Thread: Public Input about Campaigns and Elections for Congress

Friends of ALIPAC,

Please use this post area to recommend candidates for endorsement and to discuss the candidates we are listing for endorsement.

Not all of those on our main endorsement list are carved in stone just yet.


Endorsed List of Federal Candidates Against Illegal Immigration and Amnesty
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=C ... age&pid=33


We need your research help.

It is a big country and there are hundreds of candidates and races to analyze.

Our ALIPAC Team is racing to identify, endorse and support as many good candidates on our side as possible.

Please help us by posting your recommendations, research, and questions here in the public Input section of our 2008 Candidate Endorsements area.

William Gheen
President, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC ALIPAC
www.alipac.us

Test post. A link to this area is going out to our national supporter list right now and I plan to add a link here to our 2008 Endorsements page. Could someone, not a moderator, please make a test post here to let me know that Registered users can comment here.

William

Sorry folks, there is a problem with the list. Congressman Jones and McHenry and many others were accidentally removed.

We are working to correct the error and should have things fixed up within a few hours.

W

People in South Florida Congressional district 22 should be made aware we have a great candidate on our side. Lt Col Allen West. I have met with him and I am a financial supporter as well. Speaking to him is like preaching to the choir. His loyalty is to the American people. He is a war hero who put his men before his career. The man he is running against is exactly the type of useless liberal nut we need to vote out. In my mind it is imperative that West win this election. Please help make any friends you have in So Fla CD 22 aware of him. He is a staunch opponent to illegal immigration and amnesty and the general destruction of our country that we are facing. The polar opposite of his opponent. He is also very clear on the threat Islam poses to the West. His website is http://www.allenwestforcongress.com/ and you can also view him speaking about VISION here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qSnRlmo7og his youtube channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/AllenWest08

Lets get this man elected!!!!

Are you sending any kind of a questionaire to the candidates? How is this selection made?

Here's what I got in responses from my GA reps when I hammered them against the criminal alien invasion in this state:

From Linder:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the ongoing debate over comprehensive immigration reform legislation in Congress. I appreciate hearing from you.

In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Hart-Celler Immigration Act, which effectively eliminated the U.S. immigrant quota system that was instituted in the early twentieth century, and created the foundation for our nation's current immigration policies. Upon signing the Act, President Johnson remarked, "This bill we sign today is not a revolutionary bill. It does not affect the lives of millions. It will not restructure the shape of our daily lives."

It is now more than 40 years since President Johnson spoke those words, and, contrary to his declaration, the bill instigated a tidal wave of visa-seekers and has indeed profoundly affected the lives of millions and millions of Americans. Despite the positive, historic role of immigration in our nation, our current immigration policies are not working. At this time, I believe immigration reform legislation should focus on combating the problems of illegal immigration first, and then restructuring our existing immigration system second. Illegal immigrants in our country belie the core principle of the rule of law. These concerns cannot be left to fester any longer. They must be addressed before the crisis worsens.

For too long, the issue of illegal immigration has simply been ignored. For instance, our country has a wealth of anti-illegal immigration laws currently in place. We simply must enforce those laws, and not encourage or condone their violation by ignoring them because enforcement seems too cumbersome. That means, for example, that we must actively seek-out, punish, and deport illegal aliens and those who knowingly employ or sponsor them. I would like to see Congress consider legislation that looks at increasing the penalties, including hefty fines and time in prison, for individuals who either smuggle illegal aliens into this country or employ them once they arrive. Additionally, the government should empower state and local law enforcement personnel to help expedite the process of deporting those who have already been caught.

On May 16, 2007, Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) reached a compromise with the Bush Administration with respect to comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The Kennedy-Kyl immigration proposal would have made broad, sweeping changes to our nation's current immigration policy, including reform to border security, our present employment verification system, and Federal penalties for alien smuggling. It also included guest worker provisions and language that would create non-immigrant worker visas for nearly all undocumented immigrant workers presently residing in our nation. This proposal was considered and then tabled, and reconsidered again and re-tabled indefinitely. I was deeply troubled by the Kennedy-Kyl proposal. It is clear that our immigration policy is in serious need of drastic reform, but the Kennedy-Kyl plan is not the way to approach such reform.

