Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

Reuters ^ | Jan 12, 2005 | Alan Elsner

[GOPXtreme20]

Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican member of the House of Representatives vowed on Wednesday to lead a revolt against President Bush (news - web sites)'s immigration reform proposals and predicted that up to 180 party members would support him.

Bush in an interview with the Washington Times published on Wednesday said he plans to force a debate in Congress this year on his proposal that would allow some illegal immigrants to obtain legal work permits in the United States.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who heads the House Immigration Reform Caucus, said he was determined to block the legislation. The caucus, which had 71 members in the last Congress, argues for stronger action to stop illegal immigration and a reduction of legal migration.

"Why is this so important to the president?" Tancredo said. "Is it just the corporate interests who benefit from cheap labor? Do they have such a strong grip on our president so that he is actually willing to put our nation at risk, because open borders do put our nation at risk?

"Is it petulance, because we were able to stop it in the last Congress? Why is it so important to give amnesty to people who have broken the law?" Tancredo said.

"I'm willing to lead a fight against this and I would say there are at least 180 members of our Republican caucus who are willing at least to stop amnesty for illegal immigrants," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Bush has repeatedly said he views immigration reform as an important issue for his second term. In the Washington Times interview, he said it was near the top of his agenda.

"Look, whether or not you agree with the solution or not, we have a problem in America when you've got 8 million undocumented workers here," he said.

BUSH CONFIDENCE

Bush expressed confidence he could win over opponents, as he did in passing tax reform during his first term. "Initially out of the box, some people said, over my dead body would they pass tax relief ... If I listened to all that, I'd just quit, you know. But that's not the way I think."

But analysts agree that immigration reform could be much more divisive for Republicans since growing numbers of rank-and-file voters are becoming concerned at the continued influx of illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.

"No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration," said David Frum, a former White House speech writer in Bush's first term.

"There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders," he wrote in the National Review last month.

Bush insists he is not offering amnesty to illegal immigrants but Tancredo said that was a "manipulation of language, the kind of thing (former President) Bill Clinton would have done. There is an issue of integrity here and an issue of honesty," he said.

[raybbr]

In this manner, the formerly anonymous 1 million+ employers of illegals are about to lose their key defense: their old anonymity. We're about to know precisely who and where illegals are all employed; and we're going to know this information in an institutional, actionable manner. Why will we know this new information? Because the new immigration plan will register illegals and their employers.

Good grief. I have read this so many times it's silly. If they are not registering now - if they remain illegal now - what is the incentive for them to come out? The only thing Bush can offer them to come out of the woodwork is the promise of future citizenship. But, he's not doing that right?

[Jasper]

"This could be the issue that puts Hillary in the White House."

Maybe, but if this issue is not resolved, it could be the tipping point that results in armed conflict within the US.

/jasper

[FastCoyote]

"but face it these people are doing jobs most Americans snub their nose at,"

If cheap workers were the issue, we could import millions instantly from Eastern Europe who are much better educated and just as hardworking. In fact, there are literally billions of cheap laborers available around the world. Of course, the US would end up looking like Bangladesh, with a slave class, but who cares? We'd have all our lawns mowed.

[raybbr]

Bush's plan is an invitation for illegals. At least the others didn't overtly encourage it.

[hineybona]

Yea , and then get lost in the canyons of the inner city . We have NO IDEA who is in this country as it is.

[hineybona]

Yea , and then get lost in the canyons of the inner city . We have NO IDEA who is in this country as it is.

[Melas]

Hang tough, full speed ahead, we are on YOUR SIDE of this issue Rep. Tancredo

Who is this we stuff? I'm supporting my president, and Tancredo can fade in oblivion.

[Southack]

"As a prospective employer, how do you know I'm not an illegal alien?"

For me to hire you, I am required to check that you have two of scores of acceptable documents that show that you have the right to work here. You need not prove citizenship, but that is one option. Another option is to show a work permit. Your tax id (i.e. social security number/card) + a state issued picture id like a driver's license will work in combination.

To verify that you haven't given me forged documents, I can contact the federal system establish by Senate bill 1685.

These are the existing ways. These aren't "to be" created by some new plan; these are already in place nationally.

[PGalt]

I respectfully disagree. The topic is now on the table and being discussed THANKS TO PRESIDENT BUSH, and A PLAN will be hammered out in the halls of Congress.

[Melas]

I just assumed he meant we the conservatives . . .

As opposed to liberals like President Bush and his supporters? If that's liberal, I'm here to declare my liberalism.

[FastCoyote]

"It will be interesting to see if President Bush will be able to implement his proposed solution to the problem or not"

At the end, what you'll have is a failed blue card program which creates another class of citizen PLUS a continuing wave of illegals. So, you will have fake blue cards, fake green cards, fake drivers licenses, fake matriculas and the only people required to have valid ID will be real citizens. You will also have an underclass of illegals, and a new class of dispossesed blue carders. What a frigging mess, and no way out. Go Bush Go!

[Southack]

"Good grief. I have read this so many times it's silly. If they are not registering now - if they remain illegal now - what is the incentive for them to come out?"

It's not silly, and both Tancredo and President Bush are offering roughly the same incentive: in exchange for registering themselves and their illegal employers, illegal aliens get a legal work permit (the so-called "blue card") for 1 to 3 years, the right to travel across our borders legally and frequently to see their families, full banking and wire transfer rights, and immunity from future raids during their legal tenure...the latter being important because...

...both Tancredo's and Bush's immigration plans register *employers* of illegals. This means that if a single illegal worker applies for her blue card, that our government suddenly knows to go audit that entire sweatshop (e.g. for immigration violations, minimum wage violations, workman's comp violations, etc.). So anyone left at taht sweathsop who *hasn't* applied for this blue card is about to get arrested and deported because of that one illegal applying for this blue card.

To avoid that, all of them will go register rather than risk deportation...moreover, the *employers* of these illegals get ratted out under both Bush's and Tancredo's immigration plans...so unless each employer gets *all* of their illegal workers to go register, said employer will get BUSTED in the forthcoming audit.

So both new plans from President Bush and Congressman Tancredo offer a carrot and a stick to both the illegals and their employers.

So there is no question that they will register in very, very large numbers.

Once registered, this problem becomes manageable. The anonymity that protected millions suddenly disappears.

[Edit35]

If Bush thinks people can be persuaded to support unbridled immigration the same way people were "persuaded" to support tax cuts, he is living in a fantasy world.

No Republican worth their salt had to be persuaded to support tax cuts!!!

On the other hand, no Republican worth their salt wants to see economic lawbreakers rewarded with citizenship, especially not when it means allowing our great country to be further absorbed by the bulging Mexican=Latin American hoards.

Immediately after Bush won re=election in Nov, I wrote him and the GOP leaders promising to fight them tooth and nail, and that means no $$$, if they continue to push this suicidal plan to bring more illegals into America.

[ClintonBeGone]

Good grief, get informed.

I SAY AGAIN, what did Muhammad Atta have to do with Mexico?

[ClintonBeGone]

Have you not heard of the MS-13 gangs and their connections with Islamic terrorist groups? ...or how they come into this country through our border with Mexico?

Was Muhammad Atta a member of MS-13?