Posted on 03/12/2002 5:27:41 PM PST by hchutch
WASHINGTON, March 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The House today by a 275-137 margin passed legislation providing critical visa and border security safeguards. These protections, already passed by the House without opposition on December 19, 2001, have been held up by Democratic opposition in the Senate.
"This legislation provides vital changes to our immigration laws to fight terrorism and prevent exploitation by some illegal aliens who wish to harm Americans. It builds upon enhanced data sharing requirements in the PATRIOT Act and includes key changes to our immigration laws such as requiring new biometric visas and strengthening the foreign student tracking system," stated House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.). "It's time for the Senate Leadership to act on this legislation. The visa and border security provisions passed almost three months ago and we've seen zero movement by the Senate."
Visa and border security highlights include:
-- Strengthening the foreign student tracking system by requiring that it track: 1) the acceptance of aliens by educational institutions; 2) the issuance of visas to the aliens; 3) the admission into the U.S. of the aliens and the notification of these educational institutions of the admittance of these aliens; and 4) the enrollment of the aliens at the institutions.
-- Requiring the State Department by October 26, 2003 to only issue to aliens visas and other travel documents that are tamper-resistant and machine-readable using standardized biometric identifiers. Aliens entering the U.S. under the visa waiver program will have to possess passports with the same features (if issued after this date). By the same date (October 26, 2003) the INS must install scanners to read the biometric documents at all ports of entry. The INS must implement an integrated entry and exit data system (for nationals of countries other than Canada) containing arrival and departure data from these documents.
-- Requiring U.S. embassies and consulates to utilize terrorist lookout committees in order to ensure that the names of known terrorists are routinely and consistently brought to the attention of consular officials.
-- Barring nationals of countries that are state sponsors of terrorism from receiving temporary visas unless it has been determined that the aliens do not pose a threat to the safety of Americans or the national security of the U.S.
-- Providing an electronic data system that allows current and immediate access for consular officers and INS officials to information in databases of U.S. law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community.
-- Authorizing an additional 200 INS inspectors and 200 INS investigative personnel for each of the fiscal years 2002 through 2006. Also increases the pay and training of INS personnel, including Border Patrol agents, and beefs up consular offices at U.S. embassies. $150 million is authorized for the INS for improving technology at the border.
Today's legislation also included a temporary extension of the 245(i) immigration program. H.R. 1885 will allow qualifying illegal aliens to utilize section 245(i) as long as they have green card petitions filed on their behalf by the earlier of November 30, 2002, or four months after the date the Attorney General issues implementing regulations. It also requires that aliens must have entered the family relationships qualifying them for permanent residence by August 14, 2001. Under H.R. 1885, section 245(i) is a temporary program that will not become a permanent part of U.S. immigration law. A similar extension of the 245(i) program passed the House on May 21, 2001 by a 336-43 margin.
It looks to me like Bush is using this amnesty to force Daschle to pass the rest of the program, which is FAR more important.
The left does not like efforts to crack down on illegal immigration - that I will concede. And we don't like the notion of an amnesty, either. What it looks like Bush has done is trade an amnesty that will last for four months at the most in return for the border security package Daschle's bottled up.
It's like the trade the Brewers (my favorite baseball team) made earlier this year. They traded Jeromy Burnitz, a good player who had a decent following in the city, in a three-team deal with the Mets and Rockies. The team also traded a pitcher who was very good when healthy (one year with semi-good health over the past three), and a couple of bench players for a left-handed starter who was decent but stayed healthy, a 4th outfielder, and a decent pinch-hitter.
The trade looked bad at the time, but when they signed a free agent, my view changed a little. This free agent could provide 95% of Burnitz's production, and the Brewers are paying him $6 million less than they would be paying Burnitz.
THAT made the deal look a LOT better.
Daschle's possibly in a box now. He either goes along, and illegal immigration will be much easier to handle (especially since immigration documents will be harder to forge, plus we'll have the amnesty as an excuse to deport anyone who HASN'T applied), or he bottles it up, and we play a race card against the Dems (ain't that poetic justice?).
This is not the best thing in the world, but it isn't a bad deal, either.
You hit that nail on the head. Why be informed when you can come on here ranting and screaming about how the Pubbies and GWB have sold out America?
I never thought I'd use this word to describe our side, but the extremists on this board are worse than the liberals when it comes to distorting the truth and having an inability to listen to reason.
It is always easy to excuse violating your principles, but so much harder to stick to them.This vote was a chicken's way out of dealing with a social issue that effects all Americans.It violates the principle that laws must be obeyed.It demeans Congress and the Presidency.
An amnesty of four months at the MOST is a worthwhile trade, and we have the Democratic obstructionists blocking this thing.
We don't have 535 people like Jeff Flake and Bob Barr in Congress, so we're gonna have to learn to craft deals that can get us anywhere from 60-90% of what we want until we get more people like Barr and Flake in Congress.
Of course, if you decide to have a conniption fit and put Hillary or OwlBore in the Oval Office in 2004, I can't stop you. It's your choice.
So, exactly what principle is being violated here?
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