Chambliss still seeking immigration reform solution

By Maria Saporta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/23/07

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said today at a talk before the Atlanta Rotary Club that immigration reform is necessary despite the recent defeat of a bill.

Both he and fellow U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) were co-sponsors of that bill, but later they both voted against it after intense public pressure.

"The fact is we have still got the problem, and we've got to figure out a way to deal with it," Chambliss said, adding that he had been speaking with the White House on the issue as recently as this morning.

Chambliss believes the first step should be for the White House to include in its supplemental budget request a plan for a modern border security system. So far, he hasn't seen positive movement from the administration on the border security funding issue, but he said he hopes that will soon change.

"We also need to establish a good viable temporary workers bill," Chambliss said, explaining that there currently are 47 temporary workers programs and that they need to be consolidated.

Metro Atlanta has a stake in working on immigration reform because "there are a lot of jobs here" that attract illegal immigrants, Chambliss said.

"We have a problem in this country, not just with illegal immigration, but with our current immigration bill," the senator said.

Chambliss also said that Congress is about to address the issue of health insurance for uninsured children — a program known as Peachcare in Georgia.

"I think it's a good federal program," Chambliss said. "We have not greater resource in America than our young people."

But he said he is against a bill that currently is in the finance committee because it "moves us in the direction of universal healthcare for everyone."

Chambliss said the federal government has not yet been able to reform the Medicare system and it is "ballooning."

The new legislation for health insurance for children, which will be debated this week, concerns him.

"We are going to see the health care industry extended to include a lot of adults," he said. "We will have universal health care in this country that I think will be one of the worse things I can imagine. It will take private industry out of health care."

Chambliss also used the occasion to tell Rotarians that the situation in Iraq is not as dire as it is protrayed to be in the press. He toured Iraq in May, and he said he was able to safely visit many areas that had been off limits in the past.

"Ninety percent of Iraq is safe," Chambliss said. "It's a much safer place than you'll ever see in the media."

Chambliss did say that one area where there needs to be more progress is with Iraq's political structure.

"The Iraqi people have not stepped up to the plate, and the Iraqi government has not stepped up to the plate," he said.

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