Audrey, aka S. 1348, is hungry. The senate, instead of killing it, has promised her a big, fat meal of America. Only we can make sure that doesn’t happen.
**Bumped up with updates. After the jump is the list of 15 wobbly Repub senators who need to hear from you.**
The Senate Monkeys and the Tool in the White House have decided to try, one more time, to jam the Amnesty monster down your throat whether you like it or not. Well, in the words of Howard Beale, we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore. We have a job to do, so here’s the background of what has transpired, and at the end of this post is the action you need to take. This is it folks, so since they want a fight, let’s give it to them.
Reid has announced the amnesty bill will be back, in all probability, next week. Some insiders have noted to Fox that once they pretend to listen to amendments and then pretend to care, and vote them down, they will then have the 60 votes needed to stop debate and vote the monster in.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), and others are now strong-arming members to accept a deal under which Republicans could offer about a dozen amendments with a set time for debate. Essentially, this continues the strategy proponents used prior to the failed cloture votes; that is, buying off votes for cloture by offering to get a hearing for senators’ amendments. From an immigration reduction perspective, the danger in this strategy is that open borders forces will seek to ensure that good amendments are killed on the Senate floor and that amendments that seek to negate the impacts of the amnesty and guestworker provisions that succeed are killed when the bill passes and is hashed out in conference committee. CongressDaily reports that Senate negotiators may finalize that list of amendments and present it to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today.
Many will make big noises about the Hutchison amendment that would require those wanting the Z-visa to ‘touch’ back home before they can begin the process. There is no such requirement for those who will get the Temporary Permanent visa. And then there’s the president’s offer of providing $4.4 billion dollars in emergency secure-the-border funding. There is no reason, however, to tie funding existing law with blanket amnesty and a bill that is a complete disaster and puts this nation’s security at risk.
Senators to revive immigration bill
Senate leaders agreed Thursday night to revive stalled immigration legislation, capping a furious weeklong rescue attempt that drew President Bush’s personal involvement. “The leaders have agreed on a way forward,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid…
The decision to revive the measure does not necessarily portend passage in the Senate. Critics of the measure have denounced it as conferring amnesty on millions of lawbreakers, and it remains unclear how strenuously they will attempt to prevent its approval.
In general, according to officials familiar with the discussions, the bill’s supporters had recommended giving both Republicans and Democrats roughly a dozen chances each to amend the measure, with the hope that they would then combine to provide the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by die-hard opponents.
Officials also said the Bush-backed plan for accelerated funding would be among the changes to be voted on. So, too, a proposal by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, to toughen a requirement for illegal immigrants to return to their home country before gaining legal status…
But Sen. Jim DeMint (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., who opposes the legislation, took a different view. “I appreciate the effort to fund border security, [referring to Bush’s $4.4 billion ’emergency’ spending offer’–ed] but there’s simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill.”
Here’s the Fox coverage, also with the take that the $4.4 billion is believed to have been enough of something to get certain Repubs to betray this nation.
Majority Leader Reid Close to Reviving Senate Immigration Bill
Details of the immigration compromise remain to be finalized, but top Democratic sources say Reid has closely monitored the behind-the-scenes dickering over policy changes and a finite list of amendments due for consideration. Based on the latest updates on the policy and amendments, Reid will approve the compromise and move late Thursday to put the bill back on the calendar for Senate consideration in the middle of next week.
The principal change to the bipartisan immigration compromise that Reid shelved last week is the addition of $4.4 billion in added border security spending. That money will be added to the base bill to return to the floor. Any other changes to the immigration bill will have to be made through the amendment process…
Republican leaders have promised to produce enough votes to curtail debate on the bill and proceed to final passage. Last week’s impasse arose after Reid twice failed to collect the 60 votes necessary to limit debate and move toward final passage.
With the GOP votes in hand and a finite list of amendments to be offered by 11 Democratic and 11 Republican senators, Democratic sources said Reid is now determined to see whether the legislation can survive the amendment process intact. If it does, the Senate could vote on final passage of the bill by next Friday, Democratic sources said.
GOP sources tell FOX News that the new bill has enough support from Republicans for Reid to prevail on a procedural vote to get the bill to final passage.
Us
YOUR ACTION:
In addition to contacting your senators to make sure they have no doubt where you stand, and that your position has not changed from last week to this week, Laura Ingraham has posted a list of the 15 republicans senators who are considered weak by the GOP on this and flippable on the issue. These are the men and women the Amnesty Republicans are counting on to be the lighting that brings this monster to life. They should hear from more than just the president, Graham. McConnell and Kyl. Here’s the list, and Laura has links to each of their web homepages. The fact that Kyl is on this list doesn’t make a lot of sense, but…Those up for re-election next year have asterisks next to their name. We made senators cry the last two weeks. Let’s make them cry some more:
* Alexander (R-TN)
Bennett (R-UT)
* Cochran (R-MS)
* Coleman (R-MN)
* Collins (R-ME)
* Cornyn (R-TX)
* Craig (R-ID)
* Domenici (R-NM)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
* McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
* Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stevens (R-AK)
* Warner (R-VA)
Now, please re-visit my post from Memorial Day Weekend, with all the details abut approach, message, heroes and villans, phone numbers for senators as well as the RNC. In addition to action for the Wobbly Republican list above, the Action Plan detailed in that post is still relevant today.
