Posted on 06/20/2007 3:48:25 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration came out strongly against a bipartisan effort by Sens. Charles Grassley and Barack Obama to make the immigration bill easier on employers.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told senators in a letter late Tuesday that the amendment, which makes a new program to stop businesses from hiring illegal workers less burdensome, ``would be a serious step backwards in our enforcement effort.''
The amendment sponsored by Grassley, R-Iowa, Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Obama, D-Ill. ``eliminates needed tools and allows unscrupulous businesses to continue to freely hire illegal workers,'' Chertoff wrote in matching letters to Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., two architects of the bill.
In an angrily worded reply to Chertoff on Wednesday, the unlikely allies sponsoring the amendment dismissed his criticism as ``erroneous and misleading,'' and defended their proposal as one that would improve a deeply flawed system.
Their amendment is one of a limited list of two dozen the Senate would consider adding to the immigration measure under a plan to revive the stalled bill before the July 4 recess.
Consumed with a debate on energy policy, t workers. But the design, implementation, and oversight of the system as proposed in the pending immigration bill are flawed in several respects.''
Meanwhile, a paper released Wednesday by the White House's Council of Economic Advisers made the case that immigration has had mostly a positive economic impact on the United States.
For the most part, immigrant workers find employment that tends to complement not replace the jobs held by workers born in the United States, the paper says. On average, native-born U.S. workers' wages have been boosted as immigrant workers have helped to expand the nation's overall economic pie and thus its wealth by billions of dollars a year, the paper says.
The paper acknowledges the challenges of U.S.-born workers with little education, but adds that ``it is safe to conclude that immigration is not a central cause of those difficulties, nor is reducing immigration a well-targeted way to help these low-wage natives.''
The report came as a coalition of labor groups announced their vehement opposition to the immigration bill, denouncing it as ``anti-worker.'' Those unions argue that the temporary worker program will create an underclass of guest laborers who could be abused by the employers and denied a fair chance at becoming citizens.
``It creates a situation ripe for exploitation,'' said Richard L. Trumka, the AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer.
Immigrant-heavy service unions, on the other hand, are supporting the bill, which would swell their ranks.
Associated Press Writer Jeannine Aversa contributed to this report.
ping
Meanwhile, MSM continues to provide content-free entertainment in the form of ‘news.’
“For the most part, immigrant workers find employment that tends to complement not replace the jobs held by workers born in the United States, the paper says. On average, native-born U.S. workers’ wages have been boosted as immigrant workers have helped to expand the nation’s overall economic pie and thus its wealth by billions of dollars a year, the paper says.”
BS!
Any benefit has gone to the elites.
Blah, blah, blah. All about Chertoff’s fantasy the bill protects America, and he had to make his deal with the devil.
1. The law is not going to be enforced,
because, a. Bush is not going to enforce and restrictions in any way,
and
b. 20 Million people who say they were here On January 1, 2007, plus millions more who will flood in later as post-date their illegal entry, will be instantly legalized under renewable for life Z Visas. The checking system is essentially useless, as is most any enforcement. Chertoff knows in his heart the enforcement provisions are fig leafs of Bush’s “comprehensive” logic.
As for the Senators, they are just bidding for bigger bribes.
“The report came as a coalition of labor groups announced their vehement opposition to the immigration bill, denouncing it as ``anti-worker.’’ Those unions argue that the temporary worker program will create an underclass of guest laborers who could be abused by the employers and denied a fair chance at becoming citizens.
``It creates a situation ripe for exploitation,’’ said Richard L. Trumka, the AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer.
Immigrant-heavy service unions, on the other hand, are supporting the bill, which would swell their ranks.”
Union bashers, here, are constantly complaining that organized labor supports the immigration bill. This writer knows the true score on that.
If government would just put up a fence and keep illegals out to begin with, then we could remove (or lessen) the excuse for more government intrusion. There’s enough regulation. How long before we have to get a tattoo on our forehead or something to mark us a citizens?
These are some of the most dangerous men in America. They need to be stopped before they completely destroy America.
That being said, I'm sorry but I don't believe Bush. He's putting on a show to try to pacify us so we'll quit putting the heat on our Senators. I would say what I'd like to do to all of those traitors, but I'm not supposed to say those kind of things, so you'll just have to guess what I'd like to do to them. LOL!
