Posted on 03/10/2008 3:59:46 PM PDT by Delacon
WASHINGTON BUREAU
Saturday, March 08, 2008
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing bills that crack down on illegal immigration, keeping the issue alive in Congress during a volatile election year.
In the House, conservative Democrats are asking their party leaders to support an enforcement bill sponsored by freshman Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C.
The legislation, dubbed the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act, would increase the Border Patrol by 8,000 people; train more state and local police officers to enforce immigration law; and require that within four years, all businesses use a government program to verify the legal status of their employees.
The program, known as E-Verify, is currently voluntary. Businesses and civil rights groups have argued that the poor quality of some government databases poses a major problem for the program.
Shuler said his legislation is a bipartisan solution to the problem of illegal immigration that costs taxpayers millions of dollars in education, health care and incarceration costs.
The measure has 91 Republican co-sponsors, including some of the most vocal critics of illegal immigration. Forty-eight Democrats are also co-sponsoring the bill. Co-sponsors from Texas include GOP Reps. Michael McCaul of Austin and Lamar Smith of San Antonio.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that Democratic leaders are still in discussions about a possible immigration package and that Shuler's bill contains some of the principles they support.
She said Democrats are looking for a balanced measure that also deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
Democratic leaders face a difficult decision. A strong vote on border security could help some freshman Democrats keep their seats and therefore help Democrats retain control of the House. But an enforcement-only bill could anger liberal Democrats and Hispanics.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has been working on a separate measure that could provide a legalization process for illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Republicans introduced 15 immigration enforcement bills this week.
They include measures to make English the nation's official language, to prevent illegal immigrants from getting driver's licenses, to deport immigrants convicted of drunken driving offenses and to withhold federal money for cities that have policies directing police and local officials not to check the immigration status of residents using city services.
The caption says "legalization" but I can't find anything in the article that covers that. Does the SAVE Act have something in it that I am missing? I know that NumbersUSA endorsed this bill. Other than that concern, I think this all is good news.
Ping
What we REALLY need is a bill like in Arizona - TOUGH CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT EMPLOYERS.
That bill is now causing reverse immigration.
McCain needs to propose a variant of that Bill for his campaign.
The last "compromise" which congress tried to shove on us begin with the assumption that every illegal had a right to stay indefinitely and we had invite more from that base.
Here are the Senators who voted against the Cornyn amendment , which would have established a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals looking to snag a shamnesty visa. Republicans underlined:
Notice every presidential finalist is on the list.
“The caption says “legalization” but I can’t find anything in the article that covers that.”
Never mind. I forgot we are dealing with Pelosi here. The article says Pelosi said “Democrats are looking for a balanced measure that also deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.” Legalization is exactly what she is talking about. She just wont come out and say it.
bump & a ping
“Compromise could begin with giving a guest worker visa to every avocodo picker and hotel maid for every welfare cheat, gang banger and reconquistadora confirmed deported.”
Not a bad idea. There is a lot of pressure to raise the caps on H2A visas. Tie raising the cap to state and cities capture of illegal aliens caught breaking the law(I mean in addition to them being here). Catch a 1000 criminals, get 1000 H2A visas. Hotels, growers and such will all the sudden become VERY pro enforcement.
They did it in Arizona and I believe Oklahoma. Its kind of harmless as it involves no real action against the illegals, so its hard to make up lies and portray them as direct victims of some cruelty.
You can even go ahead and call these employers ‘Sweat Shop Owners’ and call the bill ‘Closing all Sweat Shops’.
I mean there is PLENTY OF WIGGLE ROOM HERE POLITICALLY.
Just need some effing leader with balls.
In two days we lost 5 children in Michigan and Minnesosta to illegal aliens working in our states. The floodgates should be flung wide open to sue the companies that hired those illegals.
YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS
No AMNESTY
All ADIOS
And dont let our new fence hit you in the butt
LOL
“She(Pelosi) said Democrats are looking for a balanced measure that also deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.”
The SAVE Act does exactly that. It “deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S” by getting them to want to leave. No jobs, no stay. Pelosi, the bill dont need no stinking balancing.
But they will first have to grow the spine necessary to confront racist groups like La Raze who played a major role in writing the last bill.
Like they did with the border fence in October 2006?
Big deal.
