Republican Lawmakers Won’t Back Bush on Immigration

CNSNews.com ^ | 1/26/2004 | Susan Jones

[yoe]

Republican lawmakers who generally back President Bush are not backing him on immigration. In fact, they want their leaders to know they have "serious concerns" about President Bush's proposed immigration policy.

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and several other members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus said they won't go along with the president's plan because it "does not address the problem appropriately."

"In fact, in our view, it will further exacerbate the problem and create discontent amongst the Republican Party," the letter said.

Jones, in a press release, said he and other lawmakers would consider alternative guest-worker legislation, as long as it does not reward lawbreakers with amnesty.

Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty, Jones and the other lawmakers said in their letter.

"Since the President's speech, our offices have been inundated with calls from dismayed constituents expressing vehement opposition to the Administration's proposal," the "Dear Mr. Speaker" letter said.

"If we do not listen to our constituents on this matter, our influence and effectiveness in Congress could be jeopardized. Simply put, we cannot continue to allow our immigration laws to be violated and ignored -- and illegal aliens are by definition criminals."

According to the letter, President Bush's immigration proposal has left many conservatives "dismayed, angry and confused."

"Mr. Speaker, it is our hope that you will recognize the problems the Administration's proposal has created for our constituents," the letter says.

It notes that "respect for the rule of law is a core conservative value," and it urges the Republican leadership in the House to find a solution to America's immigration problem "that is more in line with the principles of our Party and our national traditions."

Earlier this month, President Bush proposed a new "temporary worker program" that would offer temporary legal status to millions of undocumented workers who have jobs in the U.S.

Bush said his program would "match willing foreign workers with willing American employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs."

Temporary workers would be expected to return permanently to their countries after their work stint in the United States has expired. Temporary workers wishing to seek American citizenship would be allowed to apply in the normal way, according to the president's plan.

"They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start. I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," Bush said.

"America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America," Bush added.

Bush's proposal drew immediate criticism from conservatives, who see it as a threat to national security and an affront to the rule of law.

[Sabertooth]

You: Deportation will not happen. Neither party will support it!

Me: Politicians don't, yet. Voters will.

You: Wanna bet? The vast majority of Americans care about illegal immigration, but not that much.

Politicians don't need to lose a vast majority of their votes to lose most elections. The votes that swing on Illegals are mostly not going to swing against a politician who supports deportation, and will swing against a politician who supports Amnesty. Exit polling will bear this out in November.

Hot button issues have their moment. President Bush has miscalculated and made Illegals a hot-button issue this year with his unpopular Amnesty proposal. While it's true that the Democrats aren't poised to capitalize, as they also favor Amnesty, and Bush will likely be elected, this move will cost GOP votes and seats down-ticket, unless it is thoroughly rebuffed by the GOP candidates in accordance with the wishes of the party rank and file.

You don't think politicians will notice?

You don't think that Al Gore noticed that gun control cost him Tennessee and the Presidency in 2000?

After enough two-by-fours, politicians notice.

[tessalu]

I am a Republican who will not back Bush on immigration, and I will not back Bush on some simple job trainging program, while real jobs are fleeing the country. I think that the rise in the stock market is just manipulated for an election. Papa Bush should have taken out Saddam way back when, and not left this for Jr to do. The jobs were fleeing the country back in Clintons time as well, going to mainland China. I had a friend in China who was securing contracts for manufacturers on the mainland, and I do know what was going on there. Some Americans have never in their lives had a decent job.

[Marine Inspector]

America has no stomach to deport 10 million illegals

Politicians don’t, but Americans do, and the polls prove it. Anyhow, you don’t need to go after all 10 million (BTW, there are way more then 10 million). Just stop giving them welfare and jobs, and they will leave on their own.

Marine Inspector

[motzman]

I said from the beginning that this was politics. Bush can say he tried and those who said NO WAY can tell their constituants that they listened to their letters

Either way, it's a win. At the very least, tax credits and scrict enforcement of legal worker status (lax enforcement over a generation has caused this) should be enacted.

[Marine Inspector]

The INS is a disaster.

The INS does not exist and the State Department handles visa applications.

Marine Inspector

[MJY1288]

The question is.... Where do we go from here, do we adopt Tancredo's plan and spend a bunch more money we don't have, or do like the past 3 administrations and do nothing?

[Sabertooth]

I said from the beginning that this was politics.

Actually, you said from the beginning that President Bush would never propose an Amnesty.

[savedbygrace]

Look like all our calls, letters and emails have turned the corner on this short-sighted immigration plan.

[Finalapproach29er]

What convinces you?

I think its just the opposite. GWB seems to be getting more liberal as the months pass.

My question is not just rhetorical,I really am looking for a reason to believe W will get serious about illegals.

[angkor]

They'd be eligible...

"The program should not connect participation to a green card or citizenship... and they will need to be placed in line for citizenship behind those who are already in line."

It's not clear whether 6 years on a "guest worker visa" will satisfy the physical presence test for citizenship.

[sarasmom]

You rang?
Yes, Florida is very much against illegal aliens and amnesty for criminals.Lets not even talk about further depressing wages for citizens.
Florida is very much in play (political players terminology)and this time President Bush overplayed his hand.
I am shocked he did so, but nobody is perfect!

[MJY1288]

The problem with that is that the States don't pay Federal Tax,

[Marine Inspector]

No more so than an H1B visa makes one eligible for citizenship. It doesn't.

No visa makes anyone eligible for Citizenship. An H1B, who has worked for 3 years, is eligible to adjust status to a Resident Alien, whom is eligible for Citizenship after 5 years.

The current proposal that Mr. Hagle and Mr Daschle have presented the President makes all H1’s, H2’s and H3’s eligible for adjustment of status.

Marine Inspector

[NYC Republican]

GREAT NEWS bump!

[nuffsenuff]

Negotiation 101...

Set the parameters of the deal high and negotiate down.

Bush accomplishes two goals. He gets Democrats to decry immigration policies that they would have thought of themselves and makes the Republican party look stronger on National Security.

Brilliant.

[Sabertooth]

I Guessed wrong, I thought they would at least debate it before killing it. Looks like the letters everyone sent in must have made a difference

Fair enough. I didn't see this before my earlier post to you.

If the letters are making a difference, then what is the problem with the ongoing conversation about the Bush Amnesty in this forum?

I sure do see a lot of complaints from a minority of posters on that, but many letters have been generated here.

[MJY1288]

Now Now Tooth, there you go again, I said blanket amnesty, I know your itching to condemn me for something, but don't put words in my mouth, I was not in favor of this plan, and I said it would never make it out of Congress. I also said it was just a vague proposal, NOT A BILL introduced to Congress

[k2blader]

Either way, Bush has fulfilled his promise to those he made promises to and now it's on the shoulders of those wascally wepubwicans.

Are you saying President Bush promised amnesty for illegals to some folks prior to the proposal?

And GWB *is* a "wepubwican". If he's trying to paint the conservatives in his party--the anti-illegal-immigration folks--as the "bad cops" that'd make it even worse than I thought.

[sarasmom]

Yup, all us lonely conservatives who expect laws to be enforced and criminals charged with crimes.
All us stupid people who have not yet succumbed to corruption.