Republican Lawmakers Won’t Back Bush on Immigration

CNSNews.com ^ | 1/26/2004 | Susan Jones

[yoe]

Republican lawmakers who generally back President Bush are not backing him on immigration. In fact, they want their leaders to know they have "serious concerns" about President Bush's proposed immigration policy.

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and several other members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus said they won't go along with the president's plan because it "does not address the problem appropriately."

"In fact, in our view, it will further exacerbate the problem and create discontent amongst the Republican Party," the letter said.

Jones, in a press release, said he and other lawmakers would consider alternative guest-worker legislation, as long as it does not reward lawbreakers with amnesty.

Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty, Jones and the other lawmakers said in their letter.

"Since the President's speech, our offices have been inundated with calls from dismayed constituents expressing vehement opposition to the Administration's proposal," the "Dear Mr. Speaker" letter said.

"If we do not listen to our constituents on this matter, our influence and effectiveness in Congress could be jeopardized. Simply put, we cannot continue to allow our immigration laws to be violated and ignored -- and illegal aliens are by definition criminals."

According to the letter, President Bush's immigration proposal has left many conservatives "dismayed, angry and confused."

"Mr. Speaker, it is our hope that you will recognize the problems the Administration's proposal has created for our constituents," the letter says.

It notes that "respect for the rule of law is a core conservative value," and it urges the Republican leadership in the House to find a solution to America's immigration problem "that is more in line with the principles of our Party and our national traditions."

Earlier this month, President Bush proposed a new "temporary worker program" that would offer temporary legal status to millions of undocumented workers who have jobs in the U.S.

Bush said his program would "match willing foreign workers with willing American employers when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs."

Temporary workers would be expected to return permanently to their countries after their work stint in the United States has expired. Temporary workers wishing to seek American citizenship would be allowed to apply in the normal way, according to the president's plan.

"They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start. I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," Bush said.

"America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America," Bush added.

Bush's proposal drew immediate criticism from conservatives, who see it as a threat to national security and an affront to the rule of law.

[sarasmom]

You have sworn the same oath that the pilot of the aircraft you maintain has sworn.
You dont get to decide whether or not to obey a lawfull order, any more than the pilot who drops the MOAB or 500"er or nuke does.
But you are charged with discerning the difference between a lawfull order and something patently unconstitutional.
And if you even think that civilians, even the POTUS, are placing you against the Constitution of the USA, and you follow through on an unlawfull order, I will shoot you myself, and I would have done so as your NCOIC, and I will do so now as a civilian.
If you have not thought about this, best you start thinking about it now.

[Reagan Man]

Thanks for posting the info.

Hope people take the time to read it.

The pro-amnesty/open borders faction is the minority opinion in America today and for good reason.

[k2blader]

Nice analogy!! ;-D

[afropick]

You act like I have no clue of what to determine whats a lawful order or not. My point is simple, if Pres Bush loses and a democrat takes over, then a whole lot of us in the service will have to be better at distinguishing the orders we follow. Especially, if we got to defend our national interests and Pres Kerry or Dean have to "beg" for permission from the UN.

[whadizit]

You are so right about the "Fox"! He is playing GW like a fiddle!

Someone please tell me what it is about Bush that makes him such a sucker! And, why has he not done anything about our intelligence community? Tenet was a Clinton appointee...why not revamp?

[Libertina]

and will create discontent amongst the Republican Party
Can say THAT again!

[sarasmom]

My heart "bleedsforyourpain".
ROTFLMAO
I had Carter as my first POTUS.
Deal with it.

[whadizit]

This administration has gone WAY too far left to try to get votes, IMO!! I am no mental heavyweight, but I have enough sense to know that HE WILL NEVER CONVERT ANY DEMOCRAT OR ILLEGAL ALIEN!! The lines have been drawn too boldly and that is due to the Clinton adm. The divisiveness began there. It was a ploy of BC and Hillary, and, though GW tried to reach out, nobody wanted to reach back!!

So, GW has followed the liberal agenda to get their votes. He has done their work and will NOT get their votes. Tsk, tsk....

[Libertina]

Michelle Malkina and Phylis Schlafely were among the panel on "immigration" at CPAC. They rocked - I wish President Bush could hear a couple of straight-thinking American like them and get away from his "advisors."

[TLI]

We've tried (in California) voting to prohibit illegals from obtaining government benefits and that didn't work.

Did not work in the vote did not pass or did not work in that the vote passed . . . and government ignored the will of the American Citizens?

TLI

[MissAmericanPie]

"President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned."

He lost his credibility for me when he surrounded himself with the heads of terrorists charity fronts demanding respect for their civil rights the night of 9-11 or 9-12. I tried to tell myself it was a mistake and sloppy impromtu planning on the part of his handlers, like the "Made in the USA" labels hurriedly slapped on imports from China during his speech at a factory.

But then came Ramadan at the "People's House", still with heads of terrorists charity fronts. I still have no idea why that did not upset more people than just me. Some say it's playing politics and diplomacy to reassure the Muslim world that we are not engaging in a crusade, which by all rights we should be.

Even if that were the case, I think it's going a little far to honor Allah during the Christmas season at the White House no less. It makes Clintons throwing gay's a dinner seem pretty mild by comparison. I felt it showed a total lack of compassion for his fellow countrymen still recovering from 9-11 to celebrate those responsible and give them a landmark celebration in the nations landmark Presidential mansion.

[FITZ]

It's interesting too that it wasn't Vicente Fox who brought Guiliani to Mexico City --- but Lopez Obrador of the PRD party. If Fox was serious, he would have done something about Ciudad Juarez as soon as he got into office, that would have won him a lot of political capital --- but he showed no interest in the problems of the people there.

I know we consider PRD to be far left --- but it seems to be the only party that is working for the average Mexican --- at least the average rural type trying desperately to hang on to what they've got left in Mexico.

[TLI]

"America has no stomach to deport 10 million illegals"

I am an American, and I have a stomach for it.

118 posted on 01/26/2004 7:37:25 PM CST by RepublicanHippy

America has 85% of the stomach for it, 99% of politicans do not. The media will blast "polls" taken at Betties Beauty Shop at 2:15 in the afternoon that "prove" 73% of americans believe the illegals will save us from bad breath, bordem and 3 drops of sweat. UTOPIA!

Personally, I say let's start first thing in the morning.

TLI

[TLI]

Shut up and enjoy it.

Shut up? naaaa.

Enjoy it? naaaa.

Do somthing about it?

Kinda makes ya hair stand up, doesn't it?

T L I

[Destro]

You are thinking way too much off the reservation.

[MissAmericanPie]

I found it insulting and off the reservation to celebrate Ramadan at the People's House. I suppose it depends on one's perspective.