"I write to express my strong belief that the success of any major legislation depends on the acceptance and support of the American people. That support can only be earned through full and careful consideration of legislative language and an open process of amendments."
-- Sen. Marco Rubio, Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, April 1, 2013
Late Friday afternoon, Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) filed a 1,190-page amendment, supported by Sen. Rubio and the rest of the Gang of Eight, that is a complete re-write of the existing amnesty bill. Handwritten changes were even added moments before its introduction.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already scheduled a vote on the amendment for 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
Apparently, this is what Sen. Rubio calls an "open process" that can earn "the acceptance and support of the American people."
So what's in this monstrosity of an amendment? Our Capitol Hill team has spent the last 24 hours sifting through it, and they've already found several problems. Here's what one of the bill's lead sponsors said on Friday:
"It is $3.2 billion worth of technology, planes, unmanned aircraft, sensors--all on the border, spelled out in this legislation--that ensures we have a secure border. That must be met before there are any green cards, and that is where we start..."
-Sen. Hoeven, Senate Floor, June 21, 2013
Starting on page 17, the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment goes on for 12 pages itemizing all the equipment that must be purchased for each border sector. Sen. Leahy called it a "Christmas wish list for Halliburton." But all you need to know is what's printed on page 30:
If the Secretary determines that an alternate or new technology is at least as effective as the technologies described in paragraph (3) and provides a commensurate level of security, the Secretary may deploy that technology in its place and without regard to the minimums in this section.
So, in the end, the DHS Secretary can do whatever he/she wants. One must wonder if Sen. Rubio regrets making this statement about the amendment on Thursday:
"We do not just say you have to deploy this technology, we tell you where you have to deploy it. We do not even leave that to DHS."
-- Sen. Rubio, Senate floor, June 20, 2013
The amendment's supporters have also boasted about how it will require construction of 700 miles of border fencing (as already required under current law).
"700 miles of fencing on the border. These are things Republicans have repeatedly asked for as part of securing the border. We have put them right in the bill."
-- Sen. Hoeven, Senate floor, June 21, 2013
"We actually say that, where it is possible, where the terrain allows it--there are places where the terrain does not let you build a fence, but where the terrain allows it, you have to put a fence there."
-- Sen. Rubio, Senate floor, June 20, 2013
Except, once again, the DHS Secretary doesn't have to build one inch of fencing if she doesn't want to. We found this provision on page 34:
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), nothing in this subsection shall require the Secretary to install fencing, or infrastructure that directly results from the installation of such fencing, in a particular location along the Southern border, if the Secretary determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain effective control over the Southern border at such location.
Furthermore, the amendment includes Schumer's stand-alone amendment that creates a new, permanent rolling amnesty. This would allow future illegal aliens who have overstayed their visas to apply for a green card as long as they have worked legally in the United States for at least 10 years before overstaying their visa. It's amnesty now and forever!
There are two other things we know for sure about the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment. First, the bill will grant legal status and work permits to 11 million illegal aliens before any enforcement kicks in. Second, it will issue 22 million green cards to new legal immigrants in the first decade.
That means, as the CBO reported earlier this week, unemployment will go up and wages for American workers will decline under S.744 - regardless of Schumer-Corker-Hoeven.
Here are the Senators that have joined as cosponsors of the amendment: John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Dean Heller (R-NV), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Mark Begich (D-AK), and Joe Donnelly (D-IN).
We've posted new faxes on your Action Board that urge your Senators to oppose the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment. Please send them this weekend and then call your two Senators on Monday to urge them to oppose the Schumer-Corker-Hoeven amendment.
Thanks for all you do, and together we can still win this fight!
| chris Chmielenski |
| Sat, June 22nd |
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