"VOTE RINO!
We'll put a sugar coating on the 'rat cyanide pill!"
Posted on 06/15/2007 5:24:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
On today's CQ Radio show, I interviewed Senator John Ensign, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and asked him about the immigration bill. Ensign -- who voted twice against cloture on June 7th to kill the bill -- said that he believes a comprehensive approach is necessary to solve the problem. He also emphasized that America has to do something about the status quo, because it is simply so bad that we should not tolerate it any further.
However, he disputed the notion that an agreement has been reached to resurrect the bill. Ensign said that rumors of agreements keep swirling on Capitol Hill, but that the terms change every time they get close to a deal. He also pledged to torpedo any bill that did not have actual funds for border security and that allowed illegal aliens to receive Social Security benefits that they fraudulently acquired.
I'll have a transcript up of the relevant portions soon. Keep checking back, and be sure to download the show for your own perusal.
UPDATE: Here's the transcript for the relevant portion, which comes at 39 minutes into the show:
(Excerpt) Read more at captainsquartersblog.com ...
Good post...very good post.
This gives me a little comfort and hope, but then again...I just can’t trust that some sneaky plot is in the works. Not saying I don’t trust Ensign or a very few others.
Those sound too much like pro-amnesty talking points for my liking.
Oh they are trying...see post and link above....
CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL! AND KEEP CALLING TILL THE LINES FRY!
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti illegal immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them. This is a bipartisan issue not a Conservative or Liberal issue BUT AN AMERICAN issue.
e-mail from NumbersUSA
Your phoning, faxing and visiting made a real difference today ... Flippin’ Fifteen softening
DEAR FRIENDS,
What an incredible job tens of thousands of you did today!
Thanks.
The feedback we are getting from you about your phone calls and the intelligence your NumbersUSA Capitol Hill Team is picking up suggests that Senate Republican Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) is not nearly as solid in passing the Bush/Kennedy amnesty tonight as he was last night.
A couple of the Republicans who we thought were likely YES votes on amnesty are telling constituents they are definite NO votes.
And we’re starting to see signs that a couple of last week’s Democratic YES votes are turning to NO.
Sen. Lott and Pres. Bush still have plenty of undecided Republicans who were NO last week from which to persuade to vote YES next week. But we do have a real chance to win this if the voters in each of these states keep up the pressure.
Later this weekend, I will give you a much more detailed look at which Senators are in which list. We have so much more work to do.
But I wanted you to enter the weekend feeling good about our slightly improved prospects and the fact that jointly you have had such an effect today and this last month.
The one way that I hope you will stay on the job this weekend is if you have any chance at all of being in a meeting or other public event where you would have a chance to ask or shout a question or make a statement to one of your Senators who might vote YES on the amnesty. I cannot tell you how influential that would be.
And please, please let us know if you are planning any kind of “visitation” to one of the local Senate offices next week so we can promote the visit to others in your area.
The following are the Senators whom we are feeling quite good about. You should find ways to thank them for being so sensitive to the needs of your state’s workers and communities and urge them to just fight harder to stop S. 1348.
(* in front of Senators up for re-election in 2008.)
The KILL BILL Caucus
DEMOCRATS (8)
* Baucus (MT)
Byrd (WV)
Dorgan (ND)
* Landrieu (LA)
McCaskill (MO)
Tester (MT)
* Pryor (AR)
* Rockefeller (WV)
REPUBLICANS (19)
* Alexander (TN)
* Allard (CO)
Bond (MO)
Bunning (KY)
Coburn (OK)
Corker (TN)
* Cornyn (TX)
Crapo (ID)
DeMint (SC)
* Dole (NC)
* Enzi (WY)
Grassley (IA)
* Inhofe (OK)
* Roberts (KS)
* Sessions (AL)
Shelby (AL)
* Smith, G. (OR)
Thune (SD)
Vitter (LA)
A special hero’s garland should drape four Senators who have been absolutely courageous leaders in battling the power of the White House and of the Democratic Party Leadership — and taking incredible abuse from most of the elite national news media.
