Back to the Border - Security first.

National Review Online ^ | 4/22/06 | Senator Bill Frist

[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.

[Mariner]

These guys still don't get it.

They'll not get my vote, money or advocacy until they build a 2,000 mile fence, deport ALL illegals and imprison all who hire them.

Period. No compromise. I'd rather see the dims in power than these spineless weasels...at least then we know, with certainty, where to aim.

[arnoldpalmerfan]

The Republican House leadership has already indicated a willingness to remove in conference committee the provision in H.R.4437 making illegal presence a felony. If that is Sen. Frist's only objection to H.R.4437, then he should say so and submit a bill in the Senate that is identical to H.R.4437, except that it provides for illegal presence to be a misdemeanor, rather than a felony. Sen. Frist, though, wants a bill to emerge from the United States Senate that provides legal status to millions of illegal aliens. H.R.4437 doesn't do that and, therefore, is not a bill that he has any interest in supporting.

[tennmountainman]

Frist is not working out a deal with the illegal's.
He's working out a deal on behalf of big business who hire these cheap illegal workers.

[tennmountainman]

Let me tell u how it can be done.
REMOVE THE FREE MEDICAL, FOOD STAMPS ETC and they will find their way back home.

[Ole Okie]

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.

I can't believe Frist said this. Is it just now becoming apparent to the Republican leadership that BORDER SECURITY means having the border under control?

Darn it, is it so difficult to understand that we must get the illegal tsunami under control? Evidently their legal constituency gave Frist and other legislators an earful.

What's happened here in Georgia denying welfare, medical and other benefits to those who can't prove they're in Georgia legally may have given the Senator from Tennessee a clue.

[Jarhead1957]

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, I raise my middle finger in salute to you and your fellow RINOs.

A blank ballot is better than voting for a bunch of RINOs!

Don't bother telling me how I'm electing democrats, ya'll are doing a great job on your own.

[raybbr]

Excuse me...feel free to substitute "when" fo "if".

Okay. We seem to agree for the most part.

Notice how even you, who wants controlled borders and enforcement, first used "if" instead of when. That's how powerful the rhetoric and the lack of enforcement has been on the American psyche. A lot of patriotic Americans have been beaten down by the idea that if you are for controlled borders you are some sort of nut or racist. It's sad. And, it started with Bush for the conservatives.

THE "NEW AMERICAN"

We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture.

Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende.

For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America.

As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico.

George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000.

You can read the speech here.

Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:

In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster

[eazdzit]

You stated: "It is not politically possible. It is not logistically possible. It is never ever going to happen. "

Are you saying that Bush lied when he made this statement in his radio address.

EXCERPT:

"....Since I took office, we've increased funding for border security by 66 percent, and Federal agents have apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering this country illegally, including more than 400,000 with criminal records.

Let's see he had been in office about 2280 days when he made that statement. 6,000,000 / 2280 = 2631 deported per day.

We just saw major headlines all over the MSM when they busted a 1000+.

I don't blame you. He told a lie whether it was intentional or not. If it wasn't intentional, maybe he should make a retraction and give us the real numbers.

:)Easy Does It:)

[WatchingInAmazement]

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.

Compromise? COMPROMISE? There is NO compromise in what Frist/the senate/Bush/ YOU want. As you said before you would like up to a BILLION illegals allowed in this country. What have you or they ever compromised on?

[B4Ranch]

"Frist thinks we're absolute morons."

We are. We keep electing these scumbags who refuse to read the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution!

[rcocean]

Exactly.

Friest is a RINO on this issue. But he wants to run for president so he trying to "finesse" the issue.

I will not vote for Friest.

[Ole Okie]

BTW, anybody hear about the news of the 2 Atlanta area muslims who were caught in Canada plotting terrorist attacks.

Yeah, it's been big news on Atlanta TV and radio stations. I assume it hasn't appeared elsewhere.

[USS Alaska]

If we don't get this bill, I'm going to hold my breath until I'm as blue as this tie. That'll show'em we're serious.

[Mike Darancette]

If that is Sen. Frist's only objection to H.R.4437, then he should say so and submit a bill in the Senate that is identical to H.R.4437

Frist should introduce a Senate bill to harden the borders and supply penalties for employers and coyotes.

4437 is poison and should not be mentioned for political reasons.

[Mike Darancette]

We just saw major headlines all over the MSM when they busted a 1000+.

Employers in cuffs shown by the MSM. Just the result that was needed. Let's do that more often (at least once a week).

[Mogollon]

The ignorance of the senate on this issue is amazing. No illegal that has been here less than 5 years is going to show up without forged documents that says he/she has been here over five years. All 25 million illegals will have proof they've been here for 5 years and are therefore deserving of amnesty, citizenship. Then they will vote for democRATS the rest of their lives.

[Mike Darancette]

You can be damn sure that Jose and Maria will be claiming their three kids as dependents

And to claim them as deduction they will have to provide S/S Numbers for any dependents. The number of kids does not effect payroll/self employment taxes. They will have to name their employers for validation purposes and so that the employers' taxes can be assessed.

OBTW: And if there is no valid S/S number their ain't no EIC.

[texastoo]

I got someones dander up a few days ago refering to the picture of Bush holding the Mexican flag. LOL!!! I only asked if there was a picture of Bush holding an American flag.

[B4Ranch]

They don't appreciate being bitch slapped in the face with facts. Tough s...

[B4Ranch]

The one where he's hugging the Latino girl?