This is the same damnable line of excuse that the GOPers of the Georgia Delegation gave for voting for the the Medicare Drug bill, an unfunded $8 trillion liability and a abject repudiation of conservatism.

Johnny is a total imposter as a conservative and Republicans like him are why your party is soon to be DEAD!

Key Questions/Answers about the Border Security and Immigration Reform Proposal

Why did Senate conservatives have to negotiate with Ted Kennedy, the Democrats and the White House on any immigration proposal?

· The Democrats control both the House and Senate and have the votes to pass last year’s Kennedy bill or something worse that will grant amnesty and will not secure our borders.

· In the legislative process, no one gets 100 percent of what they want. This legislation represents the best opportunity that we have to secure our borders and address this problem.

· Some say we can not trust this White House or the Democrats to actually enforce the new bill. That will be true of any legislation, and that is why the Isakson border-security-first triggers are so important.

· We also have to consider what kind of bill we might get with a Democratic President (no border security, blanket amnesty, no enforcement and rights to all welfare benefits).

Will this proposal secure our borders and does it include the Isakson border-security-first trigger? Yes.

This proposal would result in our borders being secure for the first time in our history.
This proposal contains the Isakson border-security-first trigger exactly as Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia drafted it. It says that no temporary worker program can begin until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies to the President and to the Congress that specific key border security measures are funded, in place and operational.
The border security measures that must be funded, in place and operational are:
Manpower – A total of 18,000 full-time Border Patrol Agents.
Detention beds – Detention facilities with a total capacity of 27,500 detention beds to end the practice of “catch and release.”
Barriers – Additional barriers such as 370 miles of fences and 70 underground sensor systems along the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles — A squadron of at least four unmanned aerial vehicles with high-tech sensors and satellite communication to allow coverage on the border by an unmanned vehicle 24 hours a day.
Biometrically secure ID – A biometrically secure identification card program so employers can instantly verify whether an immigrant is legal or illegal.
Does this proposal offer a new, special pathway for illegal immigrants to obtain U.S. citizenship or permanent residency? No.

There is no new automatic pathway to citizenship, nor is there a new automatic path to establish permanent residency with a green card.
Illegals must leave the country and must apply for a green card through a U.S. Embassy or Consulate outside the United States , just like everyone else, and they are placed at the back of the line. Everyone who has been waiting patiently on line will be ahead of them.

Does this proposal give amnesty to those who are here illegally? No.

According to Black’s Law Dictionary, amnesty is the blanket pardon of an offense without penalty. This proposal is not amnesty because illegal workers must complete the following steps in order to obtain a probationary Z visa granting temporary, probationary legal status:
Come forward within 18 months of the bill’s enactment
Plead guilty to breaking the law and be placed on probation
Pay an extensive fine and processing fee
Undergo criminal background checks
Prove they are employed
Become proficient in English
Workers approved for Z visas will be given a temporary probationary legal status, but they will be barred from the full privileges of citizens or Legal Permanent Residents, such as welfare benefits, Social Security benefits, and the ability to sponsor relatives abroad as immigrants.
Workers who obtain Z visas must leave the country when they stop working.

What if someone here illegally does not come forward?

· Individuals who are here illegally have 18 months to come forward.

· If they do not come forward, they will be deported and permanently banned from the United States when they are caught.

· If they try to get a job, employers will ask for their biometrically secure identification cards, which they won’t have.

· If an employer hires an individual without a biometrically secure identification card, the employer will face extensive fines for each illegal immigrant that is employed.

Does this proposal allow illegal immigrants to immediately apply for a green card? No.

Under this proposal, it will take most Z visa workers at least a decade to be eligible for a green card.
After becoming eligible, Z visa workers must wait in line behind those who applied lawfully, pay penalties, fees, and fines, complete accelerated English requirements, leave the United States and file their application in their home country, and demonstrate merit based on the skills and attributes they will bring to the United States.

Does this proposal end “chain-migration”? Yes.

The immigration system would be reformed to better balance the importance of family connections with the economic needs of our country by replacing the current system, where nearly two-thirds of green cards are awarded to relatives of U.S. citizens, with a system in which future family immigration will focus on the nuclear family and parents.
A new Parents Visitor visa is created to ensure that parents are allowed to visit their children in the United States regularly and for extended periods of time.
The Diversity Lottery Program, which grants 50,000 green cards per year through random chance, is ended.
These rebalanced green cards are used to clear the Family Backlog in eight years and then applied to the new Merit System for future immigration once the backlog is cleared.

Does the proposal create a new merit based system to select immigrants based upon what they contribute to the United States ? Yes.