THE HEROIC LEADERS
Sessions (R-Ala.)
Dorgan (D-N.D.)
DeMint (R-S.C.)
Vitter (R-La.)
If all 98 Senators vote, we will need 39 NO votes on cloture to kill this bill.
Congratulations to all of you in the states of these 27 Senators. But we have to get 12 more for sure. Right now, I see 13 others who look like really good possibilities if their constituents can just give them the right message in sufficient quantity. And there are another half-dozen or so who are not out of the question.
Best information conforms what Ensign said here: rumors of resurrection of this bill are premature. Secondly, it will have more trouble in the House than in the Senate.
Yes, I know. None of this is good news until this bill is really dead, and the on-lookers have awarded the blogosphere both ears and the tail.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article, "Bar Fight in the Blue Ridge: The Battle for NC 11"
“a comprehensive approach is necessary to solve the problem”
Why?
Thanks for the comments....
Don't these fools understand that the immigration bill under consideration in the Senate, will be the status quo times 10? Or are they lying?
Either should disqualify them from holding elected office!
Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Exactly, same old “happy talk” status quo, nothing wrong with it if these people would enforce the laws on the books now... that is all that is wrong with the status quo..
If it keeps falling apart it’s because they are frightened of the hundrerds of millions of United State citizens riding their butts on this farce. keep it up.
Where are these poor, underpaid illegal’s going to get $5,000 apiece. What is the impact on our property taxes, state and local taxes which will have to be increased to deal with the increased populations due to the ‘extended’ families they will be bringing in? What impact will they have on our overcrowded prisons and jails...6-7% of any population ends up in prison or jail. What is the impact on our already overburdened charity hospitals? We will need new schools to teach their kids, and more teachers, more cops, more prison guards........ NO one has said a word about these things
If this passes we will ALL be paying higher property, state and local taxes because of the impact of the illegals 'extended' families that will soon be pouring into our country. I think we also need to pressure our local leaders on ths issue.
Where are these poor, underpaid illegal’s going to get $5,000 apiece. What is the impact on our property taxes, state and local taxes which will have to be increased to deal with the increased populations due to the ‘extended’ families they will be bringing in? What impact will they have on our overcrowded prisons and jails...6-7% of any population ends up in prison or jail. What is the impact on our already overburdened charity hospitals? We will need new schools to teach their kids, and more teachers, more cops, more prison guards........ NO one has said a word about these thingsIf this passes we will ALL be paying higher property, state and local taxes because of the impact of the illegals 'extended' families that will soon be pouring into our country. I think we also need to pressure our local leaders on ths issue.
Where are these poor, underpaid illegal’s going to get $5,000 apiece. What is the impact on our property taxes, state and local taxes which will have to be increased to deal with the increased populations due to the ‘extended’ families they will be bringing in? What impact will they have on our overcrowded prisons and jails...6-7% of any population ends up in prison or jail. What is the impact on our already overburdened charity hospitals? We will need new schools to teach their kids, and more teachers, more cops, more prison guards........ NO one has said a word about these things
Washington D.C. Office
Phone: (202) 224-6244 Fax: (202) 228-2193 TDD: (202) 224-7638
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 Phone: (702) 388-6605 Fax: (702) 388-6501 Nevada Toll Free: (877) 894-7711
Reno Nevada 89501 Phone: (775) 686-5770 Fax: (775) 686-5729
Carson City Office Phone: (775) 885-9111 Fax: (775) 883-5590
20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration Bill
Loophole 1 – Legal Status Before Enforcement:
Amnesty benefits do not wait for the “enforcement trigger.” After filing an application and waiting 24 hours, illegal aliens will receive full “probationary benefits,” complete with the ability to legally live and work in the U.S., travel outside of the U.S. and return, and their own social security card. Astonishingly, if the trigger is never met and amnesty applications are therefore never “approved,” the probationary benefits granted to the illegal alien population never expire, and the new social security cards issued to the illegal alien population are not revoked. [See pp. 1, 290-291, & 315].
