Posted on 03/08/2002 1:24:33 PM PST by sarcasm
Friday, March 08, 2002 - WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom Tancredo takes credit for thwarting the Bush administration's last effort to offer partial amnesty to thousands of illegal residents, but Thursday the outspoken immigration foe said he may have been outmaneuvered by the White House.
President Bush has struck a deal with the House leadership to place legislation that offers an extension of amnesty on its consent calendar before Bush heads to Mexico for a state visit next week, the Colorado Republican said. That action should ensure quick House passage of legislation that Bush has repeatedly sought from Congress. It would allow an undocumented person to receive legal standing, such as a valid green card, by filing a declaration with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. It presumably also would require the person to have been in the United States by a certain date and have filed a declaration with the INS from an appropriate sponsor, such as a relative or employer, and pay a $1,000 penalty. "The terms are still up in the air," said Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration, a group that has been allied with Tancredo. "We've heard to the effect that the president wants something to bring down to Mexico." The initial Bush proposal, designed exclusively for Mexicans, once was high on the president's legislative wish list, but it was delayed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. However, as the president noted Wednesday in a speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he now is pushing for the extension of the amnesty program known by the section of immigration law that covers it, Section 245I. The president hailed it as a way to reunite family, separated by the border. "If you believe in family values, if you understand the worth of family and the importance of family, let's get 245I out of the United States Congress and give me a chance to sign it," Bush told the chamber members. Tancredo, the head of a congressional caucus on immigration issues and proponent of halting virtually all immigration, said he had blocked a previous attempt by Bush to push an extension of the amnesty program through the House. But this time, he said House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., had agreed to place the issue on the suspension, or consent, calendar, making it difficult to defeat the proposal. The Senate might be more favorable to the bill than the House, expanding the numbers of individuals who can apply, Tancredo said.
You nailed it head on! While most people are concerned over the "legal" vs. "illegal" aspect of immigration the more pressing issue is that the ultimate goal of our leaders is to remove the middle class.
Good God, he's becoming a more brazen dictator than Emperor Clinton ever aspired to be.
Thank you for your email.
I appreciate your thoughts regarding U.S. immigration policies and the review that the Bush Administration is conducting.
I am pleased that the Bush Administration has embarked on an aggressive review of previously established policies. He has shown a willingness to challenge the status quo in many areas, from our national energy policy to national security programs and immigration.
On the particular subject of immigration, many viewpoints are being aired on this often-contentious issue; however, no changes have been formally proposed. I believe that conducting an open debate on the many issues involved is helpful, and I welcome your input.
Recently, data from the 2000 Census was released, giving many Americans a new appreciation of the breadth of the demographic changes that took place in the last part of the 20th century. As many as 12.5% of the population is of Hispanic origin, while 12.1% of the population regards itself as Black or African American. We can compare this trend with the last half of the 19th century, when 13.8% of the population was foreign born and 11.6% of the population was African American.
I share your concern about the problem of illegal immigration. There are, without question, limits to the number of immigrants the United States can absorb each year, and the troubles that confront our border states demonstrate the potentially overwhelming effects of insufficiently controlled immigration.
Traditionally, America has welcomed immigrants. This tradition is based on the premise that immigration creates a valuable diversity. Virtually all Americans, with the exception of Native Americans, are descended from people who originally hailed from foreign lands or who have immigrated themselves. Many recent immigrants have made great contributions to our nation and communities.
Again, I appreciate knowing your views on this complex issue. With our mutual interests in mind, I will continue to seek a balance in our immigration policies among our heritage as a nation of immigrants, a practical need to control the rate of immigration, and a program of international economic development that addresses migrant issues at their source.
I am grateful for your interest in this vital issue, and for taking the time to communicate your thoughts to me.
Sincerely,
Richard G. Lugar
Amen
[You are not alone! There are now at least two of us, 'Tooth!]
FReegards
Brian
EBUCK
In my opinion, el señor Bush should be sitting beside Mr. Walker being tried for conspiracy against the United States of America!
Watch the bills coming up..my guess is that they will nationalize health care and education SOON
Does that sound parnoid? Does it sound like Tin foil hat material ? Just wait and see..wag the dog is in full progress..
This President is no conservative..the "New World Order " fruit has not fallen far from the tree.
As the tax pressures build in the big immigration states (you may add NY to that list) there will be an outcry for the Feds to take over..Viva la national health care!
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