Thread: The Immigration and border security bill has passed!

It's HR-4437. It increases the penalties for employers who hire illegal aliens, it requires homeland security to do everything possible to secure all of America's borders, it makes it so illegal aliens can face jail time for being in America illegally, it allows for a fence along the southwestern part of the border and more and the best part: no guest worker amnesty. I'll post a link to the story when it becomes available. On to the senate!

Victory is sweet.

239-182 was the final vote.

YES !Just when we thought George Bush had us, but look how hard we fought back. I'm proud of us and of all the people around the country who are working so hard.

I sure hope things are going to get better for our country.

Title: Immigration and Border Security Passage - HR4437
Source: CSpan

Published: Dec 16, 2005
Author: AuntB - transcribed from CSpan
Post Date: 2005-12-16 22:58:25 by AuntB
Ping List: *Minuteman Project*
1 Comments

Immigration and Border Security Passage in the House

10:30 pm ET - U.S. House of Representatives

Upon Passage

HR 4437
Yea Nay Not voting

Republican 203 17 11

Democrat 36 162 3

Ind 1

Totals 239 182 14

There you have it, folks. No word yet on who the 28 republicans are who align themselves with liberals. 17 voted no and 11 were just to yellow bellied to bother.

Here are a few (NOT all) highlights included in the bill that Cspan listed. The fence wasn't mentioned during the 5 minute vote. The anchor baby provision was dumped during a deal making by the rules committee.

Increases use of surveillance equipment

250 added inspectors at ports of entry

Mandatory minimum sentences for smuggling and reentry by an alien

Blocks admission of any street gang member

Allows deportation of 3 time drunk driver convictions of an alien

Mandatory employment verification system

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/read ... &Disp=1#C1

3 time drunk driver alien gets deported?

Why not alien gets deported and 1 time drunk driver alien gets deported?

Well....it's a start.



Seriousy, everyone, this is a great victory!!

Now lets work on the US Senate....when will that work begin?

Judy, that's what I thought. It's pretty weak, but it's a start.
The drunk driving one is rediculous. They should be ashamed of that one. How lame.

I'll bet they don't even revoke their driver's licenses. Americans are walking around all over the place without driver's licenses because of DUI and DWI's...but not those DRUNKEN ILLEGAL ALIENS....they're driving, they're drinking and killing Americans right and left.

Grrrrrrr!!

The Senate is going to be much harder. They obviously don't feel any need to do what the American people want, but only what the special intrests want. The biggest problem will be Senator Specter, who runs the Judiciary committee. He was just elected last year, so won't be up for re-election until 2010. More info on him here:
http://specter.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fus ... raphy.Home

Any members in Pennsylvania who can organize a recall against him?

Here's a link to see how your rep voted on the bill.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll661.xml

A bill may have passed the House....but it still has to pass in the U.S. Senate, which as Tim stated in his above post, will be much more difficult.

When it comes to immigration legislation, I'm always concerned about what backroom deals have been already brokered to allow House members political cover by seemingly supporting stricter legislation knowing that the Senate will kill it (or turn it into an amnesty/guestworker bill--what they really want).

Although this bill offers hope, it paradoxically also opens pandoras box--making any outcome possible. So the side which successfully applies more pressure and influence on Congress will be the victor. Since big business interests and a number of other special interest groups have a lot too lose from having any anti-illegal alien legislation passed, they certainly have a strategy to transform this bill into a defacto amnesty/guestworker bill.

Congressmen are going to listen to the corporate interests that contribute $10,000 to their campaigns, not the average voting smuck that may send them $50 a year. Both parties (and candidates) are also courting Hispanic voters in order to get an advantage in the next election. (It's assumed that Hispanics generally support amnesty.)

Although polls show that voters overwhelmingly want Congress to crackdown on illegals...it has yet translated into a significant danger to incumbents at election time (in most cases all candidates for office don't differ on immigration anyway--so know matter who you elect--you get the same outcome (Jim Gilcrest's candidacy was a rare exception.)

My gut tells me we're going to be blindsighted and sucker-punched in the Senate and the resulting conference committee. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.

So to make sure we don't lose ground next week...we all had better get 100 of our closest friends to flood Congressional offices with calls/visits next week.... and for those who can afford it....contributions to those organizations that actually want the law enforced.

THANK GOODNESS! HOWARD COBLE VOTED FOR IT!!

We are REALLY gonna have our work cut out for us when the Senate starts dismantling it. You KNOW they are GONNA DEMAND a GUESTWORKER PROGRAM. I guess we can take a Christmas break and then start bombarding our Senators. THAT will be a REAL CHALLENGE.