E-VERIFY VICTORY -- 7 Senators Switch Sides Since March Defeat
By Roy Beck, Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 1:05 PM
After several defeated efforts, Sen. Sessions (R-Ala.) finally won over a majority of his colleagues this morning. They agreed with him that illegal aliens should not get jobs created with federal tax dollars.
In March, the Sessions E-Verify amendment was killed by tabling in a 50-47 vote.
But this morning, the tabling motion failed 44-53. (The amendment then passed on voice vote.)
12 Democrats and 1 Independent defied Party leadership and voted with all 40 Republicans to:
permanently authorize E-Verify, so the pro-amnesty forces can't constantly threaten to kill it if they don't get their way
require all federal contractors to use E-Verify so returning veterans and other unemployed Americans will get jobs created with federal tax money.
7 SENATORS WHO SWITCHED TO THE GOOD SIDE TODAY
E-Verify won today because these Senators -- who voted to kill the E-Verify mandate in March -- switched today and voted for using E-Verify to keep illegal aliens out of federal contractor jobs.
Kent Conrad (D-N.D.)
Bryan Dorgan (D-N.D.)
Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)
All of you who live in those states -- especially North Dakota and Arkansas -- take a bow. Thanks for all you have done to help these Senators see the error of their March vote.
6 OTHER DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED TO HIRE AMERICANS
We have to give special thanks to the Democrats who stood with us and unemployed Americans today, because they had to defy their Party leadership to do it.
These Democrats voted for mandating E-Verify both today and back in March:
Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
John Tester (D-Mont.)
If 10 of these 13 Senators continue to put American workers first in their voting, they spell absolute doom for plans to legalize 12-20 million illegal aliens with an amnesty.
If you live in their states, do all you can to express your appreciation for what they did today -- and encourage them to stop all government policies that import foreign workers while 15 million Americans are officially unemployed.
ONE SENATOR WHO WAS A BACKSLIDER TODAY
Jim Webb (D-Va.)
I have to conclude that you Virginians have let down in your contacts with your Senators. Sen. Warner (D-Va.) voted both in March and today against requiring federal contractors to hire American workers.
But Sen. Webb in March was 1 of 7 Democrats who voted for E-Verify. Why did he turn against it today and vote to table it? Webb is known as a maverick. Surely he isn't a lap dog for the Democratic leadership which is demanding that all 8 million illegal aliens currently holding jobs be assured of keeping those jobs, instead of U.S. citizens getting them.
Sen. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is the Democrats' leader who is expected to introduce his "comprehensive immigration reform" amnesty legislation later this year. Amazingly, he tried to get all Democrats today to vote against the E-Verify mandate because he said E-Verify isn't TOUGH enough. Can you believe it?
Schumer widely takes credit for getting the first mass amnesty passed in 1986. He has worked with Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.) ever since to ensure that immigration laws aren't enforced. Now he says that we shouldn't require E-Verify because it isn't tough enough? What he wants is a national bio-metric ID card. Of course, it would be several years before that would be ready to put into use, allowing scoundrel businesses several more years of easily hiring their illegal work force.
Everything Schumer does seems to be about delays to give time so that all illegal aliens will be legal residents so that when a national ID card went into effect it would be too late to open up jobs for Americans.
Well, a 9.5% unemployment rate and stories of returning National Guardsmen who can't find jobs -- plus constant pressure from home-state voters -- has finally produced a victory for mandating government contractors to use E-Verify to keep from hiring illegal aliens.
A dozen Democrats today indicated they aren't going to be part of Schumer's stalling tactics.
Now, we have to stop House Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) from killing this E-Verify amendment behind closed doors in the House/Senate negotiating session. If we do, hundreds of thousands of additional Americans will get jobs over the next year and stay off the unemployment rolls.
GIVING REPUBLICANS THEIR DUE CREDIT
I do not for a minute take for granted the unanimous Republican support for American workers against the wishes of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In past years, we might easily lose a dozen and even a majority of the Republicans to the wishes of the Big Business lobbyists.
That was a bold and courageous thing the Republicans did today. I know that many of them didn't want to do it but felt compelled by voter pressure.
I am especially thankful for strong leadership from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who made it clear that he wanted his Party to stand against the anti-American-worker efforts of Sen. Schumer. This is a strong position to be in, because I am quite certain that the majority of all business owners and managers in America stand with the American people against the hiring of illegal foreign workers.
Sen. Sessions' mandatory E-Verify bill is as good for honest, patriotic businesses as it is for U.S. workers.
ROY BECK is Founder & CEO of NumbersUSA
Views and opinions expressed in blogs on this website are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect official policies of NumbersUSA.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusab ... efeat.html
Related:
The vote recorded for the DeMint Fence Amendment is here-
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-162333.html
The vote recorded for the Sessions EVerify Amendment is here-
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-162331.html
