Posted on 05/23/2006 3:37:01 PM PDT by KyleM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Chairman of the 97-member House Immigration Reform Caucus, expressed disappointment at Rep. Mike Pence’s policy shift on immigration reform. At a Heritage Foundation speech this afternoon, Pence presented what he called “a rational middle ground… between amnesty and mass deportation” that turns its back on a enforcement-first strategy, grants rogue employers amnesty, and would in effect reward illegal aliens for breaking the law.
“Mike Pence is making the same mistakes that the President has, using the straw man of mass deportations and redefining amnesty to suit his interests. Unfortunately, like the President, Pence is breaking from House conservatives who remain steadfast in their support of a security-first approach to immigration,” said Tancredo.
Pence’s plan would require illegal aliens to return to their home countries to apply for a new ‘W’ worker visa. Employers could hire as many foreign workers as they want under the W visa, and, in practice, they would likely hire the same workers who they employed illegally before. Pence wants to start the new foreign worker program before border security is even proved effective, which is the same strategy that was used in the 1986 amnesty. Twenty years later, the U.S. got amnesty as promised but no border security.
“Pence’s W visa is aptly named. It gives the Administration exactly what it wants: unlimited foreign workers first, enforcement later or never,” said Tancredo. “Pence’s plan is just the 1986 amnesty with a trip home tacked on.”
The Pence plan includes no prevailing wage standard for foreign workers—it simply relies on the good will of employers to “try to hire American workers” before offering jobs under the new foreign worker visa. In fact, almost all current visas require employers to offer the job to American workers before seeking foreign labor, but with no enforcement mechanism, the requirement is laughable.
“The House’s strategy in H.R. 4437 was to fix the illegal alien problem by enforcing the law. Over time, as illegal workers cannot obtain jobs, they go home because they have no other option open to them. Pence takes a much different approach: fix illegal behavior by legalizing it,” said Tancredo. “As a conservative and a friend of Mike Pence, I am baffled by his shift on immigration. I hope he reconsiders his position and returns to an enforcement-first position.”
Yes - several freepers have pointed that out about Tancredo. My point in asking is so many freeper want mass deportation and I didn't think that any politician was endorsing that including Tancredo, but I wanted to make sure and so asked the question.
While you are at it, why not disenfranchise millions of Americans who have sought counseling.
Fair point made about already having guest worker visa program.
What burns me is that so many try to follow our nation's rules and they are made to wait for years and years and years and still often times denied.
BUT OTOH those that skip all the rules and "jump the border" are rewarded.
It really cannot get any more backwards than it has become.
Peach self deportation thru attrition would suffice for the folks that call for it. Deporting by force those that we do find along the way is not any different than cops aprehending other forms of criminals as is done everyday.
I really do not see why one is not the same as the other. Punishment given for crime done is supposed to apply to all equally eh?
LOL!!!! That was hilarious!
How do you know that? "Mass deportation" will take place on its own once employers start paying heavy fines and going to jail for hiring illegal aliens. I don't care if mass deportations go along with it. They illegal aliens are here ILLEGALLY!!! Why is that so hard to understand? How many laws are you allowed to break openly and repeatedly without having to pay the consequences? Why is illegally crossing the border considered to be an acceptable form of breaking the law?
I think that Tancredo got it right... any form of guest worker program without first securing the border and expelling or deporting the illegals first, is an amesty program by any other name.
And that's exactly why Bush and his RINO cronies, and his buddies on the Dem side of the aisle have all locked shoulders on this issue. Bush Big Business wants the constant supply of and access to cheap labor; the Dems know that all those cherry pickers will be primed for voting Democrat.
After observing how this issue has progressed, I'm coming to the conclusion that the best thing we can hope for is for NOTHING to be done, because if ANYTHING is legislated, it is likely to worsen the situation (i.e., if the president/Dems/RINOs get their wishes). I think our best hope is for the American citizen to take border protection into their own hands, and then just deal with the fact that we're stuck with these 12 million cherry pickers, and hope it doesn't get any worse. There's strong dedication to the cuase among the Minutemen; maybe it will continue to proliferate.
