Posted on 02/20/2004 10:33:52 PM PST by JustPiper
Says rift among Republicans could be mended if proposal scrapped
President Bush's plan to overhaul immigration policy with a temporary worker program has little chance of passing this year, a congressman said.
U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, told the San Antonio Express-News the reform proposal has created a worrisome rift among Republicans that could be fixed if the plan is substantially changed or scrapped.
As WorldNetDaily reported, on Jan. 7, Bush proposed allowing illegal aliens working in the United States to remain in the country for three years if their employers vouch for their jobs. During that period, the worker essentially would be given the rights of a worker with permanent-resident status, including Social Security benefits and the right to bring family members to the United States. In addition, a "temporary worker program" would permit foreigners to come to the U.S. if they can prove they have secured a job.
A House Immigration Subcommittee member, and former chairman, Smith views the guest-worker plan as a veiled call for amnesty despite the president's insistence to the contrary. He also expressed the concern of many Republicans that it will allow terrorists to come into the country on a worker visa, the San Antonio paper said.
In January, Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said on Joseph Farah's WorldNetDaily RadioActive program he did not think Congress would pass the Bush plan, but feared a bill more to his disliking would be proposed.
Democrats want to make it even easier for illegals to stay in the United States, and many Republicans would support them, he said.
Smith believes any plan that encourages illegal immigration will further depress wages, and he fears a voter backlash against Republican candidates.
"Some Republicans support the president on this issue, but they're in the minority," he told the Express-News. "The president is going to have to convince the rest of us or risk having a lot of Republicans opposed to him."
Smith said Republicans need to communicate to Americans they are not against immigrants, as long as they enter the country legally.
Many GOP members find the plan far too extensive with its inclusion of workers in any industry, not just agriculture. Also many object to employees with illegal workers already on the payroll not having to offer jobs to U.S. citizens first.
The congressman said, however, he would be open to testing the idea with a geographically limited guest worker program, the San Antonio paper reported.
Meanwhile, U.S. Border Patrol officials have confirmed the worst fears of opponents, reporting a 15 percent increase in the use of fraudulent documents at the world's busiest land border crossing since the proposal was announced.
It seems that any rational attempts to curb the inflow is met will hoots and hollers of "amnesty"
I suppose we will continue to deport them at a lesser rate then they come across. That is the status quo for now.
And for the foreseeable future.
Deporting at a higher rate is not easy, but they are trying. The numbers seem to reflect that, but the courts are jammed and justice is slow.
I think they are gun shy with all the law suits and the world is watching.
It is a very serious situation and growing worse. Something will blow soon, the pressure cannot be tolerated much longer. Just picking them up and taking them across the border has/is not working anyway.
The demand still draws them in, and the demand is not controllable with current law, data bases and knowledge.
I believe the Bush proposal would go along way toward stifling that demand. That is what it is intended to do.
But alas, it is viewed as amnesty, and as long as that is the case, it will not happen.
I think I will take a Spanish for dummies course. It might be necessary.
LOL! you must think all this is his idea.........
This is the desire of president Bush.
The Dems want Rove out.
I wonder who's side people are on these days.
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