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Democrat Obstruction Weakens Our Borders
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01:10 PM - April 7th, 2006

UPDATE: Senator Frist has a podcast up on Democrat obstruction and the immigration compromise. Click here to listen.

This morning Democrat obstruction dealt a serious blow to America’s border security and to America’s national security.

Several weeks ago, I introduced an “enforcement first” border security bill – the Secure America’s Borders Act – that would have greatly increased the number of border security agents, that would have built physical barriers in high traffic areas and utilized remote sensors and UAVs elsewhere, that would have provided for real workplace enforcement.

But I knew that 44 Democrat Senators would use every means at their disposal to obstruct an “enforcement first” approach. And I recognized that we must deal with the 11-12 million illegal immigrants currently living in America today.

So I helped broker an agreement that would have coupled the strong border security and interior enforcement provisions of my Secure America’s Borders Act with a temporary worker plan that gave those immigrants who’ve been here for longer than five years the opportunity to gain legal status – but only by beginning at the end of the line, behind those millions around the world who want to come to America honestly and legally. And only if they kept a job, learned English and American history, passed a national security and criminal background check, and paid a fine and back taxes. Those who had been here less than five years would have been required to leave the country, with only some allowed back in.

Yet Democrats led by Harry Reid and provoked by the far left of their party decided to cripple this compromise legislation by refusing to allow us to vote on several crucial amendments – amendments that would have greatly strengthened the border security and enforcement provisions of the compromise bill. Over 300 amendments had been filed and the Democrats refused to let the Senate vote on virtually any of them. Here are a few of those amendments on which the Democrats blocked a vote:

* An amendment by Senators Kyl and Cornyn, which would have prevented illegal immigrants who had been convicted of felonies such as burglary; involuntary manslaughter; and assault and battery from getting green cards
* An amendment by Senator Isakson, which would have prevented the creation of any new temporary worker program until the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security certified that our border is secure
* An amendment by Senator Dorgan, which would have made the temporary worker program truly temporary by refusing to provide green cards to future temporary workers
* An amendment by Senator Ensign, which would have allowed the National Guard to help secure the border

Because of the Democrats stubborn obstruction of these amendments, the Senate will not be able to pass border security and immigration reform at this time. We will not have 15,000 new border patrol agents. We will not expand the program of expedited removal for illegal aliens caught at our border. We will not have a nationwide, mandatory verification program for hiring workers.

More to follow in the days ahead.

Written by Bill Frist, M.D.