Thread: FAIR CODE RED ALERT

October 31, 2005
In this update:

CODE RED ALERT: Urge Your Senators to Oppose Plan to Sell American Jobs to Fix the Budget Deficit
Frist Postpones Immigration Debate Until February
Hagel Introduces Conflicting Package of Immigration-Related Bills
New Cosponsors of Key Bills
FAIR Press Releases
Recent Floor Statements
CODE RED ALERT: Urge Your Senators to Oppose Plan to Sell American Jobs to Fix the Budget Deficit

Your help is needed to flood the Senate with phone calls opposing a plan hatched by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) to narrow the federal budget deficit by selling over 368,000 American jobs each year to foreign workers and their families. If enacted, this would constitute one of the largest immigration increases in American history under the guise of deficit reduction. This action flies in the face of public opinion that was shown in a just-released Scripps poll to be overwhelmingly opposed (79% to 11%) to an increase in immigration.

The Senate begins debate today and will soon vote on the bill containing the Specter plan, the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005 (S. 1932). Please call your senators immediately and raise your strong objection to the Specter language. Ask your senators to strip out the Specter language by amendment, or to oppose the overall bill. Call the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to be connected, or find direct phone numbers here on our web site.

When calling, ask to speak to the legislative assistant dealing with immigration. Remember to identify yourself as a constituent.

Sample Message:

"I am a concerned constituent calling to express my opposition to language added to the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act (S. 1932) that sells American jobs to fix the federal budget deficit. Without a public hearing or even a warning, the Senate Judiciary Committee inserted language authored by Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) that increases revenue by selling over 368,000 American jobs a year to foreign workers and their families who will enter the United States and stay permanently.

The Specter language would increase the number of H-1B workers by 30,000 each year, increase the number of permanent employment-based visas by 90,000 each year, and exempt families of these new workers from the 140,000 annual cap on employment-based immigration. This will add an estimated 278,000 family members - many of them will also find jobs in the United States - to the number of high tech and permanent new foreign workers allowed under the plan. If enacted, the Specter plan would constitute one of the largest immigration increases in American history under the guise of deficit reduction.

Please tell Senator (insert name) to offer and/or support an amendment to strip this language from the bill, or to oppose the bill in its entirety. "

For more information, read our press release and today's Washington Times article, "Budget bill would boost green cards."

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Frist Postpones Immigration Debate Until February

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced his decision to delay taking up immigration enforcement legislation until early next year at a brief members-only meeting last Tuesday that included Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and John McCain (R-AZ). Frist said the initial focus will be on beefing up border security and improving enforcement of current laws, and he will encourage expanding the measure to include other provisions in bills sponsored by Sens. Cornyn and McCain, including establishing a new guestworker program and addressing the current illegal population. This decision comes at a time when Republicans are deeply divided over the president's guestworker/amnesty proposal. Sen. Cornyn's bill (S. 143, cosponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), would require illegal aliens to return to their home countries before applying for guestworker visas. Sen. McCain's bill (S. 1033), cosponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would allow illegal aliens to remain and apply for work visas and eventual permanent legal status.

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Hagel Introduces Conflicting Package of Immigration-Related Bills

Last Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NB) introduced four conflicting immigration-related bills, two of which would vastly increase immigration by providing amnesty to illegal aliens, and creating a new guestworker program that lets guests and their families stay permanently. Hagel introduced the following bills:

S. 1916, the Strengthening America's Security Act of 2005, enhances border security and increases penalties for certain crimes committed by illegal aliens.
S. 1917, the Employment Verification Act of 2005, requires all employers to screen job applicants using the Employment Eligibility Verification System to ensure only legal workers are hired.
S. 1918, the Strengthening America's Workforce Act of 2005, creates a new unlimited guestworker/amnesty program that allows illegal aliens to participate and lets "guest" workers and their family members stay permanently.
S. 1919, the Immigrant Accountability Act of 2005, provides amnesty to illegal aliens who have evaded detection for 5 years and worked illegally for at least three of those years. Aliens in the U.S. illegally at the time of enactment who do not meet these requirements would be eligible to depart the United States and seek admission as a nonimmigrant or immigrant alien.
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New Cosponsors of Key Bills

The following members signed on to good and bad immigration legislation this past week. If your legislators are listed, please use the phone numbers provided to thank them for supporting good legislation, or to urge them to reconsider their support for bad legislation. Follow the links below to learn more about these bills.

