Posted on 05/19/2006 2:53:23 PM PDT by catholicfreeper
George W. Bush on Immigration President of the United States, Former Republican Governor (TX)
Our economy could not function without the immigrants We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, even though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction, toward a stagnant and second-rate economy. Source: 2006 State of the Union Address Jan 31, 2006
Support a humane guest-worker program that rejects amnesty Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds our laws, reflects our values and serves the interests of our economy. Our nation needs orderly and secure borders. To meet this goal, we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection. And we must have a rational, humane guest-worker program that rejects amnesty, allows temporary jobs for people who seek them legally and reduces smuggling and crime at the border. Source: 2006 State of the Union Address Jan 31, 2006
It's time to permit temporary guest workers America's immigration system is outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people and deny businesses willing workers and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists. Source: 2005 State of the Union Speech Feb 2, 2005
Temporary workers ok, but no amnesty Q: What should we do about the 8,000 people cross our borders illegally every day? BUSH: We're increasing the border security of the US. There ought to be a temporary worker card that allows a willing worker and a willing employer, so long as there's not an American willing to do that job, to join up. I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a citizen. If they want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too. And here is where my opponent and I differ. In September 2003, he supported amnesty for illegal aliens.
KERRY: We need a guest-worker program. We need is to crack down on illegal hiring. And thirdly, we need an earned-legalization program for people who have been here for a long time, stayed out of trouble, got a job, paid their taxes, and their kids are American. We got to start moving them toward full citizenship, out of the shadows.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry Debate, in Tempe Arizona Oct 13, 2004
A time-limited worker card for the illegal immigrants Q: At least 8,000 people cross our borders illegally every day. How do you see it? And what do we need to do about it? A: We're increasing the border security of the US. We've got 1,000 more Border Patrol agents on the southern border. We're using new equipment. We're using unmanned vehicles to spot people coming across. We'll continue to do so over the next four years. They're coming here to work. In order to take pressure off the borders, in order to make the borders more secure, there ought to be a temporary worker card that allows a willing worker and a willing employer to mate up, so long as there's not an American willing to do that job, to join up in order to be able to fulfill the employers' needs. It makes sure that the people coming across the border are humanely treated, that they're not kept in the shadows of our society, that they're able to go back and forth to see their families. The card it'll have a period of time attached to it. It also means it takes pressure off the border.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ Oct 13, 2004
Don't believe we ought to have amnesty BUSH: I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a citizen. And we ought not to crowd these people ahead of them in line. If they want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too. Kerry supported amnesty for illegal aliens. KERRY: The borders are more leaking today than they were before 9/11. We haven't done what we need to do to toughen up our borders, and I will. We need a guest-worker program, but if it's all we have, it's not going to solve the problem. We need to crack down on illegal hiring. It's against the law in the US to hire people illegally, and we ought to be enforcing that law properly. We need an earned-legalization program for people who have been here for a long time, stayed out of trouble, got a job, paid their taxes, and their kids are American. We got to start moving them toward full citizenship, out of the shadows.
Source: Third Bush-Kerry debate, in Tempe AZ Oct 13, 2004
Support temporary worker program but oppose amnesty I ask Congress to reform our immigration laws so they reflect our values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary-worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy, because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary-worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing border patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security. I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary-worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.
Source: 2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress Jan 20, 2004
New temporary worker program includes illegal aliens President Bush, saying the nation has failed millions of illegal immigrants who live in fear of deportation, yesterday proposed an ambitious plan that would allow undocumented workers to legally hold jobs in the US for the first time. The program that would bestow temporary legal status for at least 6 years on 8 million undocumented immigrants, as long as they keep their jobs. But it would not automatically put them on a path to obtaining citizenship or even permanent resident status. "We must make our immigration laws more rational, and more humane," Bush told 200 Latino supporters attending his first White House announcement of the election year. "I believe we can do so without jeopardizing the livelihoods of American citizens." What Bush calls his "temporary worker" program was eagerly embraced by business groups but condemned as stingy and impractical by advocates for immigrants. Many said it has little chance of passing Congress in the form Bush described.