Loophole 2 – U.S. VISIT Exit Not In Trigger:
The “enforcement trigger,” required to be met before the new temporary worker program begins, does not require that the exit portion of U.S. VISIT system – the biometric border check-in/check-out system first required by Congress in 1996 that is already well past its already postponed 2005 implementation due date – to be in place before new worker or amnesty programs begin. Without the U.S. VISIT exit portion, the U.S. has no method to ensure that workers (or their visiting families) do not overstay their visas. Our current illegal population contains 4 to 5.5 million visa overstays, therefore, we know that the U.S. VISIT exit component is key to a successful new temporary worker program. [See pp. 1-2].
Loophole 3 – Trigger Requires No More Agents, Beds, or Fencing Than Current Law:
The “enforcement trigger” does not require the Department of Homeland Security to have detention space sufficient to end “catch and release” at the border and in the interior. Even after the adoption of amendment 1172, the trigger merely requires the addition of 4,000 detention beds, bringing DHS to a 31,500 bed capacity. This is far short of the 43,000 beds required under current law to be in place by the end of 2007, or the additional 20,000 beds required later in the bill. Additionally, the bill establishes a “catch, pay, and release” program. This policy will benefit illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico that are caught at the border, then can post a $5,000 bond, be released and never show up for deportation hearings. Annual failure to appear rates for 2005 and 2006, caused in part by lack of detention space, doubled the 2004 rate (106,000 – 110,000 compared with 54,000). Claims that the bill “expands fencing” are inaccurate. The bill only requires 370 miles of fencing to be completed, while current law already mandates that more than 700 miles be constructed [See pp. 1-2, & 10-11, and EOIR’s FY2006 Statistical Yearbook, p. H2, and The Secure Fence Act of 2004].
Loophole 4 — Three Additional Years Worth of Illegal Aliens Granted Status, Treated Preferentially To Legal Filers:
Aliens who broke into the country illegally a mere 5 months ago, are treated better than foreign nationals who legally applied to come to the U.S. more than two years ago. Aliens who can prove they were illegally in the U.S. on January 1, 2007, are immediately eligible to apply from inside the U.S. for amnesty benefits, while foreign nationals that filed applications to come to the U.S. after May 1, 2005 must start the application process over again from their home countries. Last year’s bill required illegal aliens to have been here before January 7, 2004 to qualify for permanent legal status. [See pp. 263, 282, & 306].
Loophole 5 – Completion of Background Checks Not Required For Probationary Legal Status:
Legal status must be granted to illegal aliens 24 hours after they file an application, even if the aliens have not yet “passed all appropriate background checks.” (Last year’s bill gave DHS 90 days to check an alien’s background before any status was granted). No legal status should be given to any illegal alien until all appropriate background checks are complete. [See pp. 290].
Loophole 6 – Some Child Molesters Are Still Eligible:
Some aggravated felons – those who have sexually abused a minor – are eligible for amnesty. A child molester who committed the crime before the bill is enacted is not barred from getting amnesty if their conviction document omitted the age of the victim. The bill corrects this loophole for future child molesters, but does not close the loophole for current or past convictions. [See p. 47: 30-33, & p. 48: 1-2]
Loophole 7 – Terrorism Connections Allowed, Good Moral Character Not Required:
Illegal aliens with terrorism connections are not barred from getting amnesty. An illegal alien seeking most immigration benefits must show “good moral character.” Last year’s bill specifically barred aliens with terrorism connections from having “good moral character” and being eligible for amnesty. This year’s bill does neither. Additionally, bill drafters ignored the Administration’s request that changes be made to the asylum, cancellation of removal, and withholding of removal statutes in order to prevent aliens with terrorist connections from receiving relief. [Compare §204 in S. 2611 from the 109th Congress with missing §204 on p. 48 of S.A. 1150, & see missing subsection (5) on p. 287 of S.A. 1150].
Loophole 8 – Gang Members Are Eligible:
Instead of ensuring that members of violent gangs such as MS 13 are deported after coming out of the shadows to apply for amnesty, the bill will allow violent gang members to get amnesty as long as they “renounce” their gang membership on their application. [See p. 289: 34-36].
