From: Federation for American Immigration Reform <info@fairus.org> Add to Address Book
Date: 2006/07/31 Mon PM 01:13:12 EDT
Subject: FAIR Legislative Update 7-31-2006

Latest News Releases

Pence-Hutchison "Compromise" Induces Illegal Aliens to Leave By Letting Them All Stay
(July 25, 2006)

FAIR's Testimony Regarding Foreign Worker Programs: Assessing the Impact of S.2611 on American Workers and their Workplaces
(July 19, 2006)

New Side by Side Comparison of House and Senate Immigration Bills (PDF)
(July 3, 2006)

Top Ten Worst Provisions of the Senate Amnesty Bill
(June 9, 2006)

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

July 31, 2006


In this update:
President Bush Renews His Commitment to 'Comprehensive' Immigration Reform
Immigration Reformer Congressman Tom Tancredo Echoes FAIR's Stance on Latest Pence 'Compromise'
House Committees Hold Hearings on Immigration Reform
House Announces Two Additional Field Hearings for August
New Cosponsors of Key Bills
Recent Floor Statements
Press Release
President Bush Renews His Commitment to 'Comprehensive' Immigration Reform
As Congress adjourns for the August Recess, President Bush will be using the month of August to focus on 'comprehensive' immigration reform. The President and administration officials will be calling for a plan that includes border security measures as well as a guest worker amnesty program for millions of illegal aliens. Administration officials have been meeting daily to develop strategies to promote the President's immigration policy. According to an article this week in National Journal's CongressDaily, these strategies include getting administration officials invited to the House immigration hearings to rebut attacks on the proposed guest worker amnesty program and organizing a team that "stages events by administration officials." Supporters of the Bush Administration's plan for "comprehensive" immigration reform, such as the National Restaurant Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Manhattan Institute and the Catholic Church, have also been consulted in these strategy sessions. One House GOP leadership aide called the renewed push by the White House "not helpful." The aide continued, "If they do that, they're not listening to where most Republicans are on the issue."

Back to top

Immigration Reformer Congressman Tom Tancredo Echoes FAIR's Stance on Latest Pence 'Compromise'
Last week, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) released a formal statement on the plan proposed by Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) for a broad-based guest worker program. In it, Congressman Tancredo echoes FAIR's position that the plan amounts to nothing more than a back door amnesty. Here is the text of Tancredo's statement in full:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Chairman of the 104-member House Immigration Reform Caucus, expressed disappointment at Rep. Mike Pence's latest iteration of his immigration plan that he announced at a press conference this morning with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX).

Pence has announced at least two prior versions of his immigration proposal, and this morning's version continues to include a "guest" worker plan that does not require "guest" workers ever to leave the U.S., while at the same time it allows them to bring their families. The plan allows employers and private temporary work agencies - both of which have economic incentives to keep the flow of foreign labor coming - to determine the number of foreign workers who will be admitted into the U.S. for the first three years of the plan.

"Having employers which have already broken the law determine the number of cheap foreign workers that will be admitted into the U.S. is a classic example of the fox guarding the hen house," said Tancredo. "I have never had a guest who, after staying awhile, demanded to move into my house permanently. No plan that allows temporary workers to stay permanently is a 'guest' worker plan."

Background on Support for Pence Immigration Plan

Pence has touted support for his prior plans from some "conservative" pundits and various editorial boards. However upon closer examination, the pundits and editorial boards which have endorsed the Pence plan have also supported positions at odds with the vast majority of House Republicans, including blanket amnesty and massive foreign worker plans. Even Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is co-authoring the new Pence plan, sponsored a failed amendment this year to offer unlimited guest worker visas to any industry which claims it has a "shortage" of workers.

Pence touts former Rep. Dick Armey:

"It's going to take a little bit of work to get the House over the hump of stubbornness over what they passed earlier. But I think if you take the Pence idea, introduce it in the process, I think you can get someplace."

The fact is:

Armey headed a multi-million dollar effort on behalf of big businesses to push President Bush's amnesty plan, known as "Americans for Border and Economic Security." ("Immigration Rising on Bush's To-Do List", L.A. Times, 7/24/05). As a Member of Congress he voted three times against eliminating a rolling amnesty for illegal immigrants, and he voted against a mandatory worksite verification program.

