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.
Bush knows as much about the problems of illegals as any public official. No state has a larger border with Mexico than Texas. However, for some reason his experience as Governor has not made him as afraid of illegals as those around here. Where he Senator I am sure he would be like Cornyn.
There is no reason to "excuse" his political views. He puts things in their proper perspective which is something others should do.
I am a firm supporter of the Rule of Law. Simpleminded solutions for complex problems will face my scorn however.
First of all those that cross the border illegally have to get some sort of false documents in order to work at any decent job.
I haven't voted in NM but I have worked in Abq. in construction. No documentation is required to work there. None.
I guess the proper perspective is "solve this problem the quickest easiest way we can".
Ronald Reagan, God bless him, tried the same thing. We will be facing this again in another 20 years.
The problem with critics is they never offer solutions.
You are correct.
It's not like any legislation would be able to remove the illegals immediately. It would necessarily be a slow process, and they can be replaced with legals, if that's absolutely necessary.
We are going to disagree on this point. While americans along the border must surround their homes with 10' fences and barbed wire just to keep from being raped, robbed or killed in their own homes by folks coming across the border it is NOT a minor problem. While 95% of the outstanding warrants for MURDER in LA County are for illegals, its not a NUISANCE... Its pure unadulterated lawlessness because our government will not do its job.
It doesn't matter whose in charge, because we have no nation if our government will not secure its own borders. If the Republicans and those like you are just going to say, "Give up, its going to happen and we aren't going to stop it"... you have no nation left, just a temporary destination... Sorry, Republicans pass on this issue, the pass on the right to lead.
Not to mention the ability to lead. If these demonstrations we've been seeing demonstrate anything, it's that these people will not be Republican supporters once they have the ability to vote.
Congressman Steve King is someone who gets it. He has for a very long time. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have the Sensenbrenner bill sitting there right now as the representation of the will of the People's House.
I do not believe 95% of the outstanding murder warrants are for illegals. Sorry.
This issue has had its importance exaggerated only as a means of attacking the GOP for not producing miracles.
Illegal immigration was NOT an issue the last two elections and was so far down the Major Problem screen as to be unnoticed.
Whether you believe it or not, its the truth... your blind ignorance of the issue is obvious.
Go actually get some education, the woman who wrote this article testified before congress on the issue, she's not some crackpot, not some conspiracty theorist, but someone who actually knows what's shes talking about.
http://www.city-journal.org/html/14_1_the_illegal_alien.html
That statement is completely unsupported and I do not believe it. It makes no sense.
This issue is to be used to attack the GOP and the President by those who will do NOTHING about it except whip up gullible "conservatives". It has no other function.
Representative King was just interviewed on a local talk radio station. He was quite impressive.
Thomas Sowell
Good quote GOPJ.
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