Thank these members for supporting good reform legislation!

H.R. 688 - Securing America's Future through Enforcement Reform Act of 2005 (SAFER)

Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) 202-225-4301
H.R. 698 - Citizenship Reform Act of 2005

Rep. J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) 202-225-5301
Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) 202-225-4611
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) 202-225-4676
Rep. John Kline (R-MN) 202-225-2271
H.R. 3137 - The CLEAR ACT of 2005

Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) 202-225-3561
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) 202-225-8171
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) 202-225-2811
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) 202-225-6536
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) 202-225-4901
Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA) 202-225-2777
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) 202-225-2415
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) 202-225-5271
Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) 202-225-4306
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) 202-225-2706
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) 202-225-4315
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) 202-225-6673
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) 202-225-3261
Rep. Mark Edward Souder (R-IN) 202-225-4436
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) 202-225-3706
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) 202-225-6205
Rep. John Carter (R-TX) 202-225-3864
Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) 202-225-5792
Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) 202-225-3076
Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) 202-225-3211
Rep. Edward Whitfield (R-KY) 202-225-3115
Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) 202-225-6465
Urge these members to reconsider their support of the following dangerous bills!

H.R. 884 - The Agricultural Job, Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2005 (AgJOBS)

Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) 202-225-5614
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FAIR Press Releases

Senate Selling American Jobs to Close Federal Budget Deficit (October 20, 2005)
Republicans, Like Most Americans, Want Immigration Enforcement (October 18, 2005)
Analysis: The Manhattan Institute Uses Misleading Poll Results (October 18, 2005)
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Recent Floor Statements

Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) commented on Passports Are A National Security Issue
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) commented on Securing Our Borders
Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) commented on Immigration
Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) commented on Protecting Our Borders
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) commented on Immigration Reform
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Thanks for the update!! These people in Congress have all lost their minds. ALL they need to be doing is telling that Wackident if you don't enforce existing US Immigration Law, we're going to IMPEACH YOUR BUTT!!

These people are all sell-out Cowards!!

Grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

I've emailed, faxed AND called both Senators Dole and Burr. THIS BETTER HELP. This is how they do us. They take an IMPORTANT bill and SLIP in the unpopular things so they just get passed in order to get the necessary ones passed. I think this practice should be outlawed. I think EVERY SINGLE ISSUE OUGHT TO BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY--ON ITS OWN MERIT. How many times have things been pulled over on us because of this shady practice????????

My email to Dole and Burr:

Maybe the manner in which the Democrats called for the closed session of the Senate to discuss intelligence failures was wrong BUT I, as an INDEPENDENT who almost ALWAYS votes Republican, URGE and BEG you to allow a new investigation into the selling of this war in Iraq. As you should be able to see from all of the polls, the MAJORITY of the American people are now of the same opinion that I have been from the beginning--AGAINST this war in Iraq.

From the beginning, I ALWAYS contended that Congress did NOT investigate the intelligence thoroughly enough before allowing this administration to take us to Iraq. For some reason, I, just an average American citizen, FELT that we were being led down the primrose path but, in the heat of the moment, Congress voted for this war.

It has taken awhile but now the American people share my opinion and I am calling for an IN-DEPTH investigation into WHERE this intelligence--all of which has been false--came from.