Pence touts the Wall Street Journal's John Fund:

"That's why it's good news that the glimmer of a workable compromise surfaced this week, courtesy of Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana... Mr. Pence, proud grandson of an Irish immigrant, says the only bill that can pass in this year's hothouse environment may have to be one that couples stiffer border enforcement with a no-amnesty guest-worker program."

The fact is:

In the same editorial Pence cites, Fund says, "The Pence bill is too heavy on discredited enforcement methods for my taste..."

Pence received praise from the Manhattan Institute's Tamar Jacoby:

She described the Pence plan as a "middle ground."

The fact is:

Jacoby is one of the most well-known defenders of blanket illegal alien amnesty and a massive new foreign worker plan. In a Weekly Standard op-ed, she wrote, "If a worker wants to remain in the United States and demonstrates his seriousness by taking steps to assimilate, the law should make it possible for him to stay. With these principles clear, it is a short step to the notion of 'earned legalization,' a new approach gaining credence in Congress that could get around the shortcomings of both amnesty and guest-worker programs." (1/28/2002)

Pence received praise from the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board:

In a recent lead editorial, it called the Pence plan "a way out of [the Republican] political mess." ("The Tancredo Republicans," 6/23/06)

The fact is:

The WSJ Ed Board is a consistent supporter of amnesty. In that same editorial, they said: "No serious person believes that the 11 million or so illegals already in America will be deported. Nor will these illegals come out of the shadows unless there is some kind of process that allows them to become legal and keep their jobs, even if it falls short of a path to citizenship. And immigrants will keep coming illegally in search of a better life unless there is some legal way they can apply for and find work."

Pence touts the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board:

"Some House conservatives indicate they could back a bill that doesn't completely mirror the get-tough-on-Mexico plan they approved in December. For instance, GOP Rep. Mike Pence recently presented a guest worker alternative... While we don't embrace the particulars of his plan, it's good to see a leading House conservative propose broader answers. Without ideas like his, House negotiators will stick narrowly to more agents, technologies and fences." (5/31/06)

The fact is:

In a Sunday lead editorial (3/26/06) which is solely in support of the Senate Judiciary bill:

"Committee members have a chance to fill a gaping hole in America's security net - and not create a new one in our economy - by approving a guest worker program for immigrants and a plan for once-illegal immigrants to earn U.S. citizenship."

"What the proposed Judiciary Committee plan would do is create a workable, flexible and, most important, enforceable approach to immigration."

Pence touts the Indianapolis Star Editorial Board:

"Pence, like many fellow conservatives, calls for much tighter border security and a crackdown on employees who hire illegal immigrants... But what's different about his plan is that it would create a legal and realistic means for guest workers to match up with U.S. employers. Under Pence's proposal, the federal government would license private firms to set up 'Ellis Island Centers' in the nations most likely to supply labor to the U.S. Employers would contract with the firms to find workers, who would be required to pass a background check and health screening before receiving a visa."(5/31/06)

The fact is:

In the same editorial that Pence cites, the Star advocates for an even more lenient "guest" worker plan than Pence offers:

"Admittedly, Pence's plan begins to break down with a second provision that would require the nation's 12 million existing illegal immigrants to return to their nations of origin to apply for visas. Attempting to accommodate a migration on that scale would be unwieldy in the extreme."

Back to top

House Committees Hold Hearings on Immigration Reform
Last week, the House held six more hearings on immigration reform. The House Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs discussed the federal government's inability to stem the flow of illegal immigration, and the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade held a hearing entitled "Customs Budget Authorization and Other Customs Issues." In addition, the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere held a hearing entitled "Immigration: Responding to Regional Crisis," while the House Ways and Means Committee discussed illegal immigration's effects on government programs like Social Security. At the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff testified on how DHS's resources are being spent. Lastly, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims held a hearing on the administrative and national security implications of the Senate's guest worker amnesty plan. (To read more about these hearings, click here to read each of our three alerts)
Back to top

House Announces Two Additional Field Hearings for August
House Speaker Dennis Hastert and House Majority Leader John Boehner announced the list of border security field hearings that will take place in the month of August. Since last week, the House added two new hearings to the roster. Now nine House committees will be holding 21 hearings that will take place in thirteen states.

We urge you to check the list below and plan on attending the hearings in your area! FAIR will continue to update our members with more details as they become available.

HOUSE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE

Las Cruces, NM on August 3rd
How can Congress best protect the integrity of the federal voting process by combating election fraud and eliminating non-citizen voting?
Phoenix, AZ on August 3rd
How effective are state policies like Arizona's Proposition 200, which requires voters to provide evidence of citizenship, at combating election fraud?

