A broad cross-section of House Democrats unveiled a new comprehensive immigration reform bill Tuesday, laying down an early marker for what they hope will be a major 2010 debate.More than 80 co-sponsors have already signed on to the legislation, which is authored by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and titled the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, or "CIR ASAP" for short. The bill includes provisions strengthening border security, creating a streamlined employment verification system, altering the visa program to promote the reunification of families and establishing a commission to recommend changes to the current system of H-1B and H-2B visas for skilled workers.
The measure, a summary of which is available here (PDF), also contains an "earned legalization program" for current undocumented workers, giving them the chance to get legal status if they pay a $500 fine, pass a criminal background check and show that they have made valuable contributions to American society "through employment, education, military service or other volunteer/community service."
Gutierrez and several members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as well as the Congressional Black Caucus and other groups jammed into an overstuffed, sweltering House committee room Tuesday to release the bill and demand action.
Standing before a cadre of activists chanting "Si, se puede," and a group of children wearing shirts that said "future voter," Gutierrez said that years of hard work and negotiations on the issue had brought them "to this bill and to this meeting, which marks the final push toward comprehensive immigration reform."
All through 2009, the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats have repeatedly announced that they are about to begin work on amnesty legislation Real Soon Now. Their unstated goal is to freeze unemployed illegal immigrants in place in the U.S. through April 1, 2010, the date of the Census, by implying that if they go back to their warm homelands this winter to live with their families, they'll miss out on the coming Amnesty.
My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer
the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, or "CIR ASAP"
ReplyDeletePronounced "kee-rap" I presume.
Steve -- you are only partially right. While it is true that the objective is to jigger the census, the real objective is a permanent, open border and amnesty for every illegal alien. PERIOD.
ReplyDeleteDems have a "once in a generation" chance to rush EVERY measure that the voting public HATES down their throat. Hence, ObamaCare, despised by over 65% of the voting public, a done deal. Cap and Trade, same margin of dislike, a done deal.
AMNESTY IS A DONE DEAL. It was inevitable once Obama became President. It allows instantly Blacks + Hispanics to overwhelm White voters numbers. Dems will vote for it knowing that even if defeated Obama will appoint them to a do-nothing Bureaucratic position where they can sit around all day doing nothing and collecting pay.
A President McCain would have generated the same amount of enthusiasm for this as President Bush did. Obama plus 60 Senate Dems and a 77 seat majority in the House = Amnesty as a done deal.
This is not Kabuki. It is the real deal and WILL pass.
"Any bill without a temporary worker program is simply not comprehensive," said Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) a reform supporter who has worked on legislation in the past with Gutierrez.
ReplyDeleteOh, great.
Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was much more scathing.
"This is the kind of legislation that foreign governments would promote, not the U.S. Congress," Smith said.
Preach it!
"The more unemployed illegal immigrants stick it out through the winter before going home, the more power professional Hispanics like Gutierrez will enjoy..."
ReplyDeleteI think it's simpler than that. On the visceral level stuff like that works out in the "our guys - yay, other guys - boo" way described by the War Nerd. Gutierrez is rooting for his guys.
I can't picture a big push for amnesty next year with an upcoming election and the worst unemployment in 25 years still happening. How many Representatives want to take that back to their districts? Congressman is a pretty cushy job, and it can lead to bigger things for the ambitious. Ex-congressman means going back to a law firm for the rest of your days with a lot fewer doting interns. Who's going to risk that to make La Raza happy?
ReplyDeleteAny bill not mandating a border-long double fence, quadrupling of border patrol and ICE agents, and nationwide use of E-verify for ALL hiring would also not be comprehensive.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get back to basics and repeal the 1965 Immigration Act.
ReplyDeleteThe Left is so scared of the American Whites waking up to the damage that this law has done that when Ted Kennedy died it was rarely even mentioned in his obituraries except in passing. Basically, his biggest achievement they didn't cover.
Now, we have Obama setting the U.S. up to default on it's loans. The Left would love America to be taken down a peg or two if that happened. The Left don't want to change America, they don't want improve it, they just want to destroy it.
"....and show that they have made valuable contributions to American society "through employment, education, military service or other volunteer/community service."
ReplyDeleteHow does a foreigner make a "valuable contribution" to American society by getting an education. Isn't that a valuable contribution that American socieity makes to said foreigner.
As a general rule, I oppose any immigration bill authored, sponsored, or co-sponsored by a Congressman with a name like Gutierrez.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteI don't like this use of 'kabuki'. Kabuki theater is a legitimate art form and not something that is phony or deceptive.
Why not accuse the democrats of pulling a 'Shakespeare' if you want to insult somebody.
*****
Where the hell is Lou Dobbs when you need him?
ReplyDeleteSo what does "cir asap" mean in Spanish?
ReplyDelete"This is not Kabuki. It is the real deal and WILL pass."
ReplyDelete--Way to go, discouraging people from fighting the amnesty before it even gets started. It's like Washington addressing the troops at Valley Forge: "Go home already. It's cold, and the British WILL win this one. It's a done deal."
Get off your butt and start fighing back. Start writing the checks, making the calls, sending the faxes NOW. Sheesh.
the US government maintains that europeans will not become less than 50% of the population until 2050. what bullocks. it won't be much past 2020 when that happens.
ReplyDeleteGet off your butt and start fighting back. Start writing the checks, making the calls, sending the faxes NOW. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteExactly right MaryJ. Wiskey has never been our friend. Hassle your congress-critter early. If he only hears from the aliens, he might think there's no downside. Make him aware that there are single issue, activist voters on the American side. The earlier you get to him, the less likely he has to repudiate a public stance.
Make it real clear: Republican, Democrat, we don't give a sh*t. Guns, gays, legal cannabis(just for you MaryJ) whatever. There's only one important issue: America stays American. We can argue about petty shit when the ship stops sinking. Once he votes for amnesty, he has lost your vote forever.
Anyone who votes for amnesty gets voted against in primaries and general elections. If he's a Republican, remind him that his odds of winning the Hispanic vote is zero. If he's a white or black Democrat, remind him that hispanics prefer their own in Congress. If he's in a slower growing or even shrinking state, he might get gerrymandered out of a seat after the census.
Grassroots campaigning stopped amnesty under Bush, it can stop it again.
Hispanic "activists" would get a more favorable reception from me if their T shirts ever read: Si, se puede speak English. Si, se puede graduate from high school.
ReplyDeleteFuture voter eh, except there won't be any elections for them to vote in. Congress will forfeit it authority to govern if this bill goes through!!!
ReplyDeleteThe US conference of Catholic Bishop's maintains a site called Justice for Immigrants that even includes this request for action to help pass amnesty:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/action.html
Guns, gays, legal cannabis(just for you MaryJ) whatever. There's only one important issue: America stays American. We can argue about petty shit when the ship stops sinking.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, whoa, whoa there cowboy.
Are you saying that RKBA is petty shiznat?
RKBA is simultaneously both the sine qua non and the ne plus ultra of political questions.
RKBA is the alpha and the omega - everything begins and ends with RKBA.