Well now, it seems that yet another group has serious misgivings with the amnesty bill
(Washington Times) Members of the House minority caucuses say they have serious misgivings about the Senate immigration bill and the debate surrounding it, saying that many of the important issues of trade and agricultural policy are being overlooked.
"At the end of the day, we have to have a trade policy that lets [Central and South American] goods in and one that’s fair to American workers and Mexican small farmers and doesn’t undermine them," said Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat.
"People have to understand that once we start dumping corn and wheat and everything else into Mexico and we wipe out their small farmers, guess where those small farmers are coming? To a town near you."
Getting beyond the socialist style trade talk, which was kept to a minimum, Ellison has several points. First, that the immigration bill sucks. That is a given. Second, people leave their countries to come here because their countries, well, suck, at least as far as labor is concerned. They come here to work, and then stay, because of the opportunities in America, opportunities that do not exist in their home countries.
(Ellison) said Americans in the same situation would do the same. Echoing sentiments from members of the Congressional Black Caucus, he said he has a problem with hardworking people, who came to the U.S. looking to build a better life, being treated as criminals.
Yet, Keith, they are criminals, if they came here illegally or over-stayed their visas. Is it too little to ask for them to be law abiding?
Feeling pressure from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House Democrats say that any notion of moving the immigration policy away from family reunification to a point system favoring educated, highly skilled workers is a deal breaker.
"I look forward to legislative action in the House that ensures that our borders are secure, that our laws are enforced, that promotes family values with family unification," said Zoe Lofgren, California Democrat, and chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration.
"Family values" stands for new Democrat voters. Said families can be reunited in the countries they came from, if they want to flount the law. But power is more important to Democrats then doing the right thing.
As a sidebar, it is funny that a party that supports abortion on demand, gay marriage as a Right, and the disintigration of the nuclear family as a whole, and pushes single parent lifestyles, even mentions "family values."
Rep. Artur Davis, Alabama Democrat, called the point system "questionable" and said that, coupled with the "imprecise" guest-worker program, which requires immigrants to return home for a year after working in the country two years, the Senate plan creates a permanent "low-wage base" or with no hope of becoming citizens.
They aren’t here for citizenship, Artur, they are here to work. And, as so many care little to learn English, nor integrate into our culture and become an American, why would we want them?
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All in all, this is proving that the Immigration/Amnesty bill has a little bit of nothing for everyone.
“They aren’t here for citizenship, Artur, they are here to work. And, as so many care little to learn English, nor integrate into our culture and become an American, why would we want them?”
Assuming that everyone who entered illegally was breaking his or her neck to learn English and become a citizen, it is still immoral to allow them to cut in front of people waiting in lines around the world.
Can’t disagree with you there.
This bill is of no help at all to the millions of people who love this country and want to become legal tax paying American Citizens.
The backlash is they will have to return to their country of origin a few years later. Who says that they will then be allowed back into the US????
Two things tell me no.
First of all, there is a law in place that says if you have overstayed your visa by more than 1 year you will NOT be allowed back into the US for 10 more years.
This bill does nothing except tell the immigrants to Pay Up, Get Legally Exploited and then Go Home!