Lindsey Graham calls the $4.4 billion a “confidence builder”. Confidence game is more like it. This is ridiculous from every angle not the least of which is the manner of funding.
‘Oh yes, of course, we were always really, really serious about building that wall, but, ah, we just now realized we need some quick cash to put on the table so what we’ll do is take out a loan until the illegals can cover it. Now we can pass that bill, right?’
That would be the only time the illegals really are doing the work Americans don’t want to do.
The Americans in the Senate, that is.
Ann Coulter’s got a witty new article out entitled “No Drug Smuggler Left Behind”, here are some excerpts:
“Bush won’t build a wall and he keeps prosecuting law enforcement officers who stop illegal border crossers. But trust him: He’ll get right on that border enforcement business as soon as we grant amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens.
Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean are normally the sort of Mexican-Americans Bush would tear up at while promoting amnesty for illegal aliens. Both served in the military and are taxpaying, law-abiding citizens. They’ve been risking their lives as Border Patrol agents for years.
Ramos was nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year in 2005. His nomination received a major setback when the Bush administration decided to put him in prison instead. Ramos and Compean are now serving more than 10 years apiece in solitary confinement for chasing a drug-running illegal alien back to Mexico.
Bush’s pal, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, gave immunity to a Mexican drug dealer hauling a million dollars worth of drugs across the border so that the drug dealer could testify against two Border Patrol agents who shot him in the buttocks.”
–
“Intriguingly, Kanof also says: “The Border Patrol pursuit policy prohibits the pursuit of someone.” (Hence, the oft-heard warning of the border agent in hot pursuit, “Stop or I’ll … do absolutely nothing!”) “
“In addition to giving the illegal alien drug smuggler full immunity to testify against U.S. Border Patrol agents, the government gave him taxpayer-funded medical care for his buttocks wound, an unconditional border-crossing card, the right to sue the U.S. for “civil rights” violations, and a GAP gift card. The drug runner is also on the short-list to replace Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
He’s now suing the U.S. for $5 million, but the Bush administration is hoping to bargain him down to $10 million.
That border-crossing card came in handy when the winged illegal alien brought in another load of drugs a short eight months later — for which he has still not been charged, nearly two years later. Who does he think he is? Rep. William Jefferson? “
http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/welcome.cgi
Here are some suggested immigration laws:
1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools, no special ballots for elections, and all government business will be conducted in our language.
2. Foreigners will NOT have the right to vote, no matter how long they are here.
3. Foreigners will NEVER be able to hold political office.
4. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, nor any other government assistance programs.
5. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.
6. If foreigners do come and want to buy land that will be okay, BUT options will be restricted. You are not allowed to own waterfront property. That property is reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.
7. Foreigners may not protest; no demonstrations, no waving a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. If you do you will be sent home.
8. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be hunted down and sent straight to jail.
These are the ones they enforce in MEXICO, why should we be different?
Regarding the “Senate Monkeys” you mentioned at the beginning of your post, we have a local saying that’s applicable…”screw them and the horses they rode in on…”. Harumph. Tried the Amnesty hot line…”all circuits are busy”. Good. Hope they’re getting an ear full!
I have had it. Either we mean what we say and stand by it, or we do not. Time to defend our nation in the only way we can: Raise your voice, let them hear you. Trent Lott is lost to us, that inane Talk Radio comment he made was the line in the sand for me. Americans, regardless of what affliation you are, Unite. Save your country, before you do not recognize her anylonger.
Tammy..the article that was listed on NRO…that you mentioned Senator Reid will maneuver the Senate next week, is on one of those “revolving” columns that doesn’t have a permalink… The one by Kathryn Jean Lopez…so could you post the strategy from NRO or could you get the NRO to give a permalink?
Just a heads up.
Tammy, I posted your information about NRO on the Mark Levin Forum and gave you credit too. Although I think the person who wrote the NRO article was ironically “Lopez”…gotta keep our sense of humor..
Here’s the link to the Mark Levin post:
http://www.marklevinfan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3772
This is war, right?
The fines and the wait times in this bill ONLY
pertain to those illegals who want CITIZENSHIP and voting rights! If they don’t want citizenship and don’t want to pay the fines, which most of them don’t, but just want to be LEGAL, they simply have to do nothing!!!
They are immediately made legal on the day that this bill becomes law and past crimes and tax evasions are voided. How many illegals are going
to want to pay the fines? Hardly any! Instant amnisty!
Jon Kyl’s role in all this has completely baffled me: I used to think of him as the “good” Senator from Arizona, the one really continuing the legacy of Goldwater. Where’s the real Jon Kyl and who’s replaced him with the White House’s zombie?
I e-mailed every one of the senators via Laura’s links, Tammy. Also tried to e-mail John Boehner, but his site refuses all mail from non-Ohioans. Later in the day, Trent Lott’s site was refusing e-mails. If the GOP votes this bill through, we’ve got to remember and hold their feet to the fire. No more RINO votes from me!