Uncooperative Radio: The Dishonor of Tying Border Security to Amnesty

Friday, June 15, 2007

The Dishonor of Tying Border Security to Amnesty

Cross posted from Maggie's Notebook

Note: Please be sure to read Senator Jim DeMint's comments a few paragraphs down.

Tonight(Thursday), we learn that the Senate Comprehensive Immigration Bill, once dead but now revived, will be up for debate on the Senate floor next week. This seems to indicate that some Republican Senators are now willing to support the legalization of some 12-20 million illegal aliens.

Here's what the Coalition Against Illegal Immigration believes to be the scenario ahead:

*Sixty (60) votes will be available to close the debate (Cloture)
*Republicans have indicated that they have the necessary votes to close the debate
*If the debate closes, it likely means the bill passes
*Sixty votes needed for Cloture, only a simple majority needed to pass the bill

**When the vote is taken, a few Republican Senators, up for reelection, will vote against the bill, enabling them to receive campaign contributions from lobbyists. So to clarify, some Senators voting "yes" to closing the debate, may vote "no" to passing the bill - but the bill passes anyway, as only a simple majority is needed.

Wednesday night rumors were rife with dollar signs. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) extolled a new idea: $4.4 billion in immediate funding for border safety. Where would the $4.4 billion come from? Graham said it will come from the Treasury and eventually be repaid. Tony Snow, Bush Press Secretary confirmed that the millions will come from the General Fund but in this Washington Times piece said he "...did not know where the money would originally come from."

The money will come from the taxpayers. The claim is that the money will berepaid to the Treasury by fees retained from the cost of Z-Visas. As Freedom of Philadelphia pointed out, Z-visa monies could be targeted to offset the costs of health care, education or crime.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) went straight to the heart of the bill in a statement referring to the $4.4 billion allotment:

I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there's simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it,...

If the Administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill."

The details of todays negotiations are generally reported under anonymity,and no surprise there, as the original bill was devised behind closed doors and simply leap-frogged the legislative process.

These people have no honor, but here's the thing: It's not dead yet, so don't give up on it. Call your Senator on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. At the top right corner of my web page you can enter your zipcode to find contact numbers for phone, fax and email. Visit NumbersUSA's homepage for more information and click this to send a free fax.

Article End.
Posted by Maggie

**This was a production of The Coalition
Against Illegal Immigration(CAII). If you would like to
participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards,
email stiknstein-at-gmail-dot-com and let us know at what level you
would like to participate.