Posted on 03/28/2006 11:08:53 AM PST by boryeulb
It reads like a page directly out of the Democrat's playbook on midterm elections. Let Republicans self-destruct by splitting from their base on a core issue. Senate Republicans this week will decide if the federal government will respond to 89 percent of Americans who believe illegal immigration is a serious problem.
Any bill that does not refuse amnesty, and require true border and internal enforcement will collapse public confidence in the GOP Congress, and therefore be the breaking point of the Republican Party. The bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee rewards lawbreakers with amnesty, plain and clear.
The temporary worker/amnesty bill from the Senate Judiciary Committee will cause every Democrat in Congress will jump onto it, because they know that this single issue is the opportunity to divide and conquer. If anything costs Republicans the majority this November, it will be this amnesty bill in the Senate that they are trying to force-feed to Congress and the American people.
In the face of bitter opposition from the majority of American citizens, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to reward millions of illegal aliens with legal worker status -- despite the fact these aliens have already proven their disregard for the laws of this nation. Beyond sending a message to potential residents and legal immigrants that we don't take our own laws seriously, this is a misguided and dangerous path for our nation, particularly in a post 9/11 world.
Any policy that reduces or eliminates the penalty for violating our immigration laws is amnesty. It is disingenuous for any lawmaker to claim they are against amnesty, but support these temporary worker amnesty programs.
Economically, these programs don't help our country, but hinder its growth. Americans are conditioned to believe that illegal aliens support our workforce, because they supposedly take jobs Americans will not do. The reality is, employers hire illegal workers who will work for much less than legal workers, driving wages down and making it impossible for legal workers to compete. There is no job Americans will not do. The hottest, most difficult, dirtiest and dangerous job in the world is rooting terrorists out of Fallujah. Marines are doing that job for $8.09 an hour.
The core of the strength of America has always been an ever-broadening middle class. The flood of immigration, both legal and illegal threatens an eventual destruction of the middle class and is resulting in the creation of a servant class. We cannot stand by while our middle class is eroded so that the ruling class in America can create a servant class for themselves.
We can stop illegal workers from taking jobs in the U.S. My New Illegal Deduction Elimination Act, or New IDEA, H.R. 3095, would eliminate the tax deduction employers can take on wages and benefits paid to illegal workers so it becomes a taxable event. The result would be to raise the cost of a $10 per hour illegal to a $16 per hour worker, creating the opportunity for American workers, shutting down the jobs magnet and broadening our middle class.
In addition, it would be ludicrous to base our national and economic security policy on the promise that temporary workers will return home once their worker permit expires. There has never been a successful temporary worker program in history.
History has proven time and again that legalizing the illegals won't solve the problem, it only serves to exacerbate it. Since 1986, Congress has passed seven amnesties for illegal aliens. The mass amnesty bill passed in 1986 that legalized 3 million aliens backfired, and the illegal alien population quickly doubled in a decade and tripled in less than 15 years. Further, dangling the prospect of citizenship in front of potential lawbreakers will only spur a mad stampede for the U.S. border to get in line for the next amnesty.
As a sovereign nation, we must control our borders and enforce our own laws. Ignoring our laws is not the path to maintaining a free, safe and prosperous society.
The House passed a comprehensive immigration reform policy in December that provides tools to secure America's future. H.R. 4437 does not reward any amnesty program and includes heavier border enforcement and construction of a border fence. The bill also provides for real enforcement in our interior, reduces the jobs magnet by requiring worker verification, and invokes penalties for local governments that provide sanctuary for illegal aliens.
The Senate must use these provisions as a baseline for their debate. This issue has pushed fed-up Americans to the abyss, and if we don't take the right turn, we deserve to be pushed into it.
This is Congressman STEVE King of Iowa.
Yours truly, Ronald Reagan, is mostly responsible for the mess Bush is trying to fix!!!
I never said it was "instant citizenship" Not even legal immigrants get that. It doesn't have to be instant citizenship to be AMNESTY. The Amnesty of 1986 was not instant citizenship either.
