Immigration Bill: GOP Firmly Against Amnesty
Washington,
Jul 3, 2006 -
“House Republicans will diligently work with Democrats, the Bush administration, and the Senate to solve the enormous immigration problems, but will not support any bill that includes amnesty, weak border enforcement, weak interior enforcement, weak work site enforcement, or other provisions that the public doesn't support.”
-- Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-WI)
Immigration Bill: GOP Firmly Against Amnesty
Chairman James Sensenbrenner
The Wall Street Journal
July 3, 2006; Page A11
In response to your June 23 editorial "The Tancredo Republicans": You're correct that the Republican-led Congress should learn from the mistakes of the Democrats handling the crime bill in 1994 as it deals with the difficult issue of immigration. The then-Democrat-led Congress did pass a crime bill in 1994 -- and the voters rightfully responded by sending a Republican majority to Congress for the first time in 40 years. Speaker Tom Foley, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jack Brooks, and numerous other senior Democrats were ousted by voters precisely because they passed a crime bill that the public didn't support.
House Republicans are committed to enacting border security and immigration legislation, but not if it makes the current situation worse. The upcoming hearings should help Congress understand the public's views on issues such as holding employers accountable who hire illegal workers and, as the Senate bill requires, whether the U.S. must consult with Mexico before the U.S. can secure the border by erecting more walls and fences.
House Republicans will diligently work with Democrats, the Bush administration, and the Senate to solve the enormous immigration problems, but will not support any bill that includes amnesty, weak border enforcement, weak interior enforcement, weak work site enforcement, or other provisions that the public doesn't support. In November, voters will judge members of Congress based upon whether they lead with an understanding of voters' concerns, as House Republicans are committed to doing, or whether they ignore voters by enacting legislation, such as the Senate amnesty bill, that the public doesn't support.
F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R., Wis.)
Chairman
House Committee on the Judiciary
Washington
