Posted on 04/17/2013 11:09:01 AM PDT by Kevin C
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., went on Laura Ingraham’s show today to discuss his 844-page immigration bill, only to be hit by questions about “Marco phones.”
The Florida blog Shark Tank, run by Javier Manjarres, ran first with this odd story, which illustrates the problem of non-lawyers attempting to read and interpret legislation without the help of experts:
According to the newly filed bill, immigrants who are allowed to enter the United States under a work visa, will be ‘granted’ a taxpayer funded cellular phone. Move over “Obama phone,” we present the new ‘Hola, Como Estas?!’ MarcoPhone.
Manjarres was referring to Section 1107, which contains this passage:
ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.—An individual is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the individual demonstrates that he or she— (A) regularly resides or works in the Southwest Border region; is at greater risk of border violence due to the lack of cellular service at his or her residence or business and his or her proximity to the Southern border. (3) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this subsection may be used to purchase satellite telephone communications systems and service that— (A) can provide access to 9–1–1 service; and (B) are equipped with global positioning
Breitbart.com picked up the story as well.
But it’s not true.
The provision in question, Rubio explained later in the day in an interview with Laura Ingraham, is designed so that ranchers and farmers along rural areas of the border (say, in Arizona) can report illegal crossings and violence, which are a big problem there. Many of the areas are very remote and lack cell phone coverage. A rancher in his pickup who noticed, say, 50 heavily armed cartel goons running across his land would probably have no way to phone it in to authorities. Hence the grants for purchasing satellite phones — which are not cheap.
Based on a quick search of the legislative database, Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) appear to have first proposed the language in May 2010, when Rubio was still just a primary candidate for U.S. Senate. Their bill, S. 3332 (“Border Security Enforcement Act of 2010″), contained no immigration provisions at all — just border security measures, including the phones, grants to towns along the border and deployment of 3,000 additional National Guardsmen at the border.
In order to please immigration hawks, the old border security bill was folded into the comprehensive immigration bill this year, so that senators could show they were doing something to crack down on illegal border crossings.
Rubio explained what the provision was about in the interview with Ingraham, which he also posted on his website:
Ingraham: “[I]n 844 pages, as you can imagine, there’s quite a lot of interesting nuggets in here. You actually can be eligible for a grant for a phone, it looks like. A two year grant program to receive a cellular phone. And articles this morning, as you can imagine, are fairly amusing. ‘Move over Obama phone, this is the amnesty phone.’ What’s going on with that?”
Rubio: “That’s false. That’s not for the illegal immigrants. That’s for U.S. citizens and residents who live in the border region so that they can have access to calls. One of their complaints – that’s actually part of the Kyl border bill that we adopted. And what it does is it provides communication equipment to people who are living in the border region so they can report illegal crossings because many of them either don’t have phone service or don’t have cell phone service and they have no way of calling.”
Ingraham: “I know it’s not for the illegal immigrants, but it’s an outlay of money, is it not?”
Rubio: “Well again, that’s part of a border security package. That all of which is paid for by the fees and fines we are charging as part of this program. That is actually a border security measure that we have adopted and it’s involved to help rural citizens who live along the border that have access to communication equipment so they can call police and they can report border violence. Because one of the complaints we got from the border region is they don’t have any way to communicate with police or border patrol in time if they see something happening on the border. So this is designed to help in that regard. It’s not some effort to provide phone service to anybody.”
Ingraham: “That’s okay, that’s not really something that bothers me. I’m not even sure why that’s even in here, but I guess I get your point.”
Rubio: “Well the reason why that’s there is because the people on the border tell us…”
Ingraham: “They don’t have cell phones?”
Rubio: “Some of those regions don’t have cell phone coverage. They’re mountainous regions; they’re remote regions in rural areas of the border. Some of the most desolate places in the country, that’s why people cross illegally there.”
Ingraham: “Right and I understand that. It just seems to be those people who are the de facto who are enforcing the border, with the cell phones, to me its seems like it’s difficult.”
Dear Marco Rubio, perhaps you didn’t learn these things while growing up, but you should never stick a butter knife into an electrical outlet, kick a fresh cow pie on a hot day or point your Red Ryder BB Gun at your brothers eye.
Oh, and here are some rules about lying that might help you.
1) NEVER EVER lie.
2) If you ever do lie, NEVER EVER stop.
Sorry Marco, but I just don’t trust you.
As one distinguished state supreme court justice of my acquaintance explained privately, “Not even the legislature knows what the hell the law means until we tell them.”
if you read the verbage it says it is for
“Section 1107, which contains this passage:
ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.—An individual is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection if the individual demonstrates that he or she— (A) regularly resides or works in the Southwest Border region; is at greater risk of border violence due to the lack of cellular service at his or her residence or business and his or her proximity to the Southern border”
I guess there could be illegals who regulary resides or works out there
but it seems pretty clear to me it is NOT for illegals
MY friend with her ranch on the border is south Texas doesn’t get cell service .
Of much greter concern is the provision that allows the Feds to bypass Rubio’s stated metric of illegals having to wait 10 years.
The expections to that make sure they all will be given legal status right away.
HOW did he let that through
LOL Nice.
Did you know there was once a state that almost came about called the State of Franklin, and in their constitution, Lawyers and preachers could not hold office. The movement stopped with the Revolution, IIRC. I actually have a couple ancestors and their birth records said, ‘the state of Franklin”
Maybe.....just maybe.....he didn’t ‘let’ it through but agrees with it. I explain all this stuff as they meant to do it now. That is the easiest explanation for the garbage that comes out of Congress anymore.
The Obamaphone lady was a U.S. citizen so this doesn’t really make me feel any better.
I voted for Rubio, it will not happen again.
Hell with ya there senore’
How corrupt one can get in such a short time.....but that’s CONgress.
I think Drudge has free phones as part of the package. Yep, that’s not an incentive...
“That is the easiest explanation for the garbage that comes out of Congress anymore.”
You are 1000% correct
At least now enough of us can also know what crap is in bills, usually(obamacare was intended to NOT be read)
and jopefully enough of us will contact our Pols
You seem to have a handle on understanding Government subsidies. :)
And I worked for this corksucker!
Meh - I’ve been fooled before ....................................................................................... FRegards
Didn’t take long for the DC RINO/statist traitors to find and exploit his weak spot. When he joined forces with traitors McLame and his gay little dog Grahamnesty, he kissed his presidential hopes goodbye.
Goodbye, Marco. We hardly knew ye.
Well, I’ll work to un-seat Nelson, next time around ... Fregards
Remember when this guy was considered Tea Party material?
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