Thread: FAIR Legislative Update May 14, 2007

Legislative Update
May 14, 2007


Senator Reid Reintroduces Senate Guest Worker Amnesty Bill; First Vote on Wednesday!

Last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) reintroduced the guest worker amnesty bill that passed the Senate last year. The bill, numbered S.1348, is modeled closely on last year's notorious legislation, S.2611. On Friday, Senator Reid declared that the Senate will vote on Wednesday whether to proceed on the bill. In Senator Reid's words, proceeding with debate on the bill will give Congress the chance to "give those 12 million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to come out of the shadows and into the light."

Several Senators who voted for last year's bill have publicly stated that they will vote against debating the same bill this year. Some, such as Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), have had more time to closely examine the 700-page bill and feel there are too many damaging provisions to debate it again. Others, such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), are helping Senate and White House negotiators work behind closed doors develop a new guest worker amnesty bill that they feel will be an easier sell to the American people.

Various sources report that one of the sticking points in the negotiations is whether to end chain migration. Chain migration is the result of the current formula for awarding green cards, which grants preferences to applicants who establish that they have some sort of extended family in the United States. By granting green card preferences to extended family members, immigrants who enter the U.S. bring in their extended family members, who in turn bring in more extended family members. In fact, a single permanent resident has the potential to bring as many as 273 relatives into the United States within 15 years! This phenomenon--called chain migration--has led to skyrocketing immigration, exponential growth in U.S. population, and overcrowding in our cities.

Nevertheless, amnesty proponents and numerous minority groups want to maintain our broken system and keep chain migration going. CongressDaily reports that "proposals to curtail family-based visas [i.e. end chain migration] and bar future guestworkers from seeking permanent residency" are the main sticking points in the back-room negotiations because of opposition from special interest groups. For example, CongressDaily today reports that a representative for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said that the Catholic Church would oppose a new immigration bill that does not maintain the current family-based immigration system and allow guestworkers to apply for green cards.

If Senate and White House negotiators manage to reach a last-minute compromise, they will race the new language to the floor of the Senate, where Senators will strip the language of S.1348 and replace it with the compromise language. They will then vote on it, and if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives. At this point, negotiators refuse to circulate even draft language or talking points, so the content of a compromise bill is still a mystery to the American public. Senate staffers report, however, that the negotiations are closely following the White House proposal circulated at the end of March. That proposal included both an amnesty program for illegal aliens (through a Z visa) and two new guest worker programs for high-skilled and low-skilled workers that would allow hundreds of thousands foreign workers to come to the U.S. and compete with American workers.

FAIR urges members and activists to call their Senators and tell them to oppose both S.1348 and the White House guest worker amnesty proposal! To find the number of your Senator, click here.

As the Senate Prepares for an Immigration Vote, House Members Take a Stand

As the Senate prepares to vote this week on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's guest worker amnesty bill, S.1348, several Congressmen representing the House Immigration Reform Caucus held a press conference to voice their opposition to any legislation that gives illegal aliens a free-pass to stay in the United States.

The bipartisan coalition was represented by Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee; Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus; Steve King (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee; as well as Congressmen Heath Schuler (D-NC); Ed Royce (R-CA); Peter King (R-NY); and Mike McCaul (R-TX). During the press conference, Members stressed that Congress needs to learn from the flaws of the 1986 amnesty and its long-term negative effects - namely skyrocketing illegal immigration, depressed wages, lack of assimilation, etc.--before the same mistakes are repeated this year.

"Amnesty rewards lawbreakers with the objective of their crime, and grants them benefits we withhold from those who have played by the rules and are waiting their turn," said Congressman Smith. "When amnesty legalizes millions of illegal immigrants, it devastates vulnerable American workers, burdens American taxpayers and encourages waves of new illegal immigration in the future."

The Immigration Reform Caucus has increased its membership by 10 members this year under the leadership of Chairman Bilbray, attaining a total of 101 members - including 5 Democrats opposed to guest worker amnesty.

Lofgren Continues House Immigration Hearings; Debate Heating Up

Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee Zöe Lofgren (D-CA) has held numerous hearings over the last several weeks on the issue of immigration reform, attempting to gain support for guest worker amnesty within the chamber. While the Subcommittee has addressed a variety of anticipated issues, Lofgren's hearings have been notable for inviting witnesses friendly to the Chairwoman's position--overwhelmingly in support of illegal alien amnesty, massive guest worker programs and chain migration.

