Radio Address by the President to the Nation, 05-12-07

WhiteHouse.gov ^ | 05-12-07 | George W. Bush

[Salvation]

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2007

President's Radio Address

  President's Radio Address
  Audio
  En Español

      In Focus: Immigration

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week, the Senate will take up an important priority for our Nation: comprehensive immigration reform.

Over the past few weeks, leaders from both parties have met at the White House and on Capitol Hill to find areas of agreement and iron out our differences. These meetings have been productive. We've been addressing our differences in good faith, and we're building consensus. Both Republicans and Democrats understand that successful immigration reform must be bipartisan.

Democrats and Republicans agree that our current immigration system is in need of reform. We agree that we need a system where our laws are respected. We agree that we need a system that meets the legitimate needs of workers and employers. And we agree that we need a system that treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate into our society.

 We must address all elements of this problem together, or none of them will be solved at all. We must not repeat the mistakes that caused previous efforts at immigration reform to fail. So I support a comprehensive immigration reform bill that accomplishes five clear objectives:

First, America must continue our efforts to improve security at our borders.

Second, we must hold employers to account for the workers they hire, by providing better tools for them to verify documents and work eligibility.

Third, we must create a temporary worker program that takes pressure off the border by providing foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter our country to fill jobs that Americans are not doing.

Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants who are here already, without amnesty and without animosity.

Finally, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, and an ability to speak and write the English language. And the success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society and embrace our common identity as Americans.

Coming together on a good bill that includes all five elements, we will make America more secure. We will make our economy more competitive. And we will show the world that America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time.

Reforming our immigration system is an important opportunity to show that elected officials in Washington can work together to find practical solutions to the problems that matter most. I thank the Senators who have been working hard on this issue. I am optimistic we can pass a comprehensive immigration bill and get this problem solved for the American people this year.

Thank you for listening.

 

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[Salvation]

We must address all elements of this problem together

First, America must continue our efforts to improve security at our borders.

Second, we must hold employers to account for the workers they hire,

Third, we must create a temporary worker program that takes pressure off the border by providing foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter our country to fill jobs that Americans are not doing.

Finally, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot.

[Salvation]

OK, everyone, what do you think of those four points?

Will any part of it get passed?

[Salvation]

Take action and contact your Senator with your opinions.

U. S. Senate

[Man50D]

The President’s radio address in Spanish? Which country was he addressing?

[Ranger Drew]

We must address all elements of this problem together

TRANSLATION: I want congress to hurry up and get on the globalist bandwagon as soon as possible!

First, America must continue our efforts to improve security at our borders.

TRANSLATION: I intend to continue looking the other way, while paying lip service to the American People.

Second, we must hold employers to account for the workers they hire,

TRANSLATION: But only those employers who are not big political contributors.

Third, we must create a temporary worker program that takes pressure off the border by providing foreign workers a legal and orderly way to enter our country to fill jobs that Americans are not doing.

TRANSLATION: Let's do our best not to call this amnesty and amnesty, okay?

Finally, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot.

TRANSLATION: Let's do our best to keep up the Balkanization of America.

[Man50D]

What about all the foreigners who have been waiting years to enter this country legally? We have a legal system to handle immigration Mr. President. You have failed to enforce it and now you want to use that as an excuse to ignore those laws.

[FredHunter08]

“The President’s radio address in Spanish? Which country was he addressing?”

This one:

“The United States respects rule of law. But in the debate on migration, I remind my fellow citizens that family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River, that there are decent, hardworking honorable citizens of Mexico who want to make a living for their families. And so, Mr. President, my pledge to you and your government — but, more importantly, the people of Mexico — is I will work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070313-1.html

He “reminds” us. I am so utterly disgusted as to what has become of the Grand Old Party. A Republican President making promises to the citizens of a foreign land that he’ll change our laws against the will of his own citizens for the betterment of foreign nationals.

Just who does this guy think he is?

[FredHunter08]

“You have failed to enforce it and now you want to use that as an excuse to ignore those laws.”

To have “failed to enforce” requires that he ever intended to try. Considering the massive drop in work-site enforcement in 2000, he didn’t. The publicized raids this past year were political theater. Nothing more.

[Salvation]

**What about all the foreigners who have been waiting years to enter this country legally?**

This has always been one of my main questions. Why doesn’t everyone just sign up and wait their turn.

(I have to in the grocery line. Wonder how many times I am behind an illegal immigrant????)

[ChessExpert]

Did you miss:

“Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants who are here already, without amnesty and without animosity.”

I’m glad he said “without amnesty.” I think the address was very good. I would have preferred it, if objective 4 had a higher priority and was objective 2. Objective 4 is good as stated. But sometimes “the devil is in the details.” We we will have to see how objective 4 is addressed. As I see it, the “how” of objective 4 is part of the “comprehensive” of immigration reform.

[ichabod1]

MExico has two presidents. The President of Mexico...

and Mexico’s President.

[ichabod1]

“I would just remind mah fellow republicans that you CAN’T enforce the border (completely.)”

[Salvation]

I guess I did, Thanks for bringing it to the board.

**“Fourth, we must resolve the status of millions of illegal immigrants who are here already, without amnesty and without animosity.”**

Hmmm. Like you said, glad the without amnesty is there, but I wonder about the without animosity. (It’s bound to happen.) In fact, I think there is already a great deal of it around. Just go to any city council, school board, hospital foundation, chamber of commerce meeting and find out what they are really talking about. It’s there, although, sometimes masked in nicities.

[FredHunter08]

“Hmmm. Like you said, glad the without amnesty is there”

Don’t worry, the amnesty is still there. Kind of like the definition of “is”.

We only THOUGHT we’d gotten rid of Clintonian politics.