The Proposal establishes a new merit-based system to select future immigrants based on the skills and attributes they will bring to the United States . A merit system is used by many other countries.
Under the merit system, future immigrants applying to enter the United States will be assigned points for skills, education, employment background and other attributes that further our national interest. These skills include:
Ability to speak English.
Level of schooling, including added points for training in science, math, and technology.
Job offer in a high-demand field.
Work experience in the United States .
Employer endorsement.
Family ties to the United States .

Will Z visa workers be allowed to collect Social Security benefits?

Z visa workers will pay into the Social Security system, as will their employers. Z visa workers may collect ONLY the share they individually put into the system and ONLY when they leave the United States . Z visa workers are barred from collecting the share of Social Security that employers put into the system on their behalf.

Won’t illegal immigrants simply come out of the shadows and on to the welfare rolls? No.

Z visa workers are not entitled to welfare, Food Stamps, SSI, non-emergency Medicaid, or other programs and privileges enjoyed by U.S. citizens and some Legal Permanent Residents.
In order to apply for and maintain Z visa status, workers must remain employed. If they are no longer working, they must leave the United States immediately.

Will Z visa workers be required to learn English and Civics? Yes.

Probationary Z visa applicants must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and of the principles and form of government of the United States , as well as be able to read, write, speak, and understand words in ordinary usage in the English language. They must prove this in a test prior to their first renewal of their probationary Z visa.
The proposal also recognizes that English is the common language of the United States and that the Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the language of the United States of America.
In addition, the DHS Office of Citizenship will be expanded to include coordinating assimilation efforts in its mission, and the Education Secretary will make an English instruction program freely available over the Internet.

Does this proposal repeat the mistakes of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act? No.

· The 1986 Act failed because it provided amnesty for 3 million immigrants, but did not secure our borders and did not include a workable employer verification system.

· This proposal addresses every one of the shortcomings from 1986:

o No Amnesty: Illegal workers must acknowledge that they broke the law and pay a fine to be eligible for a Z visa.

o Border Security: Border security benchmarks must be met before the Z visa and temporary worker programs go into effect. These triggers include: constructing 370 miles of fencing and 200 miles of vehicle barriers at the border and increasing the size of the Border Patrol to 18,000 agents.

o Employer Verification System: An Employment Eligibility Verification System must be ready to process new hires before the Z visa and temporary worker programs go into effect.

· The 1986 Act offered green cards after just 18 months, but under this proposal, green card applicants must meet so many responsibilities that it will take most candidates more than a decade to become eligible.

How will the government be able to meet its promise to crack down on the hiring of illegal workers?

Before the Z visa and temporary worker programs go into effect, an Employment Eligibility Verification System (EEVS) must be in place and ready to prevent unauthorized workers from obtaining jobs in the United States .
Employers will be required to verify the work eligibility of all employees using the EEVS, and all workers will be required to present stronger and more readily verifiable identification documents. Tough new anti-fraud measures will be implemented to restrict fraud and identity theft.
Employers who hire illegal workers will face stiff new criminal and civil penalties. For example, the maximum criminal penalty for a pattern or practice of hiring illegals will increase 25-fold, from $3,000 per alien to $75,000 per alien.

Will the trigger period cause a rush to the border? No.

To be eligible to apply for a Z visa, illegal immigrants must prove they were in the country prior to January 1, 2007. Those who cannot prove that will be deported immediately.
Anyone caught crossing the border after the new law passes will be fingerprinted and permanently barred from entry to the U.S. , creating a strong disincentive to illegal immigration.

Will government agencies be able to share information to pursue immigration violators? Yes.

Under this proposal, there will be unprecedented information sharing between Federal, State, and local agencies to ensure that immigration laws are respected and enforced.
The new Employment Eligibility Verification System, which employers will be required to use for all employees, will rely on unprecedented information sharing across Federal and State databases, including Social Security records, passport and visa records, and State driver’s licenses.
For Z visa applicants, DHS has authority to share information with law enforcement about terrorist aliens, security risks, and criminal aliens, including aliens who lie on their applications and aliens who commit fraud.
Under this proposal, DHS will receive Social Security Administration “no match” information on individuals and information on multiple uses of the same social security number by more than one individual.

Was this deal negotiated behind closed doors?

Recognizing the diversity of thought in the Senate on this issue, the Senate Republican and Democratic Leadership, as well as the White House, convened a number of working groups to hear different views and ideas on how best to address this problem.
A number of Senators representing different views on this issue participated in formulating a proposal.
The next step is an open debate of this proposal on the Senate floor.
Numerous articles in the press have chronicled the process to develop legislation over the past several months.

Will there be an opportunity to alter the language of this proposal, or is this the final version?

During debate of this proposal on the Senate floor, there will be opportunity to offer amendments to change the language of the proposal.
Senator Isakson looks forward to a floor debate in which all members of the Senate have a chance to offer amendments that they think would improve the bill.