Lofgren convened two hearings last week on immigration reform. The first addressed family-based immigration, the other was a Minority hearing on the impact of illegal immigration on the American workforce. At the Subcommittee's May 8, 2007 hearing, Lofgren and the invited witnesses decried Congressman Phil Gingrey's (R-GA) bill to end chain-migration (H.R. 93 - whereby legal residents are able to bring in family members beyond the nuclear family, including parents, adult children, and siblings. Gingrey defended his legislation, noting that a single permanent resident has the potential to bring upwards of 273 relatives into the United States in as little time as 15 years. Ranking Member King noted that over 1.2 million foreign nationals are given green cards to come to the U.S. each year; many of those green cards are given to extended family members at the expense of high skilled workers who would be able to contribute more to the country.

On May 9, 2007, Chairwoman Lofgren allowed the Minority to invite witnesses whose views were not represented at an earlier hearing on the impact of immigrants on the U.S. economy and workforce. Witnesses included Steve Camarota with the Center for Immigration Studies, Roy Beck of NumbersUSA, and T. Willard Fair, renowned civil rights activist and head of the Miami Urban League. Some Members took aim at Mr. Fair, publicly scolding him for supporting true immigration reform - i.e. opposing amnesty, limiting guest worker programs, and increasing border security and interior enforcement. While discussing the detrimental impact illegal immigration has on black communities, one Member even went so far as to call Mr. Fair's position "divisive" and "corrosive".

Three more hearings are scheduled for the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration this week. On Wednesday, the Subcommittee will examine how immigrants assimilate; on Thursday, the Subcommittee will hear about the impact of immigration on state and local governments; and on Friday, the Subcommittee will discuss undocumented immigrant students.

Sullivan Resolution Calls on Congress to Enforce Existing Immigration Laws

Last Week, Congressman John Sullivan (R-OK) introduced H.RES. 351, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that federal authorities should strengthen and vigorously enforce all existing immigration laws. "It is irresponsible for Congress to consider any legislation which would grant amnesty to the 12 to 20 million illegal aliens currently residing in the United States until all existing immigration laws are enforced," said Sullivan.

Most specifically, H.RES. 351:

Encourages Federal authorities to use all tools at their disposal to strengthen and vigorously enforce all existing immigration laws;

Calls on Congress to reject consideration of any legislation which would grant amnesty to illegal aliens currently residing in the United States until all existing immigration laws are enforced; Encourages State and local law enforcement officials to report all immigration violations to the Department of Homeland Security; Expresses concern that sanctuary policies of certain cities and other political subdivisions encourage even more illegal immigration to the United States; Calls on the Federal Government to encourage and support the efforts of state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce existing immigration laws; and Expresses that the United States is a nation of laws and that all existing Federal immigration laws must be enforced to ensure the integrity of our immigration system and the sovereignty of our nation.

"This resolution will help maintain the integrity of our nation's immigration system and the sovereignty of our great nation," Sullivan said of his bill. "It is crucial that we reject amnesty and any sort of guest worker program until our borders are secure and our immigration laws are enforced."

Recent Floor Statements

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) commented on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (May 11, 2007) Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) commented on Border Agents No-Confidence Vote (May 8, 2007) Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) commented on Immigration Reform (May 7, 2007) Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) commented on Illegal Immigration Is A World Crisis (May 7, 2007)















http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer

If Senate and White House negotiators manage to reach a last-minute compromise, they will race the new language to the floor of the Senate, where Senators will strip the language of S.1348 and replace it with the compromise language. They will then vote on it, and if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives. At this point, negotiators refuse to circulate even draft language or talking points, so the content of a compromise bill is still a mystery to the American public.

This absolutely unbelievable and horrifying!!!

80 pages of crap will not make S2611 a good bill.

It's like putting lip stick on a pig! Pucker up fellas! Would you kiss her Senator?

Dixie

"give those 12 million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to come out of the shadows and into the light."

I agree, as long as the ONLY requirement is to bring them out of the shadows, and into the ICE parking lot to get on the bus back home.