If this takes you away from the Budget Reconciliation Bill for a couple of hours, maybe it will give you some time to rethink the provision in that bill that is going to allow TRIPLE the number OF PERMANENT FOREIGNERS to be given visas to take AMERICAN jobs. This is a travesty of huge proportions and all for a SMALL amount of money to add to the budget. This is just ABSURD and, as a Senator from a state that has suffered HUGE job losses, I don't see how in the world you could support such an action.

I also hope that you will NOT agree to any guestworker program proposed by the President, McCain/Kennedy or Cornyn/Kyl. It is time that this country got serious about ENFORCING EXISTING LAWS rather than "DEBATING" unnecessary issues.

My friends and I are watching every vote and, when we cast our votes in 2006, they will reflect thorough investigation into how the incumbents have voted on these issues.

Update, FAIR is calling for people to suppor this amendment

Federation for American Immigration Reform, Washington DC
November 1, 2005

URGENT ALERT!

SENATE VOTING TOMORROW ON AMENDMENT TO STRIP FOREIGN WORKER/IMMIGRATION INCREASE
FROM DEFICIT REDUCTION BILL

CALL YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY AND URGE A YES VOTE FOR THE BYRD AMENDMENT

THIS JUST IN?Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) has decided to offer an amendment tomorrow to
the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005 (S. 1932) that will strip
out language added by the Judiciary Committee that sells out American workers by
expanding employment-based visas, H-1B high tech worker visas and accompanying
family members by an estimated 368,000 per year.

PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY AND URGE A YES VOTE FOR THE BYRD AMENDMENT.
This will come up tomorrow, so we have less than 24 hours to make an impact. If you
call during business hours, ask to speak with or leave a message for the legislative
assistant handling immigration. If calling after business hours, please leave a
message on your senators' voicemail. Call the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121)
and ask to be connected, or find direct phone numbers here on our web site.

Sample Message:

"I am a concerned constituent calling to urge Senator (insert name) to vote in favor
of an amendment expected to be offered tomorrow to the Deficit Reduction Omnibus
Reconciliation Act of 2005 by Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV). This amendment reverses
action taken by the Senate Judiciary Committee to increase revenue by selling over
368,000 American jobs a year to foreign workers and their families who will enter
the United States and stay permanently.

Sen. Byrd's amendment accomplishes even greater savings without making wholesale
changes to our immigration system by adopting the House Judiciary Committee proposal
to raise the fees on L-1 intra-company transferees to $1,500 per visa.

Please vote yes when this amendment comes up for consideration. If not, one of the
largest immigration increases in American history will be passed without a public
hearing or proper debate under the guise of deficit reduction."

Background/Amendment Details:

Last week, without a public hearing or even a warning, the Senate Judiciary
Committee inserted language authored by Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) and
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) that increases revenue by selling over 368,000
American jobs a year to foreign workers and their families who will enter the United
States and stay permanently.

The Specter/Kennedy language would increase the number of H-1B workers by 30,000
each year, increase the number of permanent employment-based visas by 90,000 each
year, and exempt families of these new workers from the 140,000 annual cap on
employment-based immigration. This will add an estimated 278,000 family members -
many of them will also find jobs in the United States - to the number of high tech
and permanent new foreign workers allowed under the plan. If enacted, the Specter
plan would constitute one of the largest immigration increases in American history
under the guise of deficit reduction.

The Committee was charged with finding $60 million in FY 06 and $300 million over
the period between FY 20006 and FY 2010. The Specter/Kennedy language raises fees on
H-1B and permanent employment-based visas charged to employers to accomplish
savings. Sen. Byrd's amendment strips out the Specter/Kennedy language and replaces
it with the House Judiciary Committee proposal to raise the fees on L-1
intra-company transferees to $1,500 per visa.

What is clear enough from the Senate Judiciary Committee's action is that it is a
thinly disguised plan deliberately concocted to hide a major immigration expansion
in the name of reducing the deficit. Sen. Byrd's amendment properly finds required
savings without making wholesale changes to our immigration system.