Thread: SENATE Update f/Monday's Session

Be sure to read Sen. SESSIONS.

FROM FAIR'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS STAFF:

The U.S. Senate convened at 2pm on Monday to take up S.2611, the 616-page guest worker amnesty legislation authored by Senators Specter, Hagel, and Martinez. On this first day of debate, members generally offered broad policy statements. No amendments were debated and no roll call votes were taken.

Senator Reid, remarking on the President's upcoming immigration speech, stated that the President needed to be involved in the debate and that he was looking forward to finally hearing the President take a stand on certain controversial provisions, such as the fence, the criminal penalty for illegal presence and the rewriting of the alien smuggling statute. He called on the President to "publicly denounce the House bill." Senator Reid complimented Senators Kennedy and McCain and attributed the fact that the legislation had reached the Senate floor to their hard work.

Senator Cornyn, on behalf of Senator Isakson, asked to call up amendment #3961. This amendment prohibits the government from implementing a guest worker amnesty program until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the border is secure. Debate was postponed on this amendment. Senator Cornyn also stated that he intended to bring up another amendment, one authored by himself and Senator Kyl. This amendment provides that aliens with either a felony or three misdemeanor convictions are ineligible to receive amnesty.

Senator Kennedy discussed the fact that the U.S. government had in recent years increased enforcement spending. Yet, he said, the current state of the immigration system shows that just putting fences and agents along the border is a strategy doomed to failure. Border security alone, he declared, was a strategy that just won't work. Senator Kennedy stated that we need to work with Mexico in an effective way. He added that we need to deal with breeder documents and that we are doing so through the use of biometrics. Finally, Senator Kennedy stated that we need to deal with the 11 million undocumented immigrants, who are not going away. "This is not amnesty," he stated. "They go to the back of the line."

Senator Dorgan described how, of the 6.3 billion people on the face of the Earth, approximately 300 million live in the United States. He stated that we had worked hard and sacrificed to build "quite a remarkable country." Yet, he argued, if we suddenly announce that everyone on the planet can come to the U.S. and stay, tens and tens and tens of millions of people would come to the U.S. So, to protect our way of living and jobs we have passed quotas and other immigration laws. Yet, last year 1.1 million people tried to enter the U.S. legally. Approximately 750,000 illegal aliens entered and 175,000 legal aliens were admitted.

Senator Dorgan continued by stating that the exporting of good jobs and the importing of cheap labor is pulling apart the middle class. In 1986, he said, the theory was that to deal with illegal immigration, you had to take care of the jobs--this was the basis of the 1986 Act, referred to at the time as Simpson-Mazoli. He stated that the debate over employer sanctions in 1986 was essentially the same as the current debate, but called the "abject lack of enforcement" "unbelieveable" and essentially an invitation to employers to do as they please. Doing a new immigration bill without addressing the border, he argued, will put us right back where we are in another 20 years. Senator Dorgan concluded by stating he planned to offer an amendment to delete the guest worker portion of the bill.

Senator Sessions discussed the numerous loopholes of the bill, which include: (1) allowing felons to get amnesty; (2) allowing those who fraudulently claim asylum to get amnesty; (3) failure to incorporate a continuous work requirement; (4) minimal proof requirements for eligibility; (5) an automatic increase in the employment-based visa cap; (6) providing in-state tuition to illegal aliens; finally (7) that the bill benefits those who broke the law rather than those who followed the law. Senator Sessions argued that S.2611 dramatically impacts future immigration, yet no one in Congress was willing to seriously study the matter. He said, "We in the Senate are blissfully ignorant of the scope and impact of this legislation."

The Senate is set to reconvene Tuesday morning at 9am. FAIR will continue to update you on all the week's events.

Senator Dorgan concluded by stating he planned to offer an amendment to delete the guest worker portion of the bill.

Good. This is not a done deal. Bush is in for a fight.

Amendment 3961 was defeated around 12:45.

FIGHT is RIGHT!

BB...which bill is that?

#3961. This amendment prohibits the government from implementing a guest worker amnesty program until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the border is secure. Debate was postponed on this amendment.

Senator Cornyn also stated that he intended to bring up another amendment, one authored by himself and Senator Kyl. This amendment provides that aliens with either a felony or three misdemeanor convictions are ineligible to receive amnesty. [quote:1961bke8]

Aren't they felons by the mere fact they are HERE, ILLEGALLY?

They DO think we are stupid!

[/quote:1961bke8]

Oops, quoted myself

I've called and faxed both Dorgan and Conrad from ND, several times, since I can't get any relatives and friends who live there off their duffs. They just can't see the magnitude of this.

Watch Kyl & Cornyn very carefully. They've been double talking for quite a while with Kyl taking the lead.

Throw in one amendment and cancel it out with another OR throw one in to APPEASE the people while voting for another that's worse.

HOMEOFTHEBRAVE........I have the same situation w/my family & friends.
Some are simply getting "ready" for serious trouble that they see coming down the road. Others are totally oblivious &/or tired.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

FIGHT is RIGHT!

BB...which bill is that?

**********THIS ONE*****************


Senator Cornyn, on behalf of Senator Isakson, asked to call up amendment #3961. This amendment prohibits the government from implementing a guest worker amnesty program until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the border is secure. Debate was postponed on this amendment. Senator Cornyn also stated that he intended to bring up another amendment, one authored by himself and Senator Kyl. This amendment provides that aliens with either a felony or three misdemeanor convictions are ineligible to receive amnesty.

****************THIS BILL IS BEING ARGUED NOW--
SENATOR DORGAN WANTS THE GUEST-WORKER BILL CUT OUT******
WATCH IT IF YOU CAN-- McCAIN, SPECTOR AND GREGG LOOK LIKE ASSEES**

quote:

Senator Dorgan described how, of the 6.3 billion people on the face of the Earth, approximately 300 million live in the United States. He stated that we had worked hard and sacrificed to build "quite a remarkable country." Yet, he argued, if we suddenly announce that everyone on the planet can come to the U.S. and stay, tens and tens and tens of millions of people would come to the U.S. So, to protect our way of living and jobs we have passed quotas and other immigration laws. Yet, last year 1.1 million people tried to enter the U.S. legally. Approximately 750,000 illegal aliens entered and 175,000 legal aliens were admitted.

Senator Dorgan continued by stating that the exporting of good jobs and the importing of cheap labor is pulling apart the middle class. In 1986, he said, the theory was that to deal with illegal immigration, you had to take care of the jobs--this was the basis of the 1986 Act, referred to at the time as Simpson-Mazoli. He stated that the debate over employer sanctions in 1986 was essentially the same as the current debate, but called the "abject lack of enforcement" "unbelieveable" and essentially an invitation to employers to do as they please. Doing a new immigration bill without addressing the border, he argued, will put us right back where we are in another 20 years. Senator Dorgan concluded by stating he planned to offer an amendment to delete the guest worker portion of the bill.

Senator Sessions discussed the numerous loopholes of the bill, which include: (1) allowing felons to get amnesty; (2