John Cornyn Weighs In

(UPDATED!!! Bumped to the top!)

I just saw this on C-SPAN, and apparently so did Mary Katherine Ham. She posted up Senator Cornyn's statement:

"This proposed compromise does not protect American workers."

"I believe that we need a provision in this bill that could provide for a true temporary worker program."

"Under this bill, there will be a massive one-way migration...into the United States and no incentives for their return."

"This provides an alternative path to citizenship...some have talked about a guest worker program or a temporary worker program. This is neither."

"When it [the economy] is bad, these individuals will prove stiff competitin indeed for Americans."

"Without border security...without worker verification...this bill provides another invitation to massive illegal immigration and constitutes a reward to those who have entered out country illegally."

"This is an extremely important bill...because it's a matter of national security and it's a matter of maintaining the confidence of the people of the United States."

"The people of the United States feel like we let them down in 1986."

"The only way we're gonna be able to demonstrate that we are serious is to have a serious debate...so far, all we've been left with is obstructionism."

And after seeing the synopsis of the compromise this morning I must agree with Senator Cornyn. This compromise is nothing. It is basically amnesty with a hoop system that someone could drive a Mack truck through. The tier system is a joke, and the punishments are not nearly enough to discourage the activity again. Furthermore, as Senator Cornyn astutely pointed out, "this bill provides another invitation to massive illegal immigration and constitutes a reward to those who have entered out country illegally."

The rewards outweigh the punishment. I have heard numerous pundits on the radio today, and have read through the blogs, enough to know that people are not happy with this. Those people have stated precisely what I have stated here, and more. They have said that this plays directly into the hands of Vincente Fox, and that is does, indeed, encourage others to follow the same path. And, as I pointed out, there does not seem to be a wall included in the compromise, anywhere.

We are not isolationists. I love the critics in our e-mails that equate us to Buchananite followers. We are nothing of the sort. WE encourage legal immigration. And as we have pointed out over the last few days, or so, we control our border when we control the entry points. I know that all the critics throw tons of improbable situations that could occur (everything from climbing over the wall to dynamiting it) but I am positive that the extreme will not occur. As for those who decide to crawl over, you will be caught.

This is a national concern in ways that many could not comprehend. It is vital to our national security to know who is coming into our nation; 9/11 changed many things in this nation, and this is one that was simply begging to be addressed. America will feel incredibly let down by Congress if they do not remove their rectally-inserted heads and truly deal with the issue of border security.

And Senator Cornyn brought up the other issue that this nation faces. Economic security is essential to the nation, as well, and these people will be competition to other American workers. While we are adding to the workforce in more skilled and educated people, there are still people out there working these same jobs that people like John McCain believe we do not want.

McCain got another laugh when he finished the speech and asked whether anybody had "questions, comments or insults."

The first questioner seemed to challenge his commitment to organized labor. When McCain started to praise a particular labor group in Arizona, the crowd booed again.

"Stop!" he said with a smile, drawing laughter from the crowd. "I surrender."

But he took more questions, including a pointed one on his immigration plan.

McCain responded by saying immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted. He offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.

Shouts of protest rose from the crowd, with some accepting McCain's job offer.

"I'll take it!" one man shouted.

McCain insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season. "You can't do it, my friends."

We cannot do this? Since when? This nation was founded on hard work. It was built on the blood and sweat of her greatest generations. And Senator McCain seems to think that we cannot do that. That was smooth. That is the way to go, senator; keep alienating your base. In the meantime, I stand with Senator Cornyn. Get it right because you are doing this for America and the security of her citizens.

And if the comments from John Cornyn do not get you thinking about how disastrous this compromise is, please, read Senator Jeff Sessions' comments on it:

"It is a budget-buster. We have not yet begin to figure out how much this legislation will cost."

"This so-called compromise that was hatched yesterday was not even printed until 10 o'clock last night."

"Then we have now this compromise desperately put together by well-intentioned, no doubt, but people who have no particular experience or expertise."

"Frankly, we're gonna have to deal with the specifics of immigration...it's too imporatnt to treat it on an superficial level."

"American people care about it and we owe them."

Sessions notes that the CBO figures do NOT include costs associated with the conditional non-immigrant provisions of the bill or revenue loss and outlays associated with the Earned Income Tax Credit (a tax return for people who pay no taxes, for which many illegals would become eligible under the bill)

CBO: "Estimated outlays are about $2 billion dollars for the first two years...and 12 billion for the first 10 years, and the final figures will be bigger than those...Outlays in the succeeeding 10 years will be greater."