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

San Diego, CA on August 2nd
How do illegal immigrants impact the costs of healthcare, local education, and other social services, and would these costs increase under Reid-Kennedy immigration bill?
El Paso, TX on August 17th
What is the financial impact of illegal immigration on communities along the U. S. border, and could these costs rise under the Reid-Kennedy bill? What is the impact on efforts to extend a border security fence under the Reid-Kennedy bill's requirements regarding consultation with the Mexican Government? Will efforts to limit illegal immigration be inhibited by the Reid-Kennedy bill's provisions relating to local law enforcement?
Concord, NH on August 24th
How do illegal immigrants impact the costs of healthcare, local education, and other social services, and would these costs increase under Reid-Kennedy immigration bill? What is the societal impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's grant of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants?
Upstate New York on August 25th
What are the current risks of terrorists, narcotics smugglers, and human traffickers infiltrating the United States, and what role do secure identification documents play in limiting those risks? Does the Reid-Kennedy bill undermine efforts to limit those risks?
Evansville, IN on August 29th
How are U. S. workers impacted, and potentially displaced, by the Reid-Kennedy bill?
Dubuque, IA on September 1st
Do the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions repeat the mistakes of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986?

ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE

Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI on August 1st
What are the unique challenges for the Department of Defense in supporting border enforcement along the Northern Border?
Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, AZ on August 2nd
What are the operational and training impacts of a porous border on military bases along the border?

HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE

Bellingham, WA on August 8th What are the border infrastructure successes since passage of the REAL ID Act and the 9/11 Commission Implementation Act, and what challenges still exist?
Austin, TX on August 17th
What are the criminal consequences of illegal immigration along the Southern Border?

SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

Sierra Vista, AZ on August 17th
What is the state of technical surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for monitoring the efforts of terrorists and drug cartels to infiltrate American soil through the Southern Border?
Grand Rapids, MI on August 23rd
What is the threat to the United States from Islamic extremists who abuse the legal immigration system?

EDUCATION & THE WORKFORCE COMMITTEE

Plano, TX on July 31st
Does the Reid-Kennedy bill weaken employment verification systems, making it easier for illegal immigrants to find work inside American borders?
Gainesville, GA on August 14th
What is the impact on American workers and businesses of the Reid-Kennedy bill's provisions mandating Davis-Bacon wage rates for guest-workers?

ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE

Nashville, TN on August 10th
What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the healthcare delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?
Dalton, GA on August 15th
What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the healthcare delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?

GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE

San Diego, CA on August 14th
What is the impact on state and local governments, in terms of both societal costs such as policing and direct government costs such as health care and welfare benefits, of illegal immigration? Would the Reid-Kennedy bill impose huge unfunded mandates on state and local governments?

RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Santee, CA on August 5th
What efforts need to be undertaken to prevent federal public lands from being harmed as they are used as a pathway for illegal immigration? Does the Reid-Kennedy bill compromise our federal lands?
Hamilton, MT on August 28th
What efforts need to be undertaken to secure the federal lands along the Northern Border to prevent drug trafficking and other illegal activities? Could the Reid-Kennedy bill make these efforts more difficult?

Back to top

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 these members for supporting good reform legislation!

H.R. 1438 - No Social Security for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2005

Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL) (202) 225-3671
H.R. 98 - Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005

Rep. Philip English (R-PA) (202) 225-5406
Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) (202) 225-3715
Back to top

Recent Floor Statements
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) commented on Do-Less-Than-Do-Nothing Congress Leaves Again Without Addressing America's Priorities (July 28, 2006)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) commented on Border Security (July 28, 2006)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) commented on The Republican Majority's Security Agenda (July 27, 2006)
Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) commented on Security First (July 27, 2006)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) commented on Border Security, ``Do-Nothing'' Democrats (July 27, 2006)
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) commented on Taking Our Case To The American People (July 27, 2006)
Back to top

Press Release
Pence-Hutchison "Compromise" Induces Illegal Aliens to Leave By Letting Them All Stay (July 25, 2006)
Back to top





Please forward this message to friends and email lists.
Not on our action alert list? Click here to subscribe.
For breaking immigration news, visit the Stein Report.
Fax your legislators for free from MyFAIR Plan Action Center.
Support our work! We depend on contributions from people like you.
Click here to edit your preferences.

www.fairus.org
(202)328-7004