Source: Mike Allen, Washington Post, p. A1 Jan 8, 2004
Mexico: immigration reform in exchange for oil development Bush envisioned a Mexican border open to labor, to trade, and open to investment-especially investment in energy. Mexico had banned foreign investment in its energy industry in 1938, and ever since, Mexican oil production has been controlled by the creaky, corrupt, and polluting state monopoly, Pemex. If Mexico opened itself to the exploration and development of its oil resources by American entrepreneurs & technology, Mexican oil might possibly displace Arab oil from the US market altogether. For this energy "quid," Mexico would of course demand some equally valuable "quo"-and in Bush's mind that "quo" was immigration reform. Bush believed that immigration was valuable to the US and praised it again and again in public speeches and his private conversations.
So the Bush administration designed a system for regularizing the Mexican-US labor relationship-not an amnesty like that of 1986, but a grander system for enabling Mexicans to work in the US temporarily and then to go home again.
Source: The Right Man, by David Frum, p. 84-85 Jun 1, 2003
Respect other languages, but teach all children English Q: Should English be made the country’s official language? A: The ability to speak English is the key to success in America. I support a concept I call English-plus, insisting on English proficiency but recognizing the invaluable richness that other languages and cultures brings to our nation of immigrants. In Texas, the Spanish language enhances and helps define our state’s history. My fundamental priority is results. Whether a school uses an immersion program or a bilingual program, whichever effectively teaches children to read and comprehend English as quickly as possible, I will support. The standard is English literacy and the goal is equal opportunity - all in an atmosphere where every heritage is respected and celebrated.
Source: Associated Press Nov 1, 2000
$500M to cut INS application time to 6 months Expanding on a proposal to improve the INS, Bush pledged $500 million in new spending yesterday to cut the time needed to process an immigration application to an average of six months. Bush said the process now takes three to five years. Late last year, the INS announced that average times had been reduced from two years to 12 months, and were headed lower. ’’We will bring to the INS a new standard of service and a culture of respect,’’ Bush said. The new spending, to be doled out over five years, is the latest part of an INS overhaul plan that Bush’s campaign believes will resonate with Latino voters. ‘’We’ve got an INS that is too bureaucratic, too stuck in the past,’’ he said.
Last week, Bush announced that he wants to split the INS into two agencies: one for legitimate immigrants and one for border enforcement. He also proposed allowing relatives of permanent residents to visit the US while their own immigration papers are being processed.
Source: Paul Shepard, Associated Press, in Boston Globe, page A12 Jul 6, 2000
Welcome Latinos; immigration is not a problem to be solved Latinos come to the US to seek the same dreams that have inspired millions of others: they want a better life for their children. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande. Latinos enrich our country with faith in God, a strong ethic of work, community & responsibility. We can all learn from the strength, solidarity, & values of Latinos. Immigration is not a problem to be solved, it is the sign of a successful nation. New Americans are to be welcomed as neighbors and not to be feared as strangers. Source: Speech in Washington, D.C. Jun 26, 2000
Make INS more “immigrant friendly” Bush [would] divide the INS into two agencies: one to deal with the enforcement components of border protection and interior enforcement, and another to deal with the service components of naturalization. Bush will change the INS policy so that spouses & minor children of permanent residents can apply for visitor visas while their immigration applications are pending. He will reverse the presumption that such family members will violate their terms of admission, and will encourage family reunification. Source: Speech in Washington, D.C. Jun 26, 2000
High tech: More H-1B worker visas; less export controls Supports meaningful, broad-based tort reform to protect our most innovative companies from frivolous and junk lawsuits Supports lifting the current limit on H-1B visas; believes long term solution to the shortage of high tech workers is education Called for reforming the high tech export control system by allowing American companies to sell products in the international marketplace when these products are readily available in foreign or mass markets Source: GeorgeWBush.com: ‘Issues: Policy Points Overview’ Apr 2, 2000
