Posted on 04/22/2006 7:07:29 AM PDT by crimsonright
April 22, 2006, 9:00 a.m. Back to the Border Security first.
By Senator Bill Frist
Democrat obstruction torpedoed comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate earlier this month. At the same time, concerns about getting our border under control came into clear relief with news this week of the Department of Homeland Security's effort to crack down on egregious violations of immigration law. It is time to both secure our borders and reform our immigration system. So next week, the Senate will act to increase funding for border security-first. And then, before the end of May, the Senate must again take up-and finish-comprehensive immigration system reform.
When it takes up the immigration reform, the Senate must address border security, worksite enforcement, and the status of the 12 million people who are currently here illegally. But to build confidence among Americans and Congress that the government takes border security seriously, we have to act to help get the border under control right now.
By Memorial Day, the president plans to sign an emergency-spending measure, which we will use to fund this next step in border security. Democrat obstructionism on the larger immigration bill, I hope, will end before that. So far it has not: Minority Leader Harry Reid has acted to block the Senate from even voting on proposals like a ban on convicted felons taking part in temporary-worker programs.
Under any circumstances, security has to come first. We don't know how many criminals, gang members, and terrorists might have snuck across in the 20 years since Congress last made serious reforms to our immigration system. We need to know who is in our country, and why. A comprehensive immigration bill will allow all levels of law enforcement to focus on those who threaten to do us harm.
Last year, Judd Gregg and others lead an effort to hire 1,500 new border patrol agents and build 1,800 new detention beds. The proposal we will consider next week provides nearly $2 billion to build a border fence in high-traffic areas, add new border-patrol aircraft to help police lower traffic areas, and support training for additional Customs and Border Protection Agents.
The Senate is also near consensus on putting nearly 15,000 new border-patrol agents in the field over the next six years. More security spending now is part of the plan. To pay for it, we will cut spending in other areas. The proposal we will consider next week helps Customs and Border Protection enforce the laws we already have. It does not, however, include any of the still necessary reforms to our immigration laws contained in the broader comprehensive package we will act on in May.
For those with deep concerns about the bigger bill, the Senate will be putting the horse before the cart. Security first. Right now. But just as the horse goes with the cart, our action now must occur in concert with finishing action on the bigger immigration bill in May. That legislation contains the full multiyear plan to beef up border-security operations dramatically, including a virtual fence that uses a mix of physical and electronic means to secure every inch of our 1,951-mile border with Mexico.
I believe that a consensus has developed in the Senate that fixing border security is as important as creating an immigrant worker program. In early April, in fact, the Senate came very close to a breakthrough: Senators Chuck Hagel and Mel Martinez, along with many others, developed a fair, workable plan that would help deal with the 12 million people who are already in the United States.
Under their proposal, nobody who has violated immigration laws will get a free pass. Nearly everyone who has lived here illegally less than two years will have to return to their country of origin and apply through ordinary channels if they ever hope to live here legally. People who have lived here longer will have to pass rigorous background checks, learn English, and pay fines if they ever hope to achieve legal status.
Action now on border-security spending ought to affirm our country's commitment to getting the border under control. Passing a comprehensive immigration bill will guarantee a sustained plan to improve border security and deal with comprehensive reform. It will honor our heritage as a nation of immigrants and our respect for the rule of law. Finally, and most importantly, it will make America safer and more secure.
— Bill Frist is the U.S. Senate Majority Leader.
The only presidency you'll ever see Mr. Frist is president of La Raza.
I am so sick of this word used in the context of dealing with illegal immigration..
Why don't you jelly-spined politicians come out and say it.
Comprehensive= amnesty.
A rose by another other name.....
Wow! $2 billion more for border security and all that gets him are personal attacks.
Portrait of an American politician who believes
that American citizens are fools.
The last three paragraphs are about as disingenuous as it gets. Just a "minor little part" of the bill that gives amnesty to 12 million illegals, triples the current legal immigration numbers, replaces our immigration judges with immigration lawyers, and has zero criminal penalties for aliens or employers. This may be the biggest fraud Republicans have ever attempted (bigger than 86 "tax simplification" or the 1990 "budget deal".)
What an absolute slap in the face for all who came here legally. We live in AZ on the Mexican border, Ft. Huachuca, home of the military intelligence school here, has, on a regular basis, hundreds of illegals caught on the base. Where's the security for our troops preparing to go to war? Hospitals are overwhelmed, and the cost to the environment is terrible. Yet the silence from the environmentalists on this issue is deafening. I've come to the conclusion that I have no political party affiliation, both parties are equally worthless.
You'd rather not get $2 billion more for border security? Politics is the art of compromise - I would have thought old-time FReepers knew that.
Nearly everyone who has lived here illegally less than two years will have to return to their country of origin and apply through ordinary channels if they ever hope to live here legally. People who have lived here longer will have to pass rigorous background checks, learn English, and pay fines if they ever hope to achieve legal status.
Only an open border lover would refuse to see the hypocrisy in this and believe this is anything other than crap!
The elites will do as they wish.
At least this guy knows how to make a fist!!!
Some Freepers need to face the facts. Sending all illegals back to Mexico will never happen. It is not politically possible. It is not logisticly possible. It is never ever going to happen. We need to try and make the best of a bad situation by sealing the border and dealing with the illegals that are already here in a humane and politically viable manner. There will never be forced detention and repatriation camps in this country......ever. Get over it.
PresidentFelon
Neal Boortz said it best:
"Any program which allows people who are here illegally to stay here is a type of amnesty."
We don't need any more border patrol agents if they're not allowed to enforce the law. This guy ought to read his own blog to see what people think of this.
"Amnesty" as long as nearly everyone who has lived here illegally less than two years will have to return to their country of origin and apply through ordinary channels if they ever hope to live here legally. People who have lived here longer will have to pass rigorous background checks, learn English, and pay fines if they ever hope to achieve legal status. What were the terms of Carter's amnesty for draft dodgers? As for tripling LEGAL immigration, I'm all for that. Most immigration judges were immigration lawyers already, did you know that? There are plenty of laws for alien and employers - I agree those need to be enforced more.
"There will never be forced detention and repatriation camps in this country......ever. Get over it. "
Why do you guys always say this type of stuff?
No one on FR (that I know of) has ever seriously suggested such horrible things.
The best way to accomplish the goals is to make it less attractive for them to be here, i.e., make it more difficult for them to get hired. That will go a long way to taking care of it.
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