Loophole 9 – Absconders Are Eligible:
Aliens who have already had their day in court – those subject to final orders of removal, voluntary departure orders, or reinstatement of their final orders of removal – are eligible for amnesty under the bill. The same is true for aliens who have made a false claim to citizenship or engaged in document fraud. More than 636,000 alien fugitives could be covered by this loophole. [See p. 285:19-22 which waives the following inadmissibility grounds: failure to attend a removal proceeding; final orders of removal for alien smuggling; aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violations or deportation orders; and aliens previously removed. This appears to conflict with language on p. 283:40-41. When a direct conflict appears in a statute, the statue is interpreted by the courts to the benefit of the alien.].
Loophole 10 – Learning English Not Required For A Decade:
Illegal aliens are not required to demonstrate any proficiency in English for more than a decade after they are granted amnesty. Learning English is not required for an illegal alien to receive probationary benefits, the first 4-year Z visa, or the second 4-year Z visa. The first Z visa renewal (the second 4-year Z visa) requires only that the alien demonstrate an “attempt” to learn English by being “on a waiting list for English classes.” Passing a basic English test is required only for a second Z visa renewal (the third 4-year Z visa), and even then the alien only has to pass the test “prior to the expiration of the second extension of Z status” (12 years down the road). [See pp. 295-296].
Loophole 11 – Earned Income Tax Credit Will Cost Taxpayers Billions In Just 10 Years:
Current illegal aliens and new guest workers will be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit designed to encourage American citizens and legal permanent residents to work. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this loophole will cost the U.S. taxpayer up to $20 billion dollars in just the first 10 years after the bill’s enactment. To be consistent with the intent of the 1996 welfare reforms – which limited new immigrants from receiving public benefits until they had been legal permanent residents for five years – the bill should withhold EITC eligibility from amnestied aliens until they become legal permanent residents. Closing this loophole will save the taxpayers billions of dollars. [See p. 293 after S.A. 1190 was adopted, p. 307, p. 315, §606. All that is required for EITC eligibility is a social security number and resident alien status. Nothing in the bill’s tax provisions limit EITC eligibility. The issuance of social security numbers to aliens as soon as they apply for amnesty will ensure they are able to qualify for the EITC.]
Loophole 12 – Affidavits From Friends Accepted As Evidence:
Records from day-labor centers, labor unions, and “sworn declarations” from any non-relative (acquaintances, friends, coworkers, etc) are to be accepted as evidence that the illegal alien has satisfied the bill’s amnesty requirements. This low burden of proof will invite fraud and more illegal immigration – even aliens who are not yet in the U.S. will likely meet this burden of proof. DHS will not have the resources to examine whether the claims contained in the “sworn declarations” of the alien’s friends (that the alien was here prior to January 1, 2007 and is currently employed) are actually valid. [See p. 293: 13-16].
Loophole 13 – Taxpayer Funded Legal Counsel and Arbitration:
Free legal counsel and the fees and expenses of arbitrators will be provided to aliens that have been working illegally in agriculture. The U.S. taxpayer will fund the attorneys that help these individuals fill out their amnesty applications. Additionally, if these individuals have a dispute with their employer over whether they were fired for “just cause,” DHS will “pay the fee and expenses of the arbitrator.” [See p. 339:37-41, & p. 332: 37-38.]
Loophole 14 – In-State Tuition and Student Loans:
In-state tuition and other higher education benefits, such as Stafford Loans, will be made available to current illegal aliens that are granted initial “probationary” status, even if the same in-state tuition rates are not offered to all U.S. citizens. This would normally violate current law (8 U.S.C. §1623) which mandates that educational institutions give citizens the same postsecondary education benefits they offer to illegal aliens. [See p. 321: 8-31].