70% of Americans-those are the people who actually hold legitimate Social Security cards, and actually pay taxes-agree with Rep. King.
The only people who seem to be on the wrong page are the dolts running the Republican Party, who seem to be eager to fritter away whatever small hope they had of retaining control of Congress.
Glad to see that clarified.
Well I still blame him for not putting on the cape, flying around the world backwards to reverse time so that New Orleans could be evacuated. I know it could have been done since I saw it in a movie. Wasn't that a documentary with Chris Reeves.
We will just have to vote RAT.
Hundreds of thousands were caught and repatriated last year. Stop spreading that LIE.
Three million weren't.
And besides, you're changing the subject. I referenced this administration's unwillingness to enforce the laws against hiring illegals.
You like to get wool pulled over your eyes.
The number of illegal aliens invading our nation has INCREASED during Bush's tenure. Those are facts from a number of independent research organizations.
It is clear you are here to cheer lead, not debate. That's OK, we all know there are two camps here at FR. I am looking for people who want to discuss this fairly and who are realistic and do not deny facts.
I do wish you would realize you could help the conservative cause more by bringing out truthful debate; blind loyalty to party agenda HURTS the conservative cause. To say Bush "tightened security" is to deny the FACTS and official stats about the annual number of invaders during Bush's tenure.
I also always want to be civil, so let's just not post any more between us. I will stick to facts; you can stick to emotions and party support. Have a nice day.
So you will admit that border enforcement has not been eliminated?
Your other comment is also a LIE there have been highly publicized enforcement actions against Walmart, Tyson Foods and other mega corporations within the last year.
You can make the point that not enough is being done but it is a flat out LIE that such actions have dropped to zero.
It is not emotion driving or characterizing my defense of the President. It is almost purely emotion which motivates those willing to destroy the GOP over this secondary issue. Hysterical overeaction has NEVER helped the conservative cause and those undermining the President are not conservatives.
I never said it had.
Your other comment is also a LIE there have been highly publicized enforcement actions against Walmart, Tyson Foods and other mega corporations within the last year.
Really? Got any links to stories about such enforcement? I'd like to see them.
You can make the point that not enough is being done but it is a flat out LIE that such actions have dropped to zero.
Again, I didn't say that they had dropped to zero. I said nearly zero. Functionally zero. Practically zero when you consider the scope of this problem.
Don't put words in my mouth. It's disingenuous.
I was in Vietnam last month and actually saw more American flags in today's Saigon than I did in Los Angeles as I watched the protest. While in Vietnam I learnt that an America loving and hard-working person that applies for a VISA has less than a 5% chance of being accepted because the US has so many illegal mexicans to absorb. This is sad. This is unfair. This rewards those who sneek into the USA.
LOL...
You're a walking, talking demonstration for how out of touch 'moderate' Republicans are.
We need a return to the Ellis Island mentality....and it would be easy to accomplish in order to save America.
1] An invasion from a foreign country and the destruction of our national sovereignty is NOT a "secondary issue". (You did see the Mexican flag flying over top an upside down American flag, right?)
2] There are hundreds of other issues where a fiscally socialist agenda by Bush can be given as examples--I will spare the litany and not do that now.
3] Nobody can argue there are two camps at FR--(a) GOP party loyalists, and (b) true conservatives who fight for the principles Free Republic was founded on, i.e., the conservative cause and fighting socialism.
I am in the conservative camp--you the other.
Again, thanks for the civil and courteous debate, but we are so different further posts may not inject anything of value.
Have a nice day.
Not at all the danger we face is NOT coming from Mexico. Any true conservative understands that the President has done a marvelous job of concentrating on the real issues and not getting distracted by the Hysterical Right.
Given the vicious constant attack by the Left on him and his policies how anyone can call themselves a conservative while attacking the President is beyond me.
Those of us who realize that the GOP cannot maintain power if it appeals only to the Ultra Right are not "moderates" just Realists.
Zero doesn't mean zero? Compared to a billion arrests a million arrests are "practically zero" it is meaningless.
I don't do links but google can help you out if you really care.
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