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Return to Article: House Republicans propose immigration measure

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  Miriam Dunn you are exactly right in everything you said. The example you provide about your daughters experience is typical, especially so if she is not a minority. Census figures don't lie being white plus poor in America equals zero government assistance. If on the other hand you're a criminal, here illegally, you get everything handed to you. It's a shame the system is so backwards, and worse yet it will never change.

  Hans N. Weiffenbach Posted June 20, 2007 1:34 PM
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  A probable 'hidden agenda' of both the administration and the arrogant Senators (in both parties) who are trying to pass amnesty legislation is - their perceived need for more young workers to support Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, for the aging and retiring baby boomers, i.e., to increase the ratio of workers to retires. But it won't work as the current economic burden of illegal aliens on our medical, education, and social welfare system sshow

  J P Posted June 20, 2007 1:02 PM
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  In response to Drew's comment that 65 to 70% of Americans want a bill to deal with the 12 million illegal aliens already here; he is right. The majority want them out. Why can't we require these aliens to come forth with conquences that they will never have a chance to stay later should they not present themselves. Allow a temporary stay until we weed out those not contributing or undesireable and punish these employers.

  Charles McCollum Posted June 20, 2007 12:23 PM
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  I am seldom in agreement with those on the right side of the aisle in Congress, but I am on this proposal. It is wrong to reward bad behavior. If we really want millions more people to immigrate to this country than we currently legally allow, then change the LAW to allow that. That will never happen because the American people do not want millions more people to immigrate here. I sympathize with those in other countries who are willing to take almost any risk to live here to better themselves, but not when they break our laws to do it. Amnesty was tried by Reagan in 1986 and it failed miserably. All the Senate bill would do is to put this problem on the back shelf for future Americans to deal with . . . AGAIN!

  Desert Dweller Posted June 20, 2007 11:50 AM
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  I forget sometimes but we still have some honest men and women in or government. Here is where you can get your own list of friends: http://www.house.gov/bilbray/irc/members.shtml

  Anonymous Posted June 20, 2007 11:50 AM
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  This has become such a political football which started as a GOP election year diversion...assuming they could divert voter's attention from multiple failures of the current administration. The fact is...no bill is necessary. To enforce the current law of the land, it will require resources. Immigrantion and Border partol agencies should be funded to hire quality career staff. I GUARANTEE this common sense non-political solution will NOT even be considered. Conservative pundits have labeled this option, "the Do-Nothing" option. Much like the "clear-skies initative", and "No Child Left Behind". The crown jewel of this psuedo debate that should have clued voters in that this is just a grand distraction is the "border wall". This does not even warrant serious discussion - but guess who will get the no-bid contract to built this wall and rake in the tax payers dollars? Do I really need to answer this?

  Don Posted June 20, 2007 11:39 AM
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  If you enter a country illegally, you are a law breaker. 100% of illegal immigrants are law-breakers, by definition. Claiming that most illegal immigrants are law-abiding citizens is utter nonsense. Not enforcing borders means there is no border. Not enforcing existing immigration laws is equivalent to having no border. No other country in the world allows illegal border corssing, including Mexico. Mexico is intolerant of illegal immigration on its southern border. When they catch illegal immigrants, they are immediately deported.

  Dan B. Posted June 20, 2007 10:44 AM
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  Polls show that somewhere between 65% & 75% of Americans support a comprehensive bill that actually deals with the 12 million illegal immigrants.

  These House Republicans are merely making a political statement that will do nothing to solve the problem.

  The vast majority of whom only came here to provide a better life for their family. Despite all the rhetoric, their crime rate is lower than the native born (see ailf.org for the study) and their unemployment rate is even lower. We shouldn't reward lawbreaking, but we should reward hardworking people who are victims of a broken system.

