the length of the visit. We are negligent if we do not know these things.
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 was passed by the Senate on May 25, 2006, by a 62 to 36 vote. Though S. 2611 passed the Senate, it was not considered by the House of Representatives prior to the adjournment of the 109th Congress. I will keep your views in mind as the Senate continues to consider this important issue in the 110th Congress.
I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.
Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
he is a democrat
Yours posted first. Oops!
Casey is the dim that defeated Santorum.
He’s the guy who beat Santorum.
At least you got a response. My senators’ staff wouldn’t even take my name when I called (’Rats - both of them). It was “sure whatever bye now”.
Havn’t you been listening to them? Damn! They are going to fix it all with new laws and they will enforce the NEW laws!!! Get with it! ;(
Here’s my response from my GA Senator Saxby Chambliss:
Thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts about immigration reform. I appreciate knowing your thoughts on this important and emotional issue.
Our current immigration system is broken and needs reform. Any reform Congress enacts must meet our national security needs and our economic interests; it must also manage the number of people we admit into the U.S. to ensure American workers and families are not negatively impacted by our immigration system.
The recently announced bipartisan agreement on immigration reform is a step in the right direction toward reaching a final and comprehensive immigration bill. This legislation is a significant improvement over last year’s bill, which I opposed, but this is not a perfect bill. For me to support any final bill, it must contain the following principles that are important to Georgians:
Strong border security before any new immigration programs go into effect in order to prevent future illegal immigration
An employer verification system that can provide employers certainty with respect to the status of potential employees
A meaningful temporary worker program that is truly temporary and does not provide a pathway to citizenship while allowing employers to fill jobs for which insufficient numbers of American can be found, such as agricultural jobs
No amnesty
Our nation’s immigration problem has been in the making for many years and there is no easy fix. I have chosen to be proactive and engaged during the negotiations because my involvement is the right thing for Georgia and the right thing for America ‘s future. As the debate progresses, I will continue the fight to ensure that our nation is secure and our economy continues to thrive.
If you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov . Please do not hesitate to be in touch if I may ever be of assistance to you.
He is not a RINO, he is a so called Conservative Demorat. He defeated Our Rick Santorum, running primarily on his father’s name. Alas, lets see what he does on this.
When I see that line, I am almost certain the rest of the response will be crap.
When politicians tell us how America is great because of immigration, they are equating the illegals, those that break our laws, do not assimilate, do not learn our language, have no respect for this country, no desire to stay, with true immigrants, those that follow the laws, that love this country, that learn English, that learn our history better then many of us, that truly wish to become Americans.
Equating these law breaking illegals with legal immigrants is a true slap in the face to all legal immigrants. I know, my Mom is one of them.
Something for everyone to keep in mind is to contact all the Presidential candidates. I had sent a letter to McCain and Giuliani regarding their stances on immigration. Just recently I sent a letter to Romney's office thanking him for his stance on illegal immigration.
I am amazed how the moveon.org and pro choice nitwits got behind Casey. His father suffered public humiliation before the world at the hands of the Democrats. How he can stand being a liberal Democrat is beyond me. Casey does not have a moral compass if he associates with the likes of progressive liberal Democrats.
This is where I stopped reading. Yaddayaddayadda...
Or both.
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