Thread: Arlen Specter: Specter Floor Speech On Immigration

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Arlen Specter: Specter Floor Speech On Immigration
Wed, 05/09/2007 - 12:06 — admin
May 8th, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement in regards to immigration on the floor of the United States Senate.

A copy of the floor statement is below;

We all know the history of the immigration legislation from the 109th congress. The Judiciary Committee reported out a bill, came to the floor of the United States Senate, had many amendments, and it was passed with substantial bipartisan support. The House of Representatives had a very different configuration on the bill. They were concerned only with border security, contrasted with the senate bill which was a comprehensive bill.

We have had numerous meetings in an effort to structure a consensus bill in the course of the last many weeks. For many weeks we have met Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from four o'clock to six o'clock with as many as a dozen Republican Senators present, with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Commerce present. [We have had] very substantial White House involvement reflecting the President's statement that he wants a comprehensive immigration reform bill. We have spent many hours on extended meetings with Democrats. [There were] a half a dozen Democrats attending these meetings and a rather unique process illustrated last week where we met for 2 1/2 hours with a dozen senators being present, pretty hard to keep a dozen senators sitting in one room at one time going over a great many ideas. We have come to an agreement on what we have called a -- quote -- "grand bargain," unquote, which is the outline of an immigration bill.

… We have proposed, and are prepared to enact, legislation which would provide for 6,000 additional border patrol, to bring the number to 12,000.

We are proposing very strong employer sanctions. We do not want employment in the United States to be a magnet for illegal immigration, and it is now technically possible to have foolproof identification. It can be costly and we're still working through the details, but there's no doubt that we want to secure the border and stop illegal immigration as the first item.

We are talking about triggers so that we don't move ahead to dealing with the11 million undocumented immigrants or dealing with a temporary worker program until we have solved the problem of securing the border and providing for identification so that there is a basis for using tough sanctions on the employers, but you can't do that unless they have a fair opportunity to know who is legal and who is illegal. We are rejecting the idea of amnesty for the 11 million undocumented immigrants. They're going to have to earn being on the citizenship path at the end. We are going to require that they pay their taxes, that they have community roots, they have a substantial period of employment, that they learn English. We're going to do our best to deport those who have criminal records, and there is a real security risk with some of the undocumented immigrants who have criminal records and where they do commit crimes.

It is a practical impossibility to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. We’re trying to structure a temporary worker program which is temporary, coming only for the purpose of filling needs and then returning to their native countries. We are looking at a system so that if there are Americans, United States citizens, people in this country who can take the jobs, that they will have the first choice.

The Majority Leader has stated publicly his intention to proceed under Rule 14 to file a bill this week, perhaps tomorrow, and list it for floor debate next Monday. There's a lot of concern among Republicans about proceeding in that way with concern that the bill, which was reported out of committee, does not have widespread support and the bill which has passed the Senate does not have widespread support, and that there is a disinclination how it will go. Nobody knows for sure, but a disinclination to support a motion to proceed, raising the possibility that there may be a filibuster there. There is a concern in many quarters that we need more time, that we've been proceeding diligently, very extended meetings. I have to confess there's been a fair amount of wheel spinning, but that we are not yet ready to proceed next Monday on the 14th to take up the bill the last two weeks before Memorial Day, as the Majority Leader has scheduled.

I can understand the Majority Leader's concern about moving ahead and holding our feet to the fire to try to produce a bill, but we're still working on it. Staff worked over the weekend. There was a meeting at the White House on Sunday. I had an extended discussion yesterday with Senator Kennedy. Senator Kennedy met with one of the Secretaries, and we're working at top speed. It would certainly be preferable if we could come up with a bill that would not have to have 2611, which passed the Senate last year, or the Chairman's Mark or the bill that came out of Judiciary. But I've been asked about this every time I step into the corridor, so I thought it would be useful to give this brief summary without talking later to impact on Senator Leahy's time, but with the note that some Democratic time on the judicial nomination was taken up by Senator Durbin earlier.

I yield the floor.

Source: Senator Arlen Specter

One word: Self-deport
These are their plans...see the timeline...TAKE ACTION!

It is a practical impossibility to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.

OK! It's time to call Senator Spector and politely tell him tomorrow that there is an alternative approach:

Enforce the law, cut off benefits and they will self-deport and repatriate to their own countries. We have to say this over and over again until they have to include it in any debate. Call Spector and let him know we're not that stupid!!! (202) 224-3121 Capitol Switchboard

More BS from this slimeball.
He plans to run for another term too. I hope Pat Toomey runs against him again, this time Spincter will have his @ss thrown out of the Senate.
I'm calling this old goat's office tomorrow.

We are talking about triggers so that we don't move ahead to dealing with the11 million undocumented immigrants or dealing with a temporary worker program until we have solved the problem of securing the border and providing for identification so that there is a basis for using tough sanctions on the employers, but you can't do that unless they have a fair opportunity to know who is legal and who is illegal.

Who determines when the triggers take effect, the same collection of nitwits that created the mess in the first place?