Loophole 15 – Inadequacy of the Merit System:
The “merit system,” designed to shift the U.S. green card distribution system to attract higher skilled workers that benefit the national interest, is only a shell of what it should have been. Though the merit system begins immediately, it will not increase the percentage of high skilled immigrants coming to the United States until 2016, 8 years after enactment. Of the 247,000 green cards dedicated to the merit based system each year for the first 5 years, 100,000 green cards will be reserved for low-skilled guest workers (10,000) and for clearing the current employment based green card backlog (90,000). From 2013 to 2015, the number of merit based green cards drops to 140,000, and of that number, 100,000 green cards are still reserved each year for low-skilled guest workers (10,000) and for clearing the current employment based green card backlog (90,000). Even after 2015, when the merit system really begins (in 2016) by having 380,000 green cards annually, 10,00 green cards will be reserved specifically for low skilled workers, and points will be given for many characteristics that are not considered “high-skilled.” For example, 16 points will be given for aliens in “high demand occupations” which includes janitors, maids, food preparation workers, and groundskeepers. [See p.260: 25 – p. 261: 20, p. 262, & The Department of Labor’s list of “occupations with the largest job growth” available at www.bls.gov/emp/emptab3.htm].
Loophole 16 – Visas For Individuals That Plan To Overstay:
The new “parent” visa contained in the bill which allows parents of citizens, and the spouses and children of new temporary workers, to visit a worker in the United States is not only a misnomer, but also an invitation for high rates of visa overstays. This new visa specifically allows the spouse and children of new temporary workers who intend to abandon their residence in a foreign country, to qualify to come to the U.S. to “visit.” The visa requires only a $1,000 bond, which will be forfeited when, not if, family members of new temporary workers decide to overstay their 30 day visit. Workers should travel to their home countries to visit their families, not the other way around. [See p. 277:1 – 33, and p. 276: 38-43].
Loophole 17 – Chain Migration Tippled Before Being Eliminated:
Though the bill will eventually eliminate chain migration (relatives other than spouses and children of citizens and legal permanent residents), it will not have full effect until 2016. Until then, chain migration into the U.S. will actually triple, from approximately 138,000 chain migrants a year (equal to 14% of the 1 million green cards the U.S. currently distributes on an annual basis) to approximately 440,000 chain migrants a year (equal to 45% of the 1 million green cards the U.S. currently distributes on an annual basis). [See pp. 260:13, p. 270: 29 – pp. 271: 17]
Loophole 18 – Back Taxes Not Required:
Last year’s bill required illegal aliens to prove they had paid three of their last five years of taxes to get amnesty. This year, payment of back taxes is not required for amnesty. The bill requires taxes to be paid at the time of application for a green card, but at that time, only proof of payment of Federal taxes (not state and local) is required for the years the alien worked on a Z visa, not the years the alien has already worked illegally in the United States. Though Senator McCain’s S.A. 1190, adopted by voice vote, claimed to “require undocumented immigrants receiving legal status to pay owed back taxes,” the amendment actually only required proof of payment of taxes for “any year during the period of employment required by subparagraph (D)(i).” Since the bill does not contain a subparagraph (D)(i), nor require any past years of employment as a prerequisite for amnesty, the amendment essentially only requires proof of payment of taxes for future work in the U.S., not payment of “back taxes.” [See p. 307, and p. 293 as altered by S.A. 1190, amendment p. 2: 19-20.]
