List of Republicans Voting (But Not Reading?) – Amnesty Kickbacks: Seafood, Youth Jobs, Tourism

June 24, 2013
By Maggie

The Senate passed the vote to discontinue discussion on the immigration/amnesty bill that they have not read. The vote was 67 aye and 27 nay. Those Senators believing they need no further information to make an informed decision on this massive and important legislation are:

We don’t yet now if the bill funds the Democrat Border Office


Lamar Alexander, Kelly Ayotte, Jeffrey Chiesa, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham, Orrin Hatch, Dean Heller, John Hoeven, Mark Kirk, John McCain, Lisa Murkowski, Marco Rubio, and Roger Wicker. Source: Weekly Standard


Thank you to my Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn for doing the right thing and voting no.

You’ll hear that the bill has been available for Senators to read since May but the Corker amendment to add huge numbers of border security agents and border security technology is, according to Bill Kristol, “interlaced” throughout the bill and “complicated.” And Janet Napolitano does not have to build the fence or utilize needed border security technology if she doesn’t want to:
…it’s right there on Page 34, Line 24

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), nothing in this subsection shall require the Secretary to install fencing, or infrastructure that directly results from the installation of such fencing, in a particular location along the Southern border, if the Secretary [or her successors] determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain effective control over the Southern border at such location. Source: Michelle Malki


Speaking to the legislation language above, authors Corker and Heller address the waiver factor by not addressing it all.

Just today we learned of Amnesty kick-backs, as I predicted after learning of the permanent continuation of the Travel Promotion Act. Now there’s the Alaska Seafood Kickback, the Summer Jobs Kickback

(1) Alaska Seafood:


…the Gang of Eight has used the rewritten bill to pay a big favor to the state of Alaska and its two senators, Republican Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Mark Begich. Here’s how it works:
The bill creates a new federal entity called the Bureau of Immigration and Labor Market Research, which is described as “an independent statistical agency within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.” The head of the Bureau will be appointed by the president, with Senate confirmation. One of the things the Bureau will do is research and designate the occupations for which labor shortages exist, and therefore for which more low-wage guest workers will be allowed to enter the country…

No other state receives such special treatment. Just Alaska, in what appears to be a favor to a powerful fisheries industry looking for low-cost labor. Why did Alaska merit such special consideration? The bill doesn’t say. Source: Washington Examiner – real all the details here


(2) Jobs for Youth Amendment


A $1.5 billion amendment has been added to the Senate immigration-reform bill to provide summer jobs for teenagers and other youth. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said it’s necessary because immigrants would be taking jobs from American youngsters.

“Sanders has argued that helping unemployed American young people was the least Congress should do in a bill that allows college students from around the world to take jobs that young Americans would otherwise perform,” said a news release from Sanders’ office…

Each state would receive at least $7.5 million to run a summer jobs program for young people in 2014 and 2015, while states with high youth unemployment would receive more. Source: NewsMax


(3) Travel Promotion Act Permanent Extension (also known as the Casino Kickback)


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) have inserted a provision that amounts to little more than a handout to Las Vegas casinos into the repackaged immigration reform bill, Breitbart News has learned. This provision, a brazen example of crony capitalism, was inserted into the immigration law enforcement section of the bill despite the fact that it has nothing whatsoever to do with “immigration” or “law enforcement.” Source: Maggie’s Notebook


Have you heard any of the four Republicans from the Gang of Eight or the two Republicans in the Gang of Two who wrote and promoted the Corker amendment, mention these special favors – any transparency from Republicans? Have any of these six mentioned Page 34, Line 24 – the waiver to be used at the sole discretion of Janet Napolitano? Any transparency from Republicans?

Related and Background:

If you read only one, read the first one below:

Immigration Bill Will Reduce Illegals by 25% ONLY Says CBO – They’ll Just Keep Coming

Required Border Fence Not Required if Janet Napolitano Decides It’s Not Required – Dittos Border Security Technology

Immigration: No Job Needed for Green Card – Border Agents Put Under Civil Rights Div of DOJ

No New Border Agents Until 2017-2021 – Overstay Visa in Future Get Your Green Card Anyway – Charge Legals More for Visas – Charge Amnesty Applicants Less

Immigration English Requirement Laughable: Rubio Scrambles for Border Security – It’s the Visa Program, Stupid

Three points taken from Senator Jeff Sessions press release:

● The Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment doesn’t change the bill’s amnesty first framework. Instead it goes even further and creates an automatic amnesty for future illegal aliens. Section 2302 says if you overstay your visa in the future you can still apply for a green card and become a citizen. It is permanent lawlessness. Joined with existing language that restricts future enforcement, it guarantees unending illegal immigration.
● Contrary to their rhetoric there is no border surge. The Secretary [of Homeland Security] doesn’t even have to start hiring new border patrol agents until 2017, and the amendment only gives her until 2021 to increase the number by 20,000. According to the National Association of Former Border Patrol Agents, this hiring process could take up to 20 years. Much like the 2006 law requiring a 700-mile border fence, it’s never going to happen.
● To raise money, the amendment increases fees on visas for legal immigrants, but keeps the same low fees and fines for those applying for amnesty – favoring illegal over legal immigrants. Under the 2007 comprehensive immigration bill, amnesty applicants had to pay up to $8,000 – vastly more than the fines in the current plan which total only $2,000 and are subject to numerous waivers. The Gang has repeatedly claimed their bill is completely paid for by fees. However, under the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment, the American taxpayers are on the hook for $38 billion.


Graphic courtesy of Gary Varvel

http://www.maggiesnotebook.com/2013/...-jobs-tourism/