Posted on 08/29/2005 1:49:54 PM PDT by FeeinTennessee
President Bush Vows to Help With Border Problems NewsMax.com Wires Monday, Aug. 29, 2005
EL MIRAGE, Ariz. -- President Bush said Monday he will work with Gov. Janet Napolitano and other border governors to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, where political leaders have been calling for help to deal with waves of illegal immigrants.
Bush told a crowd in this retirement community that he understands the federal government's obligation to enforce the border.
"It's important for the people of this state to understand, your voices are being heard in Washington, D.C.," he said.
Making reference to Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican who introduced Bush here, the president said, "This senator and this Congress are going to work closely with the administration to make sure we have the resources necessary to do our responsibility, which is to enforce this border. And we'll do so."
Bush made the trip west from his Texas ranch to lend a hand to the administration's effort to sell older Americans on the value of a prescription drug benefit that begins next year for Medicare patients.
Trying to combat confusion about and criticism of the new government drug plan, Bush was making appearances in both Arizona and California Monday to talk it up.
After spending the night in San Diego, he speaks on Tuesday at the Naval Air Station North Island there to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. His remarks focus on fighting terrorists and the ongoing campaign in Iraq. They recall the Aug. 14, 1945, Japanese surrender that came just days after the United States incinerated the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs.
There has been indications that efforts to build support for the Medicare drug benefit - including a few other appearances around the country by Bush - are paying off. Congress allocated about $300 million to an awareness campaign.
A recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation found for the first time that people were as likely to have a favorable view of the plan as to have an unfavorable view. Still, the survey found that more people do not plan to enroll than do.
The prescription drug benefit kicks in Jan. 1. About 43 million beneficiaries will be able to choose from two or more private plans that offer drug coverage.
Enrollees will pay a monthly premium averaging about $32, but the amount will vary among regions, and millions of poor people will pay nothing. Beneficiaries will also have a $250 deductible, meaning they will have to pay that amount for their prescriptions before the drug plan covers expenses. Again, millions of poor beneficiaries will not have any deductible.
After spending more than four weeks operating from his Texas ranch, Bush returns to Washington on Friday. © 2005 The Associated Press
Tancredo needs to step up to the plate and say what he intends to do about 20 million illegals.
Tancredo has 72 votes in the House and 2 votes in the Senate.
He'll get a lot more if we put the pressure on. Contrary to your previous assumptions the Kennedy/McCain sham hasn't got a chance in the House.
Good post.
An amnesty will only cause millions more to pour in, and they know it.
I'd say it's way past time for the Congress and the President to step up to the plate. The fact is, through their pandering, ignoring and encouraging this invasion, the Democrats and Republicans are building the platform for a third party. And they are doing a fantastic job.
pretty much sums it up, right there, imho.
Get it done, Mr. President.
In the Senate: at a minimum, there are 13 pubs joining with 40 dems to support McCain_Kennedy.
In the House: The dems will support McCain-Kennedy in large numbers. They will have between 15 and 23 defectors. It will take only a small number of House republicans joining with the dems to pass M-K. It is likely that the votes are already there. If they are not there, you have to ask yourself, where will the Bush loyalist go?
Eventually, Bush has to admit that his plan has no chance and he will have to cut loose his supporters. He has 22 votes in the Senate and around 125 in the House. The vast majority of these will switch to McCain-Kennedy.
Two of them go into great detail about guest workers and the illegals in the country. Tancredo's bill does not.
The Kennedy/McCain bill will never get out of Hostettler's Immigration subcommittee let alone Sensenbrenner's Judiciary. It's not going to happen. Tancredo's bill has a far better chance and if one passes that'll be it.
Another thing, after reading that old Bush quote from your comments...I would like to see Bush pressed to identify specifically just what those "jobs" are that "Americans won't/don't want to do."
Bush needs to be held accountable for these specifics and this issue, and his subtle but obvious suggestions to people south of our border who have been encouraged by Bush and complied during Bush's Presidency in ever increasing numbers of illegal aliens.
It's not as if Bush has taken any steps to confront the issue of illegal aliens but has, rather, worked toward fascilitating the problem...if he's ever been stern with Vicente Fox, for instance, no one would ever know it and it just seems that Mexico and South America perceive Bush (and America while Bush is in office) as an easy target, easy to victimize, simple to manipulate, easy to violate...
All these things fuel the illegal alien problem and Bush's weird comments about the Minutemen and the "jobs (etc.)" seems to be more the words of a Brazilian or Mexican than an American.
So, we need to start pressing President Bush for specifics on these statements he's made, as him to list examples of specific "jobs" "Americans won't do" and such, and how they're "done" instead AND FOR WHOM by illegal aliens.
And why there aren't any penalties for illegal activity in regards these issues.
The only thing I've heard him say about it was that "the border's a big area and difficult to enforce" -- it was like hearing someone say, "the dog ate my homework."
There is no excuse for the government allowing this to happen. In the last 5 years, it's gotten many times worse. And this is after 911.
Those in power have absolutely no excuse.
In order for a immigration reform bill to reach the House floor, a majority of the Republican Caucus has to OK it.
As it stands now, there are not enough votes to get any bill onto the House floor. This would change if Bush releases his supporters.
In the end, Congress will pass M-K with an overwhelming vote. MSM will trumpet that the wise men in Congress have reached a bipartisan agreement and defeated that nasty Bush Plan.
That is what you desperately want to see I know but it's not going happen. They couldn't even get the 245(i) amnesty out of Hostettler's committee a few years ago, they will never agree to this huge turkey. Hastert has said for years he supports a guest worker program but he tends not to go against the majority of the GOP in the House and he won't this time either.
Considering the manner in which the other two "deal" with illegals, Tancredo's is definitely an improvement over them.
I notice that you are also realistic. You know that the bill that you support cannot pass and consider your only success to be stopping the other bills.
Thus roadblocking any meaningful reform.
Bush could kiss Tancredo's butt on the Lou Dobbs show and the Immigration Caucus would still not vote for it.
That's not totally accurate, most of them on that caucus voted for CAFTA despite Tancredo going the other way. On immigration though they do appear to stick together.
Meaningful reform to you Dane is selling out the country like the good democrat you are. Better hurry, you don't want to miss any of those Ted Kennedy and Howard Dean speeches.
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