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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