FAIR Legislative Update 5-31-2006

Latest News Releases

FAIR Says Senate Bill Exposes Deep Flaws in Immigration Policy Making
(May 25, 2006)

National Guard "Photo Op" Not a Substitute for Real Enforcement
(May 15, 2006)



Check out our Stein Report for the latest immigration news and information!

May 31, 2006

In this update:
Senate Passes Massive Guest Worker Amnesty Legislation and Sends it to Conference Committee
But Keep the Faith! Many House Members Continue to Fight for the American People and Against the Senate’s Amnesty
Wisconsin Governor Doyle Wants Illegal Aliens to Receive Government Benefits?
New Cosponsors of Key Bills
Recent Floor Statements
Press Releases
Senate Passes Massive Guest Worker Amnesty Legislation and Sends it to Conference Committee
Despite growing opposition to a large-scale guest worker amnesty bill, only fifty-eight percent of Republican Senators and ten percent of Democratic Senators actually listened to the American people when casting their NAY votes last week against S.2611. Unfortunately, ninety percent of Democratic Senators and forty-two percent of Republican Senators instead listened to big business and illegal aliens and voted to pass S.2611, the largest rewriting of immigration law since 1965.

During last week's debate, several Senators offered amendments to S.2611 hoping to lessen the scope of this wide ranging bill. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) offered an amendment that would have eliminated the amnesty language. This amendment was rejected on a 33-66 vote. Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) raised a budget point of order against S.2611 because of its projected costs. The point of order was waived on a 67-31 vote. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) offered an amendment to eliminate credit received for Social Security benefits while working in the U.S. illegally. This amendment was tabled by a 50-49 vote.

For people to understand the enormity of this bill, we have listed some of the most outrageous provisions. If enacted, the Senate's guest worker amnesty would do the following:

Grant amnesty to at least 10 million illegal aliens who have broken our laws.
Admit hundreds of thousands "guest workers" through a new guest worker program on top of the thousands we currently admit each year.
Grant amnesty to additional 1.5 million agricultural workers
Increase by over 400% the number of employment-based immigrants admitted into the U.S. each year.
Pardon employers who hire illegal aliens.
Allow states to give in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens.
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But Keep the Faith! Many House Members Continue to Fight for the American People and Against the Senate's Amnesty
Here are some key quotes from our friends in the U.S. House of Representatives:

"The Senate is also not where the American people are at. And there has not been an issue in a long time that has engaged the American people in the manner that they have been engaged in." -Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI)

"The Senate bill may be good for other countries and foreign workers, but it's not good for America and American workers." -Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

"This is déjà vu all over again. The 1986 amnesty law had a similar approach and that was a catastrophe." -Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ)

"This program provides a glide path to citizenship for the estimated 20 million persons already here illegally. I am opposed to amnesty called by any name." -Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA)

"The U.S. Senate passed the largest illegal alien amnesty in American history. It is bad for our national security, it is bad for American workers, and it sends a very bad message to those waiting legally for their chance at the American dream. The only good news is that Congressmen are going home next week where they are guaranteed to get hell from their constituents for this amnesty." -Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Members of the House of Representatives have also been using the "power of the purse" to fight illegal immigration. The House is essentially in charge appropriating money and every year must pass spending bills to keep the government running. Because these appropriation bills are hard to defeat, many of our allies have used them to deflate some of the irrational immigration laws we have on the books. This year our friends have proposed the following amendments.

Tancredo Amendment-will de-fund the Temporary Protected Status (or de-facto amnesty) extension granted earlier this year to Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.
Campbell Amendment-will prevent state and local governments who refuse to share information with federal immigration authorities by adopting "sanctuary policies" from obtaining federal funds under this act. These policies are not only misguided and dangerous, they are also illegal.
Poe Amendment-will increase funding (by transfer) by $41 million for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Salaries and Expenses account to facilitate agreements under the 287(g) program for state and local law enforcement training and agreements to enforce federal immigration law. Reduces by $41 million the Chief Information Officer account for information technology.
Culberson-Kingston Amendment-will put a moratorium on all new immigration applications for one year starting Oct. 1, 2006 and ending Oct. 1, 2007, with the exception of H-1B visa applications, to allow CIS to catch up on the current backlog of immigration applications.
Deal Amendment-will seek to limit birthright citizenship.
Kingston Amendment-will prevent any federal funds designated for the Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol) to be used to tip off foreign governments about the location of civilian militias operating near the U.S./Mexico border, like the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
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Wisconsin Governor Doyle Wants Illegal Aliens to Receive Government Benefits?
On Friday May 26, 2006, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) vetoed a bill that would have required all applicants for state benefits to show documented proof of citizenship or legal immigration status. Currently, the state only needs to ask an applicant if they are in the country legally. A yes answer does not need to be verified. Supporters of the bill said that many illegal aliens are coming to Wisconsin because it is so easy to get around current law.

'This to me shows how disconnected many people in political office can be from the average person. I have a hard time coming across an average voter who thinks that granting state-funded benefits to illegal aliens is a right thing for Wisconsin to be doing," said the bill's author Sen. Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis).

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New Cosponsors of Key Bills

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

Thank this member for supporting good reform legislation!

H.R. 98 - Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005

Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO) - (202) 225-2161
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Recent Floor Statements
Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) commented on Illegal Immigration (May 25, 2006)
Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) commented on Immigrant Smugglers Avoid Prosecution (May 24, 2006)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) commented on Democrats Oppose Securing The Border (May 24, 2006)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) commented on Immigration (May 24, 2006)
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) commented on Illegal Immigration (May 24, 2006)
Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) commented on Immigration Reform (May 24, 2006)
Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) commented on Immigration Reform (May 24, 2006)
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006--Continued (May 24, 2006)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006 (May 24, 2006)
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) commented on Immigration Reform (May 23, 2006)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006--Continued (May 23, 2006)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006 (May 23, 2006)
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) commented on Immigration (May 23, 2006)
Rep. John Carter (R-TX) commented on Illegal Immigration And Border States (May 23, 2006)
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) commented on Renewing The American Dream: The Real Rational Middle Ground On Immigration Reform (May 23, 2006)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) commented on Mexican President Should Work To Guard Border (May 23, 2006)
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) commented on National Guard (May 23, 2006)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) commented on Republicans Have Already Worked To Gain Border Security (May 23, 2006)
Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006--Continued (May 22, 2006)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act Of 2006--Continued (May 22, 2006)
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Press Releases
FAIR Says Bill Senate Bill Exposes Deep Flaws In Immigration Policy Making (May 25, 2006)
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