Should we support a bill that contains 90 percent of what conservatives want?

With a Democratic-controlled Congress, it is a victory that most of the principles that conservatives have been fighting for are contained in this proposal. Conservatives should see this as the best chance to secure the border and reform our immigration system using conservative principles.
With the political uncertainty of the 2008 presidential election, this is our best shot at securing the border and reforming our immigration system with conservative principles.
Conservatives should not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.

Is it true that illegal immigrants do not have to go home to be eligible for a Z visa?

For now the bill does not force deportation of the estimated 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants who are here. While this is not ideal, the Democrats are not willing to force deportation, and they are in the majority.
The proposal would force illegals to come forward within 18 months of the bill’s enactment and plead guilty to the crime of entering our country illegally, pay a fine and become proficient in English. If they fail to come forward, or fail to clear a background check, or fail to learn English, or fail to remain employed, or if they commit a second crime, they will be deported and permanently banned from the United States .
Under the current proposal, workers who obtain Z visas would have to leave the country when they stopped working.
However, this proposal is open to amendment in the Senate. When this proposal is debated on the Senate floor, Senator Isakson will work for and support any amendment that would require illegals to have to go home before they may obtain a Z visa.

Are conservatives united in their opposition to this proposal? No.

Conservatives are NOT united in opposing this proposal. Those who have really looked at what the proposal contains realize that it includes most of the principles conservatives have been fighting for.

Is Senator Isakson a co-sponsor of this proposal? No.

· Senator Isakson is not a co-sponsor of this immigration proposal.

Will Senator Isakson vote in support of this immigration proposal?

· Senator Isakson has said he will reserve judgment on supporting the final bill until the debate is complete.

· He has said that at a minimum the bill must include his border-security-first triggers prohibiting implementation of a temporary, probationary work permit program until the Department of Homeland Security certifies to the President and to the Congress that the border security provisions in the immigration legislation are fully funded and operational.

· He also has said the bill must prohibit any new pathway to U.S. citizenship and must require illegal immigrants to return home and get in the back of the line to apply for citizenship just as everyone must do now.

Normally I would agree, because we are talking about half a $trillion in cost just in the first 10 years.

However, the accumulated debt and the liability for federal government programs now stands around $125,000 per capita so what’s another $10,000 or $15,000?

One might conclude that this means national bankruptcy, but take heart! The Fed has the capability to inflate our way, just like Zimbabwe did!

The illegals and the fair??????taxers will be in nirvana.

You said:
“Yes, illegal immigrants are getting free health care right now, but so are poor American citizens. What’s the difference?”

You’re exactly right. Illegals get free health care now. If you legalize with the magic amnesty wand, they’ll be poor legals and they will still get free health care. Who pays for the “free” health care? You and me (or else the hospital goes out of business). Do you really think that employers will start offering to pay for their health care? Of course not. That’ll offset the employers’ savings realized through the lower wages they’re paying. And why would illegal (or “new” legals if they’re amnestized) pay for their own health care plans? It’s free now. It can just as easily be free after legalization if they go to the emergency room whenever they get the sniffles.

The problem is that you’re dramatically increasing the percentage of people in the country who are poor. In economic terms, you’re increasing the percentage of people in the country who are a net (negative) drain on the country’s resources as opposed to being net (positive) contributors.

That is a formula for disaster.

Please explain to me how the importation/legalization of these folks wouldn’t become the end of the GOP. In the last election, 44% of Hispanics voted for Bush — and that was considered to be a hearty achievement by the GOP. And the % voting for Dems is even higher for those of Mexican/Central American ancestry. And why shouldn’t they vote for the Dems? The Dems (historically, at least) support big government more than the Republicans. They’ll pay a pittance in taxes and get an increasing number of government services. And it’ll be supported by your tax dollars and mine.

Regarding Reagan’s amnesty, he later admitted it was a huge mistake. Also, they only thought there were 1 million here at the time. They granted amnesty and almost 3 million signed up. Now the estimated number is 12-20 million. How many will show up this time? Add in chain migration (which is NOT stopped by this) and high birthrates and our population will explode in the next 50 years with most of them being lower-paid workers wanting and getting big government. Surely you can see the difference between 1986 and 2007.

I know what you’re saying about the Dems, but they also realize that this is a mine field. That’s why Pelosi is demanding 70 Republican votes in the House just to pass a bill over there. She’s looking for political cover because she doesn’t want the Dems to be holding the bag when this blows up. And it will. Even at sites like Daily Kos and Huffington Post, they often get defensive and angry when one of the open borders folks posts about the illegal immigration problem and denigrates those who oppose amnesty.

