Cornyn to Obama: Immigration reform NOW--not next year

Houston Chronicle ^ | August 10, 2009 04:43 PM | Richard Dunham

[fiodora]

Texas Sen. John Cornyn and President Obama don't agree on much. One subject of common purpose: Both men want comprehensive immigration reform.

But Cornyn took strong exception today to Obama's comment at a press conference in Guadalajara that immigration reform would have to wait until next year.

"Today President Obama backtracked on his promise to address comprehensive immigration reform during his first year in office," Cornyn said in a statement released by his office. "After stating several times on the campaign trail that it would be a 'top priority,' I am disappointed he has changed his tune."

O

Said Cornyn: "Immigration reform is long overdue and belongs on President Obama's full plate."

"It's important that immigration legislation protects our borders, promotes economic prosperity in Texas and throughout the United States, and is consistent with our American values of compassion, family, and opportunity," Cornyn declared. "I urge President Obama to reconsider his decision and put immigration reform back on his priority list."

• • •

What do you think? Do you want comprehensive immigration reform this year? Next year? Never?

[Sybeck1]

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=TX&VIPID=1081

Voted in favor of motion to invoke cloture on S. 2611 to increase overall immigration numbers and reward illegal aliens with amnesty in 2006

Sen. Cornyn voted in favor of a motion to invoke cloture on S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. The motion to invoke cloture was a procedural move to ends debate on S. 2611. If the motion had been rejected by at least 40 Senators, Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD (R-TN) would have had to choose between continued debate on S. 2611 and moving on to other legislative business. If the motion had failed, Sen. Frist was expected to move on to other legislative business, thus effectively killing the bill. S. 2611 provides an indirect path to citizenship for illegal aliens. S. 2611 also provides for major increases in temporary worker visas and permanent immigrant visas. It provides for at least an additional 100,000 H-1B visas annually; an additional 325,000 new guestworker visas (H-5A/H-2C visas); a one-time-only permanent increase of 310,660. In addition, the S. 2611 includes amnesty for an estimated 10.2 million illegal aliens (about 6.7 million illegal alien workers and 3.5 million illegal aliens spouse and/or children). The cloture motion passed by a vote of 73 to 25.

Cosponsored a bill in 2007 to encourage illegal immigration
Sen. Cornyn cosponsored S. 422, the Secure Border Crossing Card Entry Act of 2007. This bill would have established parity between Mexican nationals who possessed a valid biometric Border Crossing Card (BCC [also known as a “laser visa”]), who have completed the necessary security checks (a rarity in today’s lax enforcement environment), who visit the United States and Canadian “visitors” by allowing BCC bearers to remain in the United States for up to six months (Mexican nationals with BCCs may only stay in the United States for up to 30 days, while Canadians possessing “tourist” visas may stay up to one year); would have retained DHS’ authority to set the length of time those with BCCs may remain in the United States; would have authorized that agency to modify the length of admission on a case-by-case basis if good cause exists; and would have made a Mexican national inadmissible for the BCC admission period if: (1) he/she was inadmissible as a nonimmigrant; (2) he/she had previously violated his/her nonimmigrant status; or (3) the BCC was not processed through a machine reader at the U.S. port of entry. Sen. John Cornyn (R-T exas) was the measure’s main sponsor.

[freekitty]

http://senate.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_Cornyn.htm

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

Cornyn has been weak on immigration since at least 2000 (that’s when I noticed it)

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

>>He opposed the 2007 amnesty did he not? I don’t remember him pushing for it - in fact, quite the opposite.,<<

I do. in 2000 or maybe 2001. I’m from Texas.

[SoConPubbie]

Where did he say he want to import tens of millions of opponent voters?

Are you dense or just ill-informed?

Immigration Reform has always been code-words for Amnesty.

[TheThinker]

Obama, speaking at the conclusion of a North American leaders' summit in Mexico, told reporters that his plate was full, what with health-care reform and energy/climate change legislation."It's important for us to sequence these big initiatives," the president reasoned, "so they don't all crash at the same time."

So now that he has met such resistance to simultaneously ramming through unread bills, he's now going to be gracious enough to try to ram them through one at a time.