Illegal immigrants should not be eligible to receive amnesty or benefits of any kind from the Federal government. I have always supported the position that illegal immigrants should be rooted-out and promptly sent back to their country of origin. That will continue to be my position into the future as well, and should an immigration reform measure be brought before the House for a vote that contradicts that policy, you can be certain that I will oppose it.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If I may be of assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to call on me.

Sincerely,John Linder
Member of Congress

From Gingrey:

Thank you for contacting me in support of immigration reform. I appreciate learning of your concerns and having the opportunity to respond.

Without proper border control, illegal immigration has unfortunately become a national crisis. Therefore, we must address this issue for the sake of our national security and economic prosperity. As the author of the Voter Verification Act, the Nuclear Family Priority Act, the Secure Entry Act, and as an executive board member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I support legislation that will secure our borders and discourage illegal immigration.

The first - and most important - step in securing our borders is to complete construction of the southern border fence on the 700 miles of land authorized by Congress in 2006. This border fence will be a valuable investment because it will increase our border patrol's ability to apprehend smugglers and others crossing our border illegally. While progress is being made on its construction, I will work to ensure that the border fence receives the funding it needs to create additional barriers to stop illegal immigration.

Additionally, I believe that legislation like the SAVE Act - H.R. 4088 - provides commonsense and necessary reforms to our country's overall immigration policy. It does so by making the E-Verify program mandatory for employers while closing existing loopholes in the program, thereby detecting multiple people using the same Social Security number or people using stolen identities. I am a proud original cosponsor of H.R. 4088, and recently joined over 180 of my colleagues in the House by signing a discharge petition to bring this legislation to the House floor for its immediate consideration.

Lastly, please know that I reject amnesty as a solution for illegal immigration - it only encourages more illegal immigration by rewarding individuals for already breaking our laws. Should any proposal for immigration reform come before that House that includes amnesty, I assure you that I will work to see it defeated.

I believe our government and elected officials can achieve a secure border and control who enters our country by investing in infrastructure and manpower. It is the responsibility of Congress to meet these needs and pass real immigration reform, and I will continue to work in the 110th Congress until our borders are secure.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. You may also contact me via my email at gingrey.ga@mail.house.gov, or log your ideas and opinions on my website: http://gingrey.house.gov.

From Broun:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the ongoing problem of illegal immigration. I appreciate the benefit of having your thoughts on this matter.

In a nation as diverse as the United States, one uniting force that we have always relied upon is the English language. History has proven America's ability to assimilate a multitude of cultures as one of her strongest qualities in creating patriotic citizens who are committed to the betterment of their communities and their country. This would not have happened without the common subscription to the English language, even by non-native speakers. In effect, English is now universal throughout the world-giving fluent speakers marked advantages over non-English speakers. It has become the language of aviation, and therefore the language of international commerce. Illegal immigration poses a new threat to English as the common language that bonds together all of America's unique cultures. The time has come for English to become the official language of the United States in order to secure for future generations the commonalities they will need to succeed in a globalized world.

Illegal immigration is one of the greatest threats facing our nation today, and I am fully committed to reversing this problem and ensuring the integrity of our nation's borders. As a member of the Immigration Reform Caucus, I believe our porous borders represent a significant national security threat. Some estimate that there are over 12 million illegal aliens currently residing in the United States , with thousands more crossing the border illegally each day. We have no way to identify and track these illegal entrants, and therefore no way to know which ones are terrorists and which ones are laborers seeking illegal work. Homeland security is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the federal government, and we must act swiftly to address this growing problem.

American workers have been displaced in their jobs by cheap illegal alien workers. Our schools are overcrowded and legally residing students have had their own education negatively impacted by bilingual education policies. Government services that are already stretched too thin, such as Medicaid and food assistance programs, are being exhausted. In areas heavily populated with illegal aliens, people must frequently wait several hours before being treated at the emergency room. Most illegal aliens do not pay taxes and are a significant drain on local and state governments.

As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I am adamantly opposed to any form of amnesty and will work to prevent the passage of any legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for illegal aliens. Illegal aliens and employers who hire them must be held accountable. Our nation is guided by a set of core principles and the rule of law, and we should not reward illegal behavior with any form of amnesty. We must secure the border, increase cooperation between state and federal law enforcement entities, eliminate public assistance for illegal aliens, require mandatory verification of employees' legal status, and increase penalties for employers who hire illegal workers. I am committed to enacting real reform that addresses the heart of the ongoing problem of illegal immigration.

