http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/211313/4/

Thursday, February 22, 2007
Hatch critical of immigration, No Child PDF | Print | E-mail

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALAN CHOATE - Daily Herald
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch criticized Congress's approach to immigration reform on Wednesday and said the federal government should adequately fund the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

"We're a nation of laws, but we're also a nation of immigrants," said Hatch, R-Utah, while addressing the Utah Legislature. "Or to put it the other way, we're a nation of immigrants, but we're also a nation of laws.

"We have to enforce our laws. I'm not sure the Congress is going to do a very good job of doing that."

He was critical of component of a Senate measure that would kick out illegal immigrants who had been in the country less than five years. He called it a form of amnesty.

"The problem with dividing on a less than five-year basis is there's no way that you'll be able to tell who's been here more than five years and who hasn't," Hatch said. "I think it's an almost impossible thing to do.

"There's no question that the Congress is more liberal on immigration -- at least the Senate is -- than many of us here in Utah."

He described the No Child Left Behind Act, which set new school accountability measures for states, as having a "noble purpose" and said it likely will be reauthorized.

That's fine, he added, as long as its mandates on the states are paid for.

"If they're not going to fund No Child Left Behind ... then it shouldn't pass," he said.

State Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, called the act an "intrusion on state's rights" and has long called for scrapping it, and she asked Hatch if that would be a better option.

He noted that states have the ability to opt out of the requirements, although that also means foregoing federal education funds.

"Utah has that option," he said. "Frankly, if you feel that strongly, you should refuse to take the money."

Hatch also was asked about legislation that sets up a formal process for Utah lawmakers to communicate the "sense of the Legislature" to senators on specific topics.

"We get plenty of counsel from state legislators, and I'm happy to have it. We get plenty of it and we try to implement it," Hatch said. "Happy to have direction, happy to have counsel.

"I don't think you need legislation to do all that."