Thread: Letter from Senator Larry Craig

April 27, 2007

Dear______,

Thank you for contacting me about immigration issues. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

On Election Day, the American people voted to transfer control of Congress to the Democrat Party, empowering the new leadership to change the direction of public policy. While no formal agenda for immigration reform has been determined in the Senate, it appears to be a top priority on the agendas of many in Congress.

With that said, I'm pleased that the Republican-led 109th Congress enacted several important measures to strengthen border security and domestic law enforcement. Some of these measures include:
" providing nearly $9 billion, total, on border and internal immigration enforcement, which is about a tripling over the last decade;
" doubling the number of Border Patrol agents over the next five years;
" passing the Byrd-Craig Amendment to the emergency supplemental appropriations bill - an amendment I sponsored - that made an immediate down payment on the Border Patrol, by reprogramming funds from other programs to pay for recruiting and training an additional 500 Border Patrol agents and 218 other enforcement agents and officers, and adding 1,950 detention beds for illegal immigrants that the law requires to be held for criminal activity;
" and passing the Secure Fence Act, which authorized construction of a double fence along 700 miles of the U.S. border with Mexico.

However, more enforcement and tighter borders are only part of the answer to the immigration dilemma, demonstrated by the fact that in the last decade, the undocumented population has more than doubled, even though over the same timeframe we tripled the number of agents enforcing border and immigration laws, intensified worker identification checks, implemented high-tech initiatives for better identification and tracking, and increased deportations to nearly a million annually.

During the 109th Congress the Senate opted for a multi-pronged approach to immigration reform that included improved border control, increased domestic law enforcement, and visa reform. Border security initiatives can only work if they are coupled with domestic law enforcement that identifies and brings undocumented workers out of the underground economy, and an effective temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with jobs that Americans are unwilling or unable to perform. That is why the Senate bill went beyond border control and included provisions addressing internal law enforcement and temporary worker programs. I believe the current Senate will likely begin any immigration debate with a bill very similar to this one.

Protecting our homeland security and the safety of our people is my highest priority and the first, fundamental responsibility of the government. I will also continue to support policies that protect and benefit American citizens, treat immigrants fairly, and preserve our economy, resources and national security. You can be assured of my continued efforts towards these goals in the 110th Congress.

Again, thank you for contacting me about immigration and allowing me the opportunity to share my views with you. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance on this or any other matters of concern.

Sincerely,

LARRY E. CRAIG
United States Senator

And, here is my response to you, Senator Craig, since I couldn't get to talk to your point person on immigration!

Border security initiatives can only work if they are coupled with domestic law enforcement that identifies and brings undocumented workers out of the underground economy, and an effective temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with jobs that Americans are unwilling or unable to perform

I agree with you response! What a traitor! What does he mean it can only work if coupled with temporary guest worker?! It does work by itself and the laws should be enforced!!

We don't need a guest worker program!

Olivermyboy, you could send him a picture of my sasquatch, that should get the message across!

Originally Posted by AmericanElizabeth

Olivermyboy, you could send him a picture of my sasquatch, that should get the message across!

Liz, too bad Craig isn't in that fiberglass crap house your sasquatch is carrying!

AmericanElizabeth wrote:

Olivermyboy, you could send him a picture of my sasquatch, that should get the message across!

Actually, that's kind of what he looked like the last time I talked to him! He's in the pocket of the farmers out here. But he's in trouble with the rest of Idahoans.

Liz, too bad Craig isn't in that fiberglass crap house your sasquatch is carrying

Sippy,

So glad your alter ego, Jim Carrey is back!

Oliver

And, here is my response to you, Senator Craig, on immigration!

Originally Posted by olivermyboy

Sippy,

So glad your alter ego, Jim Carrey is back!

Oliver

Thanks Oliver! Alter ego? I guess you could put it that way. My kids always tell me to do the "Ace Ventura laugh" for them because they say I do it pretty good. Now if I only had a shred of hair on my head to get that wave he has!
BTW, You guys kicked butt in DC. It was fun last week calling the offices.