Again, thank you for contacting me. It is an honor to serve you in the United States House of Representatives. If I can ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me. I also encourage you to visit my website at broun.house.gov.

Sincerely,
Paul Broun
Member of Congress

Hope this helps in your assessments, William!

Those who are in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District have a supporter in Craig Williams who is running to unseat the first term Democrat Joseph Sestak. Sestak took over the seat held by Curt Weldon and has consistently ignored the will of his constituents and voted party lines on everthing from illegal immigration to the war in Iraq. He publicly stated that "this war can't be won". He is for border security and opposes any form of amnesty. He is worth endorsing. The link to his site is:

http://www.craigwilliamsforcongress....ues_energy.php

Here are the responses I got this past summer from my GA reps about E-verify:

From Linder:

Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts about legislation that would establish an "E-Verify" program. I appreciate hearing from you on this subject.

As you may know, on February 28, 2008, Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5515, the "New Employer Verification Act." It has three main goals: 1) to ensure a legal work force in the United States; 2) to protect the identities of employees; and, 3) to protect Social Security's long-term solvency. It would achieve these goals by replacing the current paper-based, I-9 work status verification process with an Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS).

Under this new EEVS program, an employer would go online and check the employment status of a prospective employee within the Secure Electronic Employment Verification System (SEEVS). Each employee's identity would be protected using biometric measures, such as a thumbprint. No new Federal government bureaucracy would be created for this program, and existing private sector entities could be utilized to authenticate new employees' identities, to conduct background checks and screen documents.

H.R. 5515 has been referred to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security for review and consideration. To date, no action has been taken on the bill.

We both share a common desire to have the Federal government update its process for verifying the employment status of eligible workers in our country. The current 20-year old verification process, the I-9 system, is insufficient to meet the needs of the Federal government, employers, and prospective employees.

While I do not object to the goals of H.R. 5515, or its individual elements, I prefer a different legislative measure, H.R. 19, which was introduced on January 4, 2007, by Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA). This bill would direct the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the permanent implementation of a new Employment Eligibility Verification System. This system, frequently called "E-Verify," is a free, Internet-based program that allows employers to confirm the working status of prospective employers within seconds. In 2006, employers conducted almost two million inquiries with E-Verify. On average, an initial verification response was returned within 3-5 seconds. H.R. 19 seeks to make E-Verify a nationwide program, so that it can be utilized by all employers seeking to verify all prospective employees.

For years, I have expressed my support for the Federal government to establish an online employee verification system which would allow employers to quickly and accurately determine if a prospective employee is eligible for employment. I am very pleased to see a number of similar legislative vehicles, including both H.R. 19 and H.R. 5515, pending before the 110th Congress. Hopefully, the Congress can send President George W. Bush legislation of this nature before the final adjournment of the 110th Congress, so that we can have a 21st Century employee verification system for an increasingly competitive and global 21st Century economy.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any other assistance to you in the future.

Sincerely,
John Linder
Member of Congress

From Westmoreland:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the important issue of securing our borders and illegal immigration. A bill that would address this matter is the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act, H.R. 4088. Another important piece of legislation is the Fence by Date Certain Act, H.R. 4987. I appreciate hearing your views on this issue.

First, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Georgia . I think you will find that Georgia has a very bad illegal immigration problem, just as Los Angeles does. As you may know, the SAVE Act seeks to provide immigration reform by securing America's borders, clarifying and enforcing existing laws, and enabling a employer verification program. This legislation has been referred to numerous U.S. House of Representative committees, including both the U.S. House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, for further legislative review.

H.R. 4088 attempts to stem the tide of illegal immigration at the border and the workplace by utilizing a three-pronged approach: 1. Secure the Northern and Southern borders. 2. Create a mandatory employment verification program. 3. Increase enforcement measures inside the United States . I believe that these steps are vital to solving this country's illegal immigration problem, and that is why I am an original co-sponsor of this legislation.

The SAVE Act provides 8,000 new border patrol agents and utilizes new technology and infrastructure to secure the border. It also creates a pilot program to increase aerial surveillance, satellite, and equipment sharing between the Department o f Homeland Security and the Department o f Defense to better conserve taxpayer dollars.

Step two of this program emphasizes employment verification. The SAVE Act strengthens the current "Basic Pilot" E-verify program, which is currently a voluntary employment verification program administered by the Department of Homeland Security, by making it mandatory for all employers. H.R. 4088 also closes the existing loopholes in the E-Verify program to detect multiple people using the same social security number and to detect people using stolen identities.

