Posted on 04/21/2013 10:04:45 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Durbin: Immigration bill ‘will make us safer’ after Boston attack By Ben Goad - 04/21/13 12:15 PM ET
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) proclaimed Sunday that newly unveiled legislationto overhaul the nation’s immigration system would strengthen national security in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon attack.
Appearing on Meet the Press, Durbin (D-Ill.) said last week’s Boston bombings revealed a need for bolstered federal resources to prevent future attacks. But he said the contentious 844-page immigration bill would make strides toward greater national security.
“Immigration reform will make us safer, and I hope that those that are critical of it will just come forward and say what their idea is,” Durbin said.
Durbin is part of the Senate’s Gang of Eight, a group of four Democrats and four Republicans that released details of the sweeping legislation last week.
The bill’s release was somewhat overshadowed by a hectic news week that included the high profile failure of a gun control measure in Washington, the arrest of a man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss) and the events in Boston.
Critics of immigration reform have argued that Congress should move slowly after the suspects were revealed to be immigrants of Chechen ethnicity, who came to the U.S. when young.
Durbin shifted discussion from the bombing to the immigration legislation, which he said contained several provisions designed to directly address public safety.
The bill, Durbin noted, calls for measures to strengthen the border with Mexico, and would allow the nation’s undocumented immigrants to apply to become “registered provisional immigrants.”
“We are going to have 11 million people come forward and have an opportunity to register with our government, out of the shadows,” he said.
Durbin touted a provision in the bill that would dramatically expand the country’s electronic worker verification program. And an overhaul of the worker visa system would ensure “we can track visa holders who visit the United States to make sure they leave when they are supposed to,” Durbin said.
Some in Washington have suggested efforts to pass the bill would be colored by the bombing. Earlier Sunday Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) predicted the attack would have "a severe impact on the immigration debate."
"If people are coming from a country that has a severe terrorist background…there should be extra vetting for people from that country," King said on Fox News Sunday.
The younger of the two Boston bombing suspects, Kyrgyzstan-born Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, became a naturalized U.S. citizen on Sept. 11 of last year. He remains hospitalized in serious condition following his capture.
His older brother’s efforts to become a citizen were reportedly held up over concerns about his 2011 contact with the FBI. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed following a shootout with police.
It’s the new narrative to sell this POS.
They are trying to get ahead of the bad PR.
Why don’t I believe him? Oh yea - bacause he’s a lying POS....
Doesn’t even pass the laugh test.
It is too ridiculous to even be a joke
Somebody needs to tell Dick that Terrorist #2 finished his trip down the DemocRATS’ “pathway to citizenship” on 09-11-12. How did that make us safer there, Dickie?
Does anyone actually believe this Dick?
Actually his brother ran him over, lol.
THe same Durbin who recently compared American soldier to nazis?
gave him citizenship on 9/11
thats just sad
Just like all the criminals will come forward and register their guns. Right? /S
Is this the same cat who was involved w Barney Frank re: Fannie May?
He is a lying, vile POS.
MFO
If the Republicans can’t muster enough votes from Democrats to kill the Immigration bill, then Dear Leader in the WH will have succeeded in keeping this country in Democratic Party control for the next 100 years.
If the immigration bill passes, this country won't last another 100 years, at least not in any form resembling a constitutional republic.
No. The only thing it will do is make dem incumbents elections more safe and fatten the wallets of people who want to pay Chinese style slave wages
For the rest of us, we will be noticeably less safe.
I agree, what is there to say to such a dense little man?
Dumber than a box of rocks.
Yessir!! The very same old Turban Durbin!
Other 'truths' from the Statists:
Higher taxes lead to more wealth
Paying people not to work increases productivity
You have a better chance of surviving a rape by peeing on the rapist than having a Glock
More regulations make business more profitable
Christians are the real terrorists
Your children belong to the government
...
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