A Tale of Two Amendments
By Joe Mariani (05/19/06)
As the Senate works towards giving amnesty and a "path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants, some Republicans, at least, are trying to tone the bill down with amendments. Unfortunately for America, the Senate as a whole seems hell-bent on killing any restrictions on their bill.
The Senate voted 50-49 to kill an amnesty bill amendment introduced by John Ensign (R-NV). The Ensign amendment would have prevented illegal immigrants, even if given amnesty for entering the country unlawfully (not to mention amnesty for forgery, fraud and tax evasion), from collecting Social Security benefits accrued under Social Security numbers fraudulently obtained while working in America. Hey, who said crime doesn't pay? And they still want us to believe this isn't amnesty?
The Senate has also voted 58-35 to kill a bill introduced by John Kyl (R-AZ) that would prevent so-called "guest workers" from becoming permanent residents instead of going home. Wasn't that the entire purpose of the "guest worker" program Bush has been touting -- that they'd go home when their time was up? Now it's just another vehicle for mass immigration. The Senate bill ought to be called "No Mexican Left Behind," as the entire country should be empty in a few years at this rate.
The following eleven Republicans voted to allow criminals to collect Social Security benefits "earned" while violating our laws:
Sam Brownback (KS)
Lincoln Chafee (RI)
Mike DeWine (OH)
Lindsay Graham (SC)
Chuck Hagel (NE)
Richard Lugar (IN)
Mel Martinez (FL)
John McCain (AZ)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Ted Stevens (AK)
George Voinovich (OH)
The following 18 Republicans voted to allow foreign "guest workers" to become permanent residents:
Lamar Alexander (TN)
Sam Brownback (KS)
Lincoln Chafee (RI)
Thad Cochran (MS)
Norm Coleman (MN)
Susan Collins (ME)
Larry Craig (ID)
Mike DeWine (OH)
Chuck Hagel (NE)
Richard Lugar (IN)
John McCain (AZ)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Gordon Smith (OR)
Olympia Snowe (ME)
Arlen Specter (PA)
Ted Stevens (AK)
George Voinovich (OH)
John Warner (VA)
Comparing these lists with the list of 18 Republicans who voted against securing the border before working on amnesty, I'm starting to notice a pattern emerging here...
http://guardian.blogdrive.com/archive/cm-05_cy-2006_m-05_d-19_y-2006_o-0.html
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