Thread: Sensenbrenner grilled on immigration, Halliburton, Social Se

http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stori ... 006_07.asp

Sensenbrenner grilled on immigration, Halliburton, Social Security
Out-of-district crowd fires away


By GAY GRIESBACH - GM Today Staff
July 7, 2006


HARTFORD - Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner’s meeting in the City Council chambers took on a lively air Thursday night as he was hammered by questions from Green Party 5th Congressional District candidate Bob Levis and people who came in from Madison, Minneapolis and Chicago.

About half of the 30 or so present live in Sensenbrenner’s 5th District, but he fielded questions from others about Iraq, shares of Halliburton stock Sensenbrenner inherited in the 1970s, Social Security and immigration.

Levis asked why Sensenbrenner didn’t sell the 2,000 shares of Halliburton stock he has owned since 1978.

"They aren’t squeaky clean, but if there is evidence, an indictment should be sought rather than try them through press releases," said Sensenbrenner.

Of immigration reform, Sensenbrenner said, "this is the toughest thing I’ve ever been asked to do in my 35 years in Congress."

Madison-area activist Lila Pine asked about the effects of illegal immigration on the elderly.

"I’ve been reading reports that say 98 percent of immigrants working in the United States are paying into Social Security. If that is withdrawn, our Social Security system will be in default in say, like a week or so," said Pine.

Sensenbrenner replied that using someone else’s Social Security number is fraud.

"Either way, there is $70 billion a year financing that fund," said Pine.

"I’ve expressed my concerns about the solvency of social security for 20 years," said Sensenbrenner. "But don’t expect fraudulent social security payments to shore up the system."

Pine also spoke of a Guatemalan couple she knew who were prevented from seeing their sons and families in America because they were refused tourist visas.

Tatyana Schenken of Pewaukee brought up a similar situation.

Although her daughter has been permitted to visit from Russia, her son has been repeatedly denied a tourist visa.

"They say the American embassy will not give a visa. It’s like Stalin times," said Schenken who described her son as a business owner with a family in Russia.

"Forty percent of illegal immigrants enter the country with a tourist visa and do not return," said Sensenbrenner. "Immigration law says a tourist visa is presumed to be from someone immigrating to the United States. It’s up to the applicant to prove sufficient ties (to their native country)."

Sensenbrenner said two reasons to secure borders involved national security and preventing the importation of illegal drugs.

"Eighty-five percent of drugs sold in Chicago come from south of the border," he said. "The next bunch of terrorists won’t have their passports stamped. They will come in through the south or the Canadian border."

He also talked about immigration reform - raising the employer fine from $100 to $5,000 per illegal worker and providing a secure Internet site where employers can check Social Security numbers of applicants to verify their validity.



This story appeared in the West Bend Daily News on July 7, 2006

"I’ve been reading reports that say 98 percent of immigrants working in the United States are paying into Social Security. If that is withdrawn, our Social Security system will be in default in say, like a week or so," said Pine.

Well there is a report I have not seen. The claims by these people just get more and more outrageous with every passing day.

And out of that 98% paying into social security, under who's number?