I don't know how this amendment is worded but I don't trust anything with Grassley's name on it when immigration is concerned. Obama certainly hasn't been on the right side of this either.
Is one of those the No F'ing Amnesty Amendment?
For the most part, immigrant workers find employment that tends to complement not replace the jobs held by workers born in the United States, the paper says. On average, native-born U.S. workers’ wages have been boosted as immigrant workers have helped to expand the nation’s overall economic pie and thus its wealth by billions of dollars a year, the paper says.”
Gosh, I was looking at that stuff from pro-Democrat sites and wondered where that came from...The White House! Rove is a genius!
Of course you will never see such studies from the Big Business lobbies such as this because its oligarch members would complain, “Huh? I thought we were doing this to supress wage costs?”
The “bigger pie” may be right...but the increases go to the oligarchs, not 99% of the people.
“”Immigrant-heavy service unions, on the other hand, are supporting the bill, which would swell their ranks.””
LOL. It will destroy those unions with a flood of newly legalized labor.
I’m already on record as supporting the President on his immigration reform efforts. I may not agree with him entirely on his preferred legislation, but I’d rather have his immigration reform than the one the Democrats are planning to put in place if they win both Congress and the White House.
Plus, the current state of affairs is worse than most people think. Enforcing the current laws is impossible without a huge increase in Federal police powers, and there are just too many people and organizations out there that will interfere with rigid enforcement of the current laws. The atmosphere in our country would start to feel oppressive and the government would cave under popular sentiment to end such enforcement. Reform is the only politically viable option available to us, after which enforcement of a comprehensive and less convoluted immigration policy should be easier and more likely to succeed.
However, immigration reform without a secure border is going to fail regardless. First secure the border, then reform immigration. I do so wish Bush would recognize this fact. If he visibly secured the border, there’d be a lot less opposition to his reform policies. Perception is everything in American politics, and although I believe we’ve succeeded in apprehending terrorists who try to cross illegally into our country, the rest of the illegals are still trickling in in droves, and that needs to be stopped as well.
“”However, immigration reform without a secure border is going to fail regardless. First secure the border, then reform immigration. I do so wish Bush would recognize this fact.””
He does.
That’s we his National Chamber of Commerce lawyers invented the “triggers” tricks.
Or I shouldn’t say “invented.” For the most part the “triggers” are the same as the “triggers” in the 1986 bill.
A Democratic President could never get away with this. Also, it is hard to imagine what the Democrats could do “worse.” Lower instant lifetime work permit/Z Visa fees from $250 per year to $100?
I am one who largely agrees with you about the need for immigration reform, however, Bush bought non-enforcement when he said that we needed guest workers to do "jobs Americans won't do". Another big stumbling block for any immigration legislation Bush endorses is that Chertoff has been making statements that are easily interpreted as, we will only do enforcement if we get amnesty.
Bush also lost a lot of good will in the debates about immigration reform last year when he seemed to consistently come out in support of the bill with the weakest enforcement provisions and the widest amnesty.
The ALF-CIO in opposition to the guest worker program will not allow the dems to keep the GOP onboard...or conversely, many of the dems if the guest worker provision is kept.
If we truly needed illegal-alien labor, then illegals would be making as much money, even more, than what is being paid to US workers.
Since illegals are paid less, then it is obvious that illegal alien hiring is not based on lack of workers, but, an anti-market approach to artificially lower wages.
This is no pro-union or socialist argument. It is basic economics. Demand for labor = higher pay.
Just like the law of supply and demand. Low supply + large demand = higher cost of goods
It should not be difficult for employers to verify whether someone is legal or not.
This is why I refer to illegal-alien amnesty as “Business Socialism”
The problem with this is that once there is amnesty, there won't be need for enforcement because there won't be anything to enforce.
More boob bait!
My wife just dug out my fishing waders for me to put on.
This Shamnesty sewer bill is getting so deep that regular boots are no longer adequate to stand in the political fecal matter.
Hard to understand how 110 million so called educated voters could elect so many fools to represent them in Washington D.C.
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