Please explain to me what Pence's position would be on children born to guest workers?
Guest workers what a crock. It's amazing we have survived without the mexicans. Ya know, here in Atlanta they had their stupid strikes and it was great. Jobs still got done, the city didn't shut down. The difference in the traffic was amazing and when you went into any store you didn't feel like you were in a third world country.
BUILD A DANG WALL AND ENFORCE THE DANG LAWS AND THEY WILL LEAVE ON THEIR OWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE TELL ME WHY IS THIS SUCH A HARD CONCEPT TO UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND we can deport 12 or 20 million. Its just a matter of Leadership. President has none on this issue.
If there are 20 million Illegals, they didn't all get here in one day and thus they wouldn't be all deported in one day. Just like someone 20 pounds overweight, he goes on a diet and drops a couple of pounds a month. Once you build a fence and a new ID entry card, then ....
- you start deporting them one or two million a year.
I agree it is backwards. Those that play by the rules are more or less punished. This is so wrong that I fear for the US in the future. We have always been a nation of laws but no longer.
Yes, but if you've ever seen Pence in person, you probably wouldn't believe a word he said. Very slimy.
I applaud Rep. Pence's speech and I believe his solution is a good solution between full amnesty and forcefully deporting 12 million illegal aliens. This is what the President said that he wanted, but the President's plan is unacceptable and nowhere near the House legislation that most Americans support. I may be able to be convinced that dropping the felony portion of the bill as well as adding some limited protection of so-called "good Samaritans" is acceptable in order to see passage of HR 4437.
I think Rep. Pence is doing a good job of thinking outside of the box, which is what is necessary to find a solution that will be approved by both the House and the Senate and signed into law by the President.
But, Rep. Tancredo makes some excellent points that I think need to be address by Rep. Pence and carefully considered in the final legislation to be voted on. I like Rep. Pence's ideas to solve this problem, but we can't have promises without some sort of guarantee that they will be filled. There must be some sort of metric to measure the success of border security efforts as well as how many employers have committed to participate in the program and how many illegal aliens have self deported in order to be allowed to participate in the program. Somehow, we have to avoid the terrible mistakes made in 1986 when amnesty was passed and border security promises made with it were not kept. We must learn from our own recent history to ensure that we don't repeat the same mistakes that have lead to so many millions of illegal aliens to violate our borders and trespass here.
That being said, I also believe that Rep. Tancredo was a little harsh in his somewhat hasty response to Rep. Pence's proposals. As I said, Rep. Tancredo brought up some excellent points that needs to be addressed, but there was probably a better way for him to make those points.
Yep. They mince about "wage inflation" but they're hooked on cheap labor like crack.
Just stop.
Rep. Tancredo made barely more (less than $100K more) in fundraising than Rep. Pence (for example). He is not on the payroll of the PAC that bears his name. Since 2003, he's received a grand total of $900 and change from the PAC, probably to reimburse expenses since it is his PAC. He raises funds just like every Republican congressman. And the funds he raises is about the same as the average of all Congressmen. He's nowhere near the top fundraiser.
So, your accusation is false. You can look it up yourself on the appropriate websites that provide searchable databases for the candidates and PACs.
So, stop it. You're making a claim that is not supported by facts. And you're doing so to attack one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress.
"you start deporting them one or two million a year."
And then they head right back over the border. Again and again if necessary. It can cost us $25,000 in incarceration and transport fees to deport a single illegal who will head right back.
Workplace enforcement is the way to go.
I have to agree with you. But I must add that GOP House members will likely suffer even more if they end up passing a bad bill. I want to see the details, but I think Pence's bill is not a bad bill from what I've read so far.
Why do you make such a ridiculous accusation? "Queen of the political grifters??!" How do you come to that conclusion? Show us facts to back up your argument.
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