I think of this guy:
Posted on 07/26/2005 4:54:36 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
WASHINGTON – Republican and Democratic senators criticized the Bush administration today for being a no-show at the first committee hearing on legislation to overhaul U.S. immigration policy.
Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff originally agreed to testify about administration priorities, but informed lawmakers Friday they would not attend the hearing.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he was disappointed by their absence.
“I want to hear what their program is,” Specter said. “I want to hear what the president wants to accomplish.”
Specter said the officials were not prepared to comment on competing bills – one by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the other by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. – that were the focus of today's hearing.
During a packed hearing, Specter said the Judiciary Committee could produce a final bill this year, fulfilling a request by President Bush, who has made immigration reform and a guest-worker program a legislative priority.
But he made it clear he would like the White House to be involved in the process.
“When the administration wants to chime in, we'll be ready to listen,” Specter said.
Kennedy echoed Specter's disappointment over the cancellation by Chao and Chertoff, but he applauded the president for putting the issue on the front burner.
Both immigration bills would earmark billions of dollars for border enforcement and create tamper-proof identification cards to combat illegal immigration.
But clear differences remain in provisions for a guest-worker program, and strong opposition to immigration reform by Republicans in the House of Representatives has put the prospect of passage of a bill this year in doubt.
Cornyn acknowledged differences in the two Senate bills, but he said the sponsors agree, “as we've all stated here today, that our immigration system is broken.”
The Kennedy-McCain bill, which has received endorsements from Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, would allow undocumented immigrants to pay a fine and back taxes, but remain in this country to apply for temporary worker status and eventual citizenship.
Under the Cornyn-Kyl bill, immigrants could enter the country for two years for employment, then return to their home country. They could repeat the cycle two more times. The bill does not offer an avenue for residency or citizenship.
The two guest worker proposals are aimed at reducing the 11 million population of undocumented foreigners in this country illegally, many of whom have jobs and families in the United States.
McCain said the provision in the Cornyn-Kyl bill requiring those undocumented workers and immigrants to return home to apply for guest worker status “borders on fantasy.”
The McCain-Kennedy proposal was endorsed by Hal Daub, president of the American Health Care Association, and Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute, who told the hearing the guest worker provisions in the legislation were more practical in addressing the large number of undocumented immigrants currently in the labor force.
The only troubling feature in the Kyl-Cornyn bill, Daub said, is the “disruptive circumstance” for long-term employment, particularly in home health care and nursing homes, jobs that are often filled by immigrant labor.
“That's clearly something we intend to address,” Cornyn said. “It's not our intention to disrupt the work force.”
Conservatives in the House have denounced the McCain-Kennedy guest worker proposal for rewarding law-breakers who are in the country illegally.
Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates strict immigration limits, has called the McCain-Kennedy bill “a massive amnesty program for millions of illegal aliens.”
McCain disputed that assessment.
“We can't reward lawbreakers, but we also have to deal with the reality of our enormous undocumented population,” he said.
Offers of residency and citizenship would provide incentives to “come out of the shadows, go through security background checks, pay back taxes, pay penalties for breaking the law, learn to speak English and regularize their status,” McCain said.
The pro-immigrant advocacy group, the National Immigration Forum, said McCain's bill was the only one “on the table that can work.”
“Senators Cornyn and Kyl have fallen into the trap of appealing to what they perceive their conservative constituencies want,” said Angela Kelley, National Immigration Forum deputy director.
Cornyn said that the United States, in the past, failed to devote the funds and resources to enforce immigration laws at the borders.
“We need both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of our immigration laws,” he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gmartin@express-news.net
Finally!
I really don't like McCain. BTW., he's on O'Reilly right now.
ping
The problem I see with this (other than the fact that it has teddi's name on it and I don't trust anything teddi has to say or McCain for that matter). But the problem is, why on earth would an illegal want to pay thousands of dollars to stay here when they can stay for free? OK, so, you say I can pay many thousands of dollars and stay here OR I can stay here for free..do you think I am STUPID? I choose to stay here for free thank you very much. The only first option is to enforce the laws already on the books and clamp the borders tight. Then Teddi and McStain, only then can you make your proposals.
ping!
I think of this guy:
But this is not amnesty. No sir. They pay a fine don't you know, before they are given documented status and then full citizenship.
ARTICLE...“I want to hear what their program is,” Specter said. “I want to hear what the president wants to accomplish.”
Illegal immigration?....nope...dont have any of THAT.
Next question.....?
He is accomplishing exactly what he wants too, erase the borders. IF you can't see that Arleen you are blind.
http://www.secureamericasborders.com
Take the survey. There is also an online contact form.
So who pays off their mortgages? Lots of ILLEGAL immigrants "guest workers" have purchased homes.
"It's not our intention to disrupt the [ILLEGAL immigrant] work force."
Like I said. The ruling class has made up its mind. There will(!) be millions of migrant workers it matters not one whit if they are "undocumented" or "guest workers." We as citizens merely get to decide which.
If we don't rebel against shiny new laws they'll be "guest workers." If we say NO! to "guest workers" they remain "undocumented." Government and business could not care less which.
McCain is on O'Reilly right now.
Mr. McCain forgot something:
Offers of residency and citizenship would provide incentives to “come out of the shadows, go through security background checks, pay back taxes, pay penalties for breaking the law, learn to speak English, regularize their status, and collect welfare benefits forever.”
"McCain disputed that assessment.
“We can't reward lawbreakers, but we also have to deal with the reality of our enormous undocumented population,” he said"
If I commit a crime, I get the "REALITY" of a prison sentence, McCain, you SOB !!
Migrant my a$$. These are illegal immigrants. Let's not get schwarmy with the true meaning of words okay?
I've awakened from my slumber in time to notice the same. AMEN. Now, what to do?
I watched the broadcast (McCain on O'Reilly today) and McCain made a very glaring misspeak, said what I believe revealed his actual sympathies and purpose and it's not to oppose or even confront illegal immigration, but to assist it:
McCain started to say something along the lines of "...to sympathize with illegals..." then corrected himself and said, "with illegal immigration" ...
What I'll do is watch the broadcast again later tonight and then I'll have the actual quote but it was pretty revealing about McCain, what he began to express and then modified. I'm thinking his first feeling/the purpose of is legislation, like what a lot of us have been perceiving, is to fascilitate illegal immigration, to "make it easier" and not to amend/remedy the problem.
Returning later...
Barf me a load. If it wasn't for Kennedy, we wouldn't be having an immigration control problem. To be sure, the wrong person drowned that night.
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