Loophole 19 – Social Security Credits Allowed For Some Illegal Work Histories:
Aliens who came to the U.S. on legal visas, but overstayed their visas and have been working in the U.S. for years, as well as illegal aliens who apply for Z visa status but do not qualify, will be able to collect social security credits for the years they worked illegally. Under the bill, if an alien was ever issued a social security account number – all work-authorized aliens who originally came on legal visas receive these – the alien will receive Social Security credits for any “quarters of coverage” the alien worked after receiving their social security account number. Because the bill requires social security account numbers to be issued “promptly” to illegal aliens as soon as they are granted “any probationary benefits based upon application [for Z status]” (these benefits are granted 24 hours after the application is filed), an illegal alien who is denied Z visa status but continues to work illegally in the U.S. will accumulate Social Security credits. [See pp. 316:8 – 16, and pp. 315: 32-39]
Loophole 20 – Criminal Fines Not Proportional To Conduct:
The criminal fines an illegal alien is required to pay to receive amnesty are less than the bill’s criminal fines for paperwork violations committed by U.S. citizens, and can be paid by installment. Under the bill, an illegal alien must pay a $1,000 criminal fine to apply for a Z visa, and a $4,000 fine to apply for a green card. Eighty percent of those fines can be paid on an installment plan. Under the bill’s confidentiality provisions, someone who improperly handles or uses information on an alien’s amnesty application can be fined $10,000. Administration officials suggest that the bill’s “criminal fines are proportionate to the criminal conduct.” Why, then, is the fine for illegally entering, using false documents to work, and live one-tenth the fine for a paperwork violation committed by a government official? [See p. 287: 34, p. 317: 9, p. 315:6-8, & remarks made by Secretary Gutierrez on Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4:00 May 31, 2007]
Senator Sessions Releases List of 20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration
Kill this bill and let's have an honest, open debate during the next presidential election so we can get consensus. Ras says only 20% want what some Senators are peddling, which means the status quo is far better for now.
Oh Man,....thanks for posting that...
OOOh! Reid and the Pres. aren’t going to like this release.
Why? Secure the borders, once the government proves they are serious and truly secure the borders for a year or so, then we can do steps two and three.
------
He also pledged to torpedo any bill that did not have actual funds for border security and that allowed illegal aliens to receive Social Security benefits that they fraudulently acquired.
Until Congress slaps down the judiciary, what Congress says doesn't matter. One liberal judge will find that all the illegals are owed Social Security and from that day on, it will be so.
I’ve never been on their ‘invite list’ so that’s fine with me.
This looks like a set up to rationalize voting for cloture. Key words: status quo unacceptable - what BS, build the fence approved last year and enforce the laws. Also note how he will only vote for a bill the funds border security. What a crock. Holding border security hostage to amnesty. That's Bush's game and Ensign appears to be playing along.
BTW thank you and good luck to your citizen lobbying, you and millions of others are our only hope.
That's a fact, John! We're easily roused when the 'politicos' try to put something truly awful over on us, and we're used to the dhimmicRATS trying it.
We're just not used to doing it with Repubbies, but 'bad' is 'bad', and we're good at dealing with it! .................... FRegards
Actually, I believe he meant it the other way - that he believes that both will vote to kill it.
I have talked to people in both offices a number of times this week. First, I emphasized my personal interest in this matter:
1. I was born in another country, and took an oath of citizenship when I was 18, to gain the right to vote;
2. my wife and I have voted in EVERY election for over 40 years;
3. American Citizenship is my most valuable possession, and I find the thought of denigrating, discounting, or diluting it by giving virtually equal status to tens of millions of invaders - including a million or more actual felons - a terrible price to pay just to “address” a problem.
Second, I described the proper solution as I see it, beginning with the law as it exists today:
1. Build the fence - all of it - then man and monitor it;
2. Jail a few personnel managers and business executives who are responsible for hiring illegal aliens, to send the appropriate message to other employers;
3. Fully implement VISIT and EEVS, and provide all necessary resources to extend these programs to all employers and all border crossings.
NOTE: A central database is MANDATORY! Self-contained secure ID is NOT POSSIBLE.
Third, take the first steps that require new legislation: 1. require EVERY alien to register at a local post office, provide accurate personal information UNDER OATH, and obtain proper alien identification. Failure to register, or failure to provide the required information, would be grounds for PERMANENT exclusion without recourse or appeal.
2. make the EEVS program MANDATORY for all employers, and verify the ID of all employees. Any who do not check out would be required to clear up the problem with INS and SSA within 60 days or be fired;
3. After a few months, self-deportation should make the problem far more manageable. Then the sweeps should begin in earnest.
I wish we had more native-born Americans half as sharp as you. Great post...thanks!
Thanks for the kind words. We do what we can.
“Kill this bill”
YES ... GO HERE FOR THE ACTION INFO:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1851892/posts
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