Finally, H.R. 4088 addresses the issue of what to do about the millions of people that are currently here illegally. This legislation would increase the strength of federal law enforcement by employing more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, as well as provide training for additional state and local law enforcement personnel. The SAVE Act would also expedite the removal o f illegal aliens by expanding detention capacity and increasing the number of Federal District Court Judges.

I also support H.R. 4987, the Fence by Date Certain Act, and am currently in the process of being added as a co-sponsor to this important piece of legislation.

In spite of the current trouble with illegal immigration, we are a nation of immigrants, and it is clear that anyone who wants to come to this nation and properly follow the rules of admission to citizenship or legal status should be welcomed with open arms. But we must not reward those who violate our laws when coming into this country. People who have come to the United States illegally should not be given amnesty.

Removing the incentive for people to come to this country for free government benefits is also a vital solution. A number of women come to the United States and try to have a child as soon as possible. Since the baby is born on American soil, it is an American citizen and qualifies for welfare benefits, allowing the mother to stay in the country. I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 1940, which is legislation aimed at eliminating the practice of "birthright citizenship."

Most of our illegal immigration problems result from the failure of our legal immigration system. Our legal immigration system is seriously backlogged, and needs to be updated. Some centers processing applications are only now reaching applications that were made in the late 1990s. Forty percent of the illegal aliens in our country have overstayed legally granted visas. I strongly support efforts to reform our legal immigration system into a system that works.

This is an issue which is vitally important to the future of our nation. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as your representative in the Congress-it is hearing from people like you that enables me to better do my job here on your behalf. Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. For additional information regarding current legislation and the Third District, I invite you to visit my website at http://www.house.gov/westmoreland, and to receive my monthly newsletter, you can sign up on my website at http://westmoreland.house.gov/Forms/EmailSignup/.

Sincerely,
Lynn A Westmoreland
Member of Congress

From Gingrey:

Thank you for contacting me to express your support for H.R. 4088, the SAVE Act of 2007. I appreciate learning of your concerns and having the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, H.R. 4088 was introduced by Representative Heath Shuler (D-NC) on November 6, 2007. The SAVE Act of 2007 will increase the number of Border Patrol agents by 8,000 and utilize new technologies and infrastructure to increase aerial surveillance and equipment sharing between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. H.R. 4088 will also expand the E-Verify program and make it mandatory for employers while closing existing loopholes in the program to detect multiple people using the same Social Security number or people using stolen identities.

I am a proud original cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to voting in strong support of H.R. 4088. You will also be happy to know that I have been active on the issue of E-Verify participation. During consideration of a number of Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations bills, I supported language to withhold federal funds from entities that do not participate in E-Verify. I believe that the federal government should lead by example on this matter, and I joined 23 of my colleagues in urging the Appropriations Committee to keep the language in those bills to prevent tax dollars from going to workers who are in the country illegally.

Rest assured that I believe our government and elected officials can achieve a secure border by investing in infrastructure and manpower. It is the responsibility of Congress to pass real immigration reform, and I will continue to work on this issue in the 110th Congress until our borders are secure.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you feel that I may be of additional assistance on this, or any other matter of importance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. You may also contact me via my email at gingrey.ga@mail.house.gov, or log your ideas and opinions on my website: http://gingrey.house.gov.

From Linder, again:

Thank you for contacting me and expressing your support for mandatory employee verification by employers. I appreciate learning of your interest in this measure.

In contacting my office, you endorsed the concept of a legal requirement that employers verify the work status of all employees. It will please you to learn that, since 1986, Federal law has required this. While there is no need to enact a new Federal law with such a requirement, there is a growing sense in the Congress that the Federal government's current employee verification process must be strengthened and enhanced in order to ensure that employers are only hiring workers legally authorized to work in the United States.

In the 110th Congress, different legislative measures seeking to reform the existing employee verification process have been introduced. For example, on February 28, 2008, Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX) introduced H.R. 5515. It has three main goals: 1) to ensure a legal work force in the United States; 2) to protect the identities of employees; and, 3) to protect Social Security's long-term solvency. It would achieve these goals by replacing the current paper-based, I-9 work status verification process with an Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS).