Farm policy: Open markets abroad; more H-2A worker visas Calls upon European Union to abide by the rules of the World Trade Organization and allow importation of genetically modified farm products Would work aggressively to open markets for U.S. products and producers Supports reviewing and expanding the H-2A temporary agriculture workers program so that willing workers can provide much needed help to America’s farmers Source: GeorgeWBush.com: ‘Issues: Policy Points Overview’ Apr 2, 2000
Latinos enrich us; family values go past Rio Grande Latinos have come to the US to seek the same dreams that have inspired millions of others: they want a better life for their children. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River. Latinos enrich our country with faith in God, a strong ethic of work and community and responsibility. Immigration is not a problem to be solved; it is the sign of a successful nation. New Americans are not to be feared as strangers; they are to be welcomed as neighbors. Source: Reforming the INS, in “Renewing America’s Purpose” Feb 9, 2000
More border guards to compassionately turn away Mexicans We must do a better job of stopping those who seek to come into our country illegally. I support strict border enforcement programs such as Operation Hold the Line, which concentrate border patrol officers and resources at known border-crossing points. I believe it is far more compassionate to turn away people at the border than to attempt to find and arrest them once they are living in our country illegally. Source: “A Charge to Keep”, p.237. Dec 9, 1999
Guest workers, maybe; citizenship waiting period, yes Bush pledged to revisit guest worker programs and other ways for immigrants to come into the country, but said he would insist on immigration controls and a waiting period before citizenship. Source: Mike Glover, Associated Press Aug 6, 1999
There is a whole thread now on this English plus debate. People are shocked horrified. Bush has betrayed us again However
"Q: Should English be made the country’s official language? A: The ability to speak English is the key to success in America. I support a concept I call English-plus, insisting on English proficiency but recognizing the invaluable richness that other languages and cultures brings to our nation of immigrants. In Texas, the Spanish language enhances and helps define our state’s history. My fundamental priority is results. Whether a school uses an immersion program or a bilingual program, whichever effectively teaches children to read and comprehend English as quickly as possible, I will support. The standard is English literacy and the goal is equal opportunity - all in an atmosphere where every heritage is respected and celebrated.
Source: Associated Press Nov 1, 2000
PLease folks. Right here you have it. What is Bush's defination of Amnesty. He has said it time and time again. From the 2004 State of the Union " ask Congress to reform our immigration laws so they reflect our values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary-worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy, because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary-worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing border patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security. I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary-worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.
Source: 2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress Jan 20, 2004
versus Kerry "Amnesty to anyone here over 5 or 6 years Q: Would you support legalizing undocumented immigrants in this country? KERRY: Absolutely. I supported and was prepared to vote for amnesty from 1986. And it is essential to have immigration reform. Anyone who has been in this country for five or six years, who's paid their taxes, who has stayed out of trouble, ought to be able to translate into an American citizenship immediately, not waiting.
Source: Democratic Primary Debate, Albuquerque New Mexico Sep 4, 2003 "
So folks in the conservative movement need to quit saying he is lying or backing off. Guest Worker programs its above. In fact its the almighty Republican Platform for 2004. So please, I think thats a good indication that being for a guest worker program is not being a Rino.
In fact a pretty good set of principles that pretty much outlined his viewpoints going back to 99.
Agree or Disagree but people need to stop making charges of betrayal. It was all there for all to see from these quotes and probaly thousands more. We have a President that sticks to his word. Thats something to be promoted not bashed.
I knew what he was, just like I knew what his daddy was. I won't compromise my values to vote for another moderate passed off as a Campaign Conservative by the GOP, no matter who the Dem candidate is.
No more, no more.
Lie.
I propose a new temporary-worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be found to fill the job
OK, so right after an employer polls all 125 million Americans of working age we can talk about letting a few educated immigrants in. Until then, seal the borders.
Q: Should English be made the country’s official language?
