Response from Sen Feinstein on immigration

Thank you for writing to me about the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005" (H.R. 4437). I appreciate hearing your views on this bill and the issue of immigration, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4437 on December 16th and the bill was then referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration. The Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member, may consider immigration reform legislation this year. Chairman Specter has already expressed an interest in crafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill based on pending Senate bills.

I do not support H.R. 4437, the House passed bill. Although this bill is not presently scheduled for hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee, I do not anticipate that the Senate will pass it in its present form. Know that I will keep your comments in mind asthe Senate moves forward on immigration reform.

Again, thank you for writing. I hope that you will continue to write to me on issues of importance to you. Best regards.

Dear Senator Feinstein,

Last December, the house voted HR4437, a bill that was tough enforcement and allocated money for local law enforcement. It would have levied heavy fines on employers who violate the law and make it easy for them to verify social security numbers. This bill is widely supported by the public, vs. the senate‘s Hagel-Martinez bill. According to the a recent Zogby poll, http://www.cis.org/articles/2006/2006poll.html, Americans favored the house bill by a 2-1 margin.

The Hagel-Martinez bill with the Bingaman amendment is heavily flawed and will cause irreversible changes to America. According to Human Events Online, nearly 10 million illegal aliens will receive amnesty. The bill will also allow an estimated 4.5 million family members of illegal aliens to join their legalized relatives, for a total of 14.4 million beneficiaries. Even with the Bingaman amendment, according to the website, the bill would allow an estimated 66 million people to immigrate legally to the United States in the next 20 years. Like the 1986 immigration act, they also expect that one-fourth (2.6 million) will get amnesty fraudulently. Robert E. Rector of the Heritage Foundation recently stated that if the senate bill were enacted, it “would be the largest expansion of the welfare state in 35 years”.

Millions of uneducated and unskilled workers will flood the job market, keeping wages down and further widening the gap between the rich and the poor. Although immigrants comprise about 12 percent of America's workforce, according to the Center of Immigration Studies, they account for 31 percent of high school dropouts in the workforce. This means that any effects on the wages or job opportunities of natives will disproportionately affect less-skilled workers.

Many poor immigrates without health insurance use the emergency rooms to treat minor ailments. It’s no surprise that many hospitals are beginning to close or turn away patients. The Northridge Hospital Medical Center, the oldest hospital in the San Fernando Valley, announced that they would close by December, as well as Elastar Community Hospital in the East Los Angeles. In the last two years, four other ER rooms, most in low-income areas, have closed in L.A. county, according to the New York Times. If the numbers add up, this bill could amount to a collapse on an already overburdened healthcare system.

I would like to ask you, Senator Feinstein, how changing America’s demographic landscape, lowering wages for low and middle class workers, burdening our economy and closing hospital rooms will benefit America? Or are the majority of your voters who oppose this bill just missing something here?

Next election, we will remember all elected officials who voted for the Hagel-Martinez bill, and I look forward to supporting and voting for you opponent.

Best regards,

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