I’m looking for news stories on S. 2717 (Chambliss), which includes 2 years in prison for the 2nd time an illegal is caught (”Zero tolerance policy”). It passed 63 to forty-something, with Hillary and Obama voting against. McCain left town and didn’t vote. I was hoping he would vote FOR it to show a little good faith in his promise to “secure the border first,” but he went to a fund raiser. Very strange, since some of the most loyal Republican contributors are withholding money because they do not trust McCain on immigration. Perhaps he was afraid he would lose the La Raza vote if he looked like he might be serious about the border?
I googled, but the only hit I got was some lefty web site that blamed McCain for not voting against.
A bill (S . 2717 ) to provide for enhanced Federal enforcement of, and State and local assistance in the enforcement of, the immigration laws of the United States, and for other purposes,
March 6, 2008, Second reading, placed on calendar...
March 12, 2008, ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS
S . 2717
At the request of Mr. CHAMBLISS, the names of the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. COBURN), the Senator from Texas (Mr. CORNYN), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. DEMINT), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. DOMENICI), the Senator from North Carolina (Mrs. DOLE), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. VITTER), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. INHOFE) and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. SESSIONS) were added as cosponsors of S . 2717 , a bill to provide for enhanced Federal enforcement of, and State and local assistance in the enforcement of, the immigration laws of the United States, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________
That’s from Thomas through to Wednesday...
Yes, that’s the amendment, but I can’t find news stories about it, except a barf article from a lefty site.
It was an Amendment that was voted on on Friday...
from Saxby’s website...
Chambliss, Isakson Vote to Expand Immigration Enforcement
March 13, 2008
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today voted in favor of an amendment they co-sponsored to the Fiscal Year 2009 Senate Budget Resolution that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for border security, immigration enforcement and criminal alien removal programs.
“Taking immediate action towards securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration is the best way to restore credibility with the American people,” said Chambliss. “We said last year that we are going to keep pounding this issue and this amendment will set aside room in the budget to fully fund existing border security and immigration enforcement programs. It is an opportunity for the Senate to show we are prepared to move forward and do what is necessary to follow through on our promise of securing our borders first.”
“There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than the problems on our southern border with Mexico, and it is time that Congress makes a commitment to make border security a reality,” Isakson said. “The Senate’s passage of this critical amendment is a step in the right direction. Border security must be a priority in the Congressional budget. America is too important, and this issue is too critical to the American people.”
The amendment would cover all border security, immigration enforcement, and criminal alien removal programs, but specifically highlights six programs that will need attention in this year’s budget cycle. Those programs include:
(1) expanding the zero tolerance prosecution policy for illegal entry (”Operation Streamline”) to all 20 border sectors;
(2) completing the 700 miles of pedestrian fencing required by the Secure Fence Act of 2006;
(3) deploying up to 6,000 National Guard members to the southern border; or
(4) evaluating the 27% of the federal, state, and local prison populations that are non-citizens in order to identify removable criminal aliens;
(5) training and reimbursing state and local law enforcement officers under Memorandums of Understanding entered into under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
(6) implementing the exit data portion of the U.S. VISIT entry and exit data system at airports, seaports, and land ports of entry (the exit portion of U.S. VISIT is already past the December 31, 2003, deadline for airports and seaports, the December 31, 2004, deadline for 50 high-traffic land border ports of entry, and the December 31, 2005, deadline for full implementation at all ports of entry, required under 8 U.S.C.A. §1365a).
The amendment passed by a vote of 61 to 37
http://chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm
Right now I cant
However in the Chattanooga Times Free Press for March 6, 2008
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has favored a less aggressive approach and eagerly is courting Hispanic voters.
Sen. McCain came under conservative fire in 2007 for his support of a White House-backed comprehensive immigration reform package that would have granted citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants already here, a move dubbed “amnesty” by many Republicans.
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/mar/06/southern-gop-senators-take-risk-push-border-contro/
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/shared/news/immigration/IMMIG_ENFORCE07_COX.html
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/shared/news/IMMIG_ENFORCE07_AUS.html
Sorry i meant to write i cant find who voted for what just yet...
Thanks. I noted that McCain was not present for the Chambliss amendment. My opinion is that he lost a great opportunity to show good faith WRT border security, because he did not vote for the amendment.
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