This is a yes or no question. It doesn't require a paragraph to respond to it. Instead the President says this:I support a concept I call English-plus, So in other words, he does not support making English the official language of the United States. The more astute Freepers will notice that he pulled a standard politicians trick. He didn't answer the question posed, he answered the one he wished were posed.
My temporary-worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.
Maybe the Presidents plan will do that, but the one currently under consideration in the Senage won't.
My temporary-worker program will preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law
Unless of course they've managed to break the Law for a certain period of time..then they'll get to go right to the head of the line.
L
Well I commend you for that. I love when people stand up and say what your're saying. Its honest and its the facts. I guess I want the record to be clear as to when he was campaigning this was what he stood for.
It's a bully tactic. Everyone knew where he stood before getting elected and then reelected but now some think that they can bully him to go against his original positions.
Let's face it, there are people out there so blinded with anger that their rhetoric has become irrational.
Immigration automatically means illegal immigration.
Guest worker program automatically means amnesty.
Now, there are jobs out there that Americans won't do. Reasons being that they are too menial, too dangerous or sadly enough, it's easier to get welfare than be forced to go get a job. However, when an employer has a job site to finish, a contract to fulfill or a deadline to make, they will hire the person willing to work.
G W Bush is an honest man. He is not sold out to anybody on this issue. And while I disagree with him on this issue, I still respect him and won't denegrate him. We just see this issue differently. I also won't set out '06 or waste a protest vote. Never never never never ever elect any dim for any reason.
welcome to the Third World Order. Our immigration policy is about to become importation of poverty from around the world.
No, but a vote for the President doesn't require absolute unquestioning assent to wrong-headed policy. That's why there was revolt of Harriet Miers and why there is revolt now. It's what happens when you choose between the lesser of two evils at election time. A lot of conservatives are realizing that by constantly settling for half a loaf, they wind up with crumbs at the end of the day.
Well I think he is clear he doesnt support 'English Only" regardless if he did not give a one word answer. The way he answered it is how any good public speaker would answer it by promoting the postive oof his idea. The Repoerter should have asked a followup.
They are not going to the head of the line. That was the Kerry position. Under the BUsh plan they have a ton of qualifications and basically have to wait 11 years even then.
No Comment other than have you read the proposed legislation? Did you hear Senator Sessions this morning?
Why did it take five, or so, years to discover immigration as a problem? I think the administration is in legacy panic mode.
Sorry, but I take exception to the word "immigrant". The people invading the U.S. are not immigrants, they are law breakers, and the gubmint is doing nothing but encouraging them for their own benefit - NOT OURS. Immigrants are people who go through the legal means of applying to enter our country, then comply with our laws. Compassion should not apply to law breakers. Nor should benefits paid for by the American people. There are no jobs the American people would not do to support themselves or their families, no matter how many times the globalists say there are. It's time ALL Americans wake up. That is, if it is not too late.
Thanks, I mean I guess thats my point. There are many conservatives that have the same position as you. In fact its the honorable one to have. I rarely know anyone that agrees with the a poltician or a party on a hundred percent of the issues.
Yes I heard excerpts and heard Sessions comments in the past week. My problem is and I might be wrong is that he assuming that what the Heritage report, that was released I think this week, is stating is correct. I have problems with that report myself and I think it inflates some numbers by not looking at some realities. However this morning he might have been going off some other study. I will have to double check tonight.
I've done more than just a little public speaking. If one is asked a 'yes or no' question then one should respond with a yes or with a no, not launch off into a speech about a literacy program which has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the question asked.
They are not going to the head of the line
They aren't going to the back of the line either. Immigrants from every other nation on the planet have to apply from their country of origin. Why not the folks who have broken our laws and violated our borders?
L
And we must have a rational, humane guest-worker program that rejects amnesty
It's just too bad that neither the President nor the Senate have come up with a plan that meets that criteria.
L
I don't defend him on illegal immigration, but I also don't nitpick his every word. I generally take him at his word even if I disagree with him. So I probably can't answer your question. Others here probably will though.
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