"We have a budget problem with this bill, among other things."

"If you listen to some of those proponents...if we just pass this bill it's going to make us all rich...people are gonna pay taxes, the economy is gonna improve, and the average guy is gonna be fine. But the fact is that didn't happen in 1986."

"We're gonna see a rise in cost to our government."

"The record is clear that the American taxpayer did pay for the 3 million beneficiaries of the 1986 bill."

"American taxpayers will pay if this bill passes...it will be a drain on our programs...that are meant to provide assistance to American citizens and people who came here legally."

In other words, not only does this not solve the problem of illegal immigration, nor the problems that this sort of neglect has created, but it is going to hurt the American citizens even more? Which idiot in this compromise came up with this? If this were a strategy meeting for a major corporation, everyone of these loons would be fired.

We cannot have real reform on illegal immigration and border security with such idiocy emanating from Congress. They are not even starting with the basic thought that this behavior is criminal. We have laws on the books that just are not being enforced to their fullest potential. A half-hearted approach led us to this point. Not, the fools involved in theis compromise simply decided to wipe the slate clean, let bygones be bygones, and give everyone involved a pass. And yes, it is a pass despite what pro-illegal immigration activists cry about. A fine? Oh b-o-o h-o-o. I have to register? GOOD!

I am sick of watrching this debate go on. I am even more nauseated at the fact that these senators feel like they have done a good deed. They are waiting for their praise, and I am sure it will come from the MSM tonight. But they are facing heavy ridicule from the pundits, and scathing reviews by bloggers. Head over to Hugh Hewitt's site. (Use the link at the beginning to Mary's post; she is updating the reactions amongst the bloggers.)

The Bunny ;)

ADDENDUM:

Hugh Hewitt has weighed in on the immigration compromise today. Below is a report on Sen. Reid's comments after the compromise was announced:

Minority Leader Harry Reid, talking to reporters with Mr. Frist at his side, said the proposal "is not perfect, but a big step in the right direction. We're looking like we may be able to dance this afternoon." However, even if Democrats and Republicans in the Senate reach an agreement on the compromise, it still would need to be approved by House Republicans, who are expected to reject it outright. Asked by reporters if Senate leaders had discussed the plan with House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner -- an ardent opponent of anything that smacks of amnesty -- Mr. Reid said dismissively: "Chairman who?" At that, Mr. Frist quickly adjourned the press conference with Mr. Reid.

I cannot tell if that was a serious "who?" or in jest, but that was rather rude. CONGRESS is supposed to be working together on legislation that betters the nation. This does not better the nation in any way. It is detrimental, as Senator Frist points out on his blog:

Specifically, the latest bill proposes to:

Border Enforcement Specifics:

*Add nearly 15,000 additional border protection agents to augment the 20,000 Customs and Border Protection agents already on the job Specifically authorize 1,250 border agents and 1,250 port-of entry inspection agents *Require Defense Department cooperation on the border, e.g. unmanned drones

*Begin the process of securing every inch of our 1,951 mile border with Mexico by building walls and fences in high traffic areas and using sensors to let our Customs and Border Patrol Agents see and hear those who try and cross through low traffic areas

*Require fingerprint database connectivity between FBI and Border Patrol

Interior Enforcement specifics:

*Increase alien smuggling penalties with a mandatory minimum of 5 years

*Add criminal penalties for various immigration-related document fraud

*Mandate the use of expedited removal for aliens apprehended within 100 miles of the border and 14 days of entry

Employer Enforcement specifics:

*Establish nationwide, mandatory verification program for hiring workers

*Limit the number of acceptable hiring documents with REAL ID standards

*Authorize 2,000 new worksite enforcement agents and 1,000 anti-fraud agents

So we are to accept a partial fence? I think not. Again, when you control the entry points of the border, you have control of your border. We do not have that, as it is right now. A wall was needed, and the GOP balked at it. It is the cornerstone of the House legislation, and obviously a point of contention between them and the House. Regardless of any sort of interneccine warfare between the two, we are the ones who are going to suffer if they screw it up. Luckily, the latest information we are hearing is that this bill will pass House muster as much as the House bill will pass their muster.

In other words, both should be DOA.

The Bunny ;) (Updated: 5:25 p.m., AZ. Time)