Under this new EEVS program, an employer would go online and check the employment status of a prospective employee within the Secure Electronic Employment Verification System (SEEVS). Each employee's identity would be protected using biometric measures, such as a thumbprint. No new Federal government bureaucracy would be created for this program, and existing private sector entities could be utilized to authenticate new employees' identities, to conduct background checks and screen documents.

H.R. 5515 has been referred to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security for review and consideration. To date, no action has been taken on the bill.

While I do not object to the goals of H.R. 5515, or its individual elements, I prefer a different legislative measure, H.R. 19, which was introduced on January 4, 2007, by Representative Ken Calvert (R-CA). This bill would direct the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the permanent implementation of a new Employment Eligibility Verification System. This system, frequently called "E-Verify," is a free, Internet-based program that allows employers to confirm the working status of prospective employers within seconds. In 2006, employers conducted almost two million inquiries with E-Verify. On average, an initial verification response was returned within 3-5 seconds. H.R. 19 seeks to make E-Verify a nationwide program, so that it can be utilized by all employers seeking to verify prospective employees.

For years, I have expressed my support for the Federal government to establish an online employee verification system which would allow employers to quickly and accurately determine if a prospective employee is eligible for employment. I am very pleased to see a number of similar legislative vehicles, including both H.R. 19 and H.R. 5515, pending before the 110th Congress. Hopefully, the Congress can send President George W. Bush legislation of this nature before the final adjournment of the 110th Congress, so that we can have a 21st Century employee verification system for an increasingly competitive and global 21st Century economy.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any other assistance to you in the future.

Sincerely,
John Linder
Member of Congress

From Sen. Chambliss:

Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 3093, the "Electronic Employment Verification Reauthorization Act." It is good to hear from you.

S. 3093 was introduced on June 5, 2008, and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. This legislation would m ake the E-verify program permanent. E-verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration to allow participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

This bill requires all contractors of the federal government to use the program. Additionally, it gives employers the option to verify the status of all employees, not just new hires and allows the Department of Homeland Security to require companies to use the E-verify program if a pattern of illegal hiring is found. It also requires Citizenship and Immigration Services to create a pilot project that will provide opportunities to use the E-verify program to small businesses and businesses in rural areas without internet access. Finally, the legislation requires employers to re-verify employees who are in the United States on temporary status.

Recently, I signed a letter to Majority Leader Reid requesting that he bring the reauthorization of the E-verify program to the floor before the Senate adjourns.

Earlier this year, I cosponsored S. 2366, the "Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE). This bill would expand the E-verify program and make it mandatory for employers to verify the legal status of their employees. Employers with over 250 employees, all federal agencies, and federal contractors would be required to verify all new employees within one year of enactment. Employers with over 100 employees would be required to comply within two years, over 30 employees within three years, and all employers would be required to verify all employees within four years.

It is important that we provide employers the tools to quickly and accurately verify the legal status of their employees. I look forward to supporting S. 3093 or S. 2366 should they come before the Senate.

(I LOVE GA - It beats the H*LL out of CA !!)

From Sen. Isakson:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding the E-verify program. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.

The E-Verify program is an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Participating employers can check the work status of new hires online by comparing information from an employee's I-9 form against the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security databases.

Earlier this year, I cosponsored S. 2366, the "Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE). This bill would expand the E-verify program and make it mandatory for employers to verify the legal status of their employees. Employers with over 250 employees, all federal agencies, and federal contractors would be required to verify all new employees within one year of enactment. Employers with over 100 employees would be required to comply within two years, over 30 employees within three years, and all employers would be required to verify all employees within four years. I also signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking him to bring the E-verify program to the Senate floor before we adjourn. I look forward to supporting this legislation should it come before the Senate.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please visit my webpage at http://isakson.senate.gov/ for more information on the issues important to you and to sign up for my e-newsletter by choosing Newsletter Subscription from the topic list.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

I didn't bother contacting the Demoncats, just the Republicrats. So these are the ones I heard back from. For the ones I don't hear from, I draw my own conclusions...

Nevada's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please review for the list!

Here in Nebraska we have a couple of individuals who are very definitely against illegal immigration. Our former Mayor of Lincoln and also former Governor, Mike Johanns is running for United States Senator. He has stated he is against anything illegal including illegal immigration.

Also our incumbent Representative from District 3, Adrian Smith, is very much again illegal immigration. I wrote and suggested he went to this site and state his position but obviously he didn't do it.

I believe two out of four individuals running for Congress is better than many places.