  Drew Posted June 20, 2007 9:42 AM
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  I learned as an educator the axiom, "When you reward a behavior, you get more of it." I agree with the new proposal you are offering requiring accountability to enforce the laws already on the books before you implement another one with less "teeth", which rewards the illegals' bad behavior. The axiom has been proven true by allowing illegals to break the present laws.

  Dr. Thelma A. Dowies Posted June 20, 2007 9:25 AM
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  GOP are bunch of hungry blood-suckers.The bottom line is they cannot stop the Senats bill so at last they want to suck off as much blood as possibal from illigals.

  andre Posted June 20, 2007 9:09 AM
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  The GOP lawmakers argued that the Senate bill is unacceptable because it would give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. "It's as logical to give amnesty at the beginning of an immigration reform to stop illegal immigration as it would be to drill a hole in the bottom of a boat to let the water out," said Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., I agree with this 100%, we need to send all the illegal immigrants back to where they came from and repeat illegal immigrations treat them as criminals.

  Richard Fisher Posted June 20, 2007 8:44 AM
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  I beleive that the Immigrants that are here that work hard and have families, should have the opportunity to become legal citizens, provided they follow the law governing becoming a citizen the legal way like immigrants who became citizens by following the law. That's what law are for. They need to use the legal process and wait their turn. To give them Amnesty is wrong. There are people here on the waiting list to become legalized, it would be an injustice to those persons, to legalize undocumented immigrates.

  They come here illegally, and our Government, gives them homes, food stamps and a host of other entitlements, that our very own people here in this country are denied when they are in need and apply.

  I say this because I have a hard working daughter with 3 school age boys, all in grammar school, she makes bearly enough to keep a roof over their heads, some times she does not have enough to buy grocies to feed her boys, and each time she applies for food stamps to help with the basic of all needs, she is denied. Why is this. But an illegal immigrant comes here and applies, and is able to receive food stamps, medicaid, section 8 housing, and child care, My daughter receives non of these, She is denied each time. Why because she was born here in America. This is not fair, She is hard a worker, who goes to work each and everyday to support here family. I know you would ask, where is the father? Well he is a no good bum, you can't even give him a job in a pie factory, why because he is lazy.

  But the children should not have to suffer. They are Americans born in the U.S.A.

  I truely beleive that if a person is willing to work hard for his or her family and abide by American Laws, by all means they should be legalized American Citizens, they should also learn the Lanuage. We cannot control what they learn at home, but hen they are in our schools the official lanuage of the land is English, the American children should not be require learn their lanauge.

  Miriam Dunn Posted June 20, 2007 7:11 AM
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  These house republicans would be doing a great favor for Americans who have been fighting hard against Bill S. 1348 from being passed. We recognize, like you, that it would cost no more to enforce our immigration laws as written, than this Bill would cost, which American citizens want defeated! Citizens want all benefits cut off, so these people won't have the incentives to stay. This Bill allows advantages to immigrants and privilesges which our own citizens don't have, and expects American's hard earned taxes to pick up the cost. (We all know the watered-down fines for large families won't cover the true costs.) How rediculous! Keep up the good work. Nice to know there are people out there listening to the average American citizen!

  Kaye Messina Posted June 20, 2007 6:39 AM
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  If people really wanted to attempt to improve border security, they would recognize that exit control is a red herring. We don't even have entry dealt with yet. We also know that boots on the ground on the border have not reduced illegal migration in the past ten years. What is needed is reform which addresses legitimate labor needs. Enough already. Make Legality the Norm by addressing this hard issue.

  Kathleen Campbell Walker Posted June 20, 2007 12:30 AM
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  By all means! Let's start by enforcing our current laws. Let's develop the systems that will allow us to know who has overstayed their visas and who hasn't and who is here illegally---and, let's not reward those (including criminals) who are here illegally by granting them legality before we have employer accountability and have secured our borders. We can establish a guest worker program without providing amnesty to 10 million? 12 million? 20 million illegal aliens?

  Mary R Price Posted June 19, 2007 8:26 PM