The tide is turning on this. You have to look no further than cities like Farmer’s Branch and Hazleton and states like Georgia and Colorado to see that. I’m not a fan of kicking things down the road, but I think that is the best thing to do in this case. Let’s put it on the list of issues for ‘08 and let the debate really be fleshed out.

At the very least illegals will pay payroll taxes, but it has been my experience (not some study done by any think tank or interest group) that illegals do not declare 99 dependents on their W-4s.

I said they pay more taxes than the poor due to the earned income tax credit.

Jeff, Holly mentioned she was “mildly freaked out” that the Senate was voting on the bill today.

And just as an aside, Sen. Sessions is on the floor of the Senate right now praising Isakson for his work and comittment to securing the border.

How do illegals “pay far more taxes than the poor do”? If they use a fake social security number, all they have to do is put in “exempt” or 99 dependents in their W-4, assuming they have a fake one. Then, no taxes are paid, except for SSI.

Or, they work for cash under the table, and then not even that is paid.

If they were not getting away with something, they would not be here illegaly, but would use legal means.

Thank you very much for inviting me to join the YOUNG Republicans. I am honored and greatly humbled. I look good for 50+ but I am not YOUNG and you would not listen to anything I have to say. If you insulted me in public like you do on this blog, I would have to turn you over my knee and spank your fanny.

Yes, illegal immigrants are getting free health care right now, but so are poor American citizens. What’s the difference? Illegals probably pay far more taxes than the poor do. So when we send the illegals back to their home countries for using our services and bankrupting our country, shouldn’t we send the poor back to whatever country they originally came form too?

One can be principled or one can be pragmatic. I’d rather be pragmatic to the situation and solve some major problems rather than being principled and cutting off my nose despite my face.

Your post smacks with bald declarations (i.e. The bill will be the end of the GOP, etc. The Grand Master Reagan himself gave amnesty to illegals–the party survived then, and it’ll survive now)

I don’t think you get it–the Democrats are in control. We had our chance, and we didn’t do a thing. I really think this is our last chance to have a say in immigration policy for a while. If we deny the passage of the bill, and Dems win in ‘08, their immigration reform will be much, much worse, and we’ll all be kicking ourselves for not adopting this bill.

I don’t like it, and I don’t think its fair to immigrants from other parts of the world. But I think its a step in the right direction, and at some point we need to be realists and understand our current political situation.

Good point. These screams of needing labor are exceedingly deceptive. Sure, some labor is needed. However, businesses want an overwhelming excess of labor — way beyond what they need. Then, those here can bid down the wages even further and further for the jobs that are being filled.

And the burden of the illegals (or even immigrants if you legalize them) falls not on the company, but on the taxpayer (schools, health care, etc.). Why shouldn’t businesses want a barrel full of folks to choose from? And they are the ones bribing the losers in Washington to do their bidding.

What other laws are not being enforced? And, of those, which ones have the devastating impact on both the nation’s social programs and the GOP that this problem does?

And I’ve got three college degrees. I’m not competing against illegals. However, my family comes from a blue collar background and I actually care about those who do have to compete (unfairly) with illegals. They’re people, too, even if they aren’t big political muckitymucks.

Is it the principle of the thing? Abso-friggin-lutely. And it’s the fact that it will bankrupt our country. And it’s the fact that we CAN’T trust the federal government on enforcement until they actually prove they’ll do it. And it’s the fact that this will be the death of the GOP. And it’s the fact of how this bill was birthed. And it’s the fact that this bill was, in part, crafted by La Raza and other special interest groups. And it’s the fact that our degenerate leaders are so sold out to big business and special interests that they would do whatever those interests want, even if it means cutting the throat of the average American. And it’s the fact that a trip to the emergency room takes 8 or 9 hours because the place is absolutely overrun by illegals. And it’s the fact that the illegals are getting “de facto” free health care while the cost of healthcare is being passed onto those who can pay. And it’s the fact that the government is using Medicaid to pay for illegals to have children here. And it’s the fact that our borders are an open invitation to terrorist groups wanting to sneak people and weapons into this country. And it’s the fact that we are consistently seeing the death of Americans caused by illegal aliens via auto accidents, murders, or other means. And it’s the fact that…

And so on and so on.

I stand on a lot more than principle on this issue. And so should you.

To truly end illegal immigration one need to look no further than the IRS who could start enforcing existing tax laws. A few felony convictions and multi-year prison terms for tax fraud/evasion and I bet the market for illegal workers would dry up immediately.

Without jobs, they would stop coming.

Fred has said, “We’ve tried the “comprehensive” route before to solve the illegal immigration problem with a bit more care and deliberation, and the results haven’t been good. ”

We also need to write a bill that puts pressure on Mexico. The complain about our border policy, but their southern border is much more strict. “What does it say about the leadership of a country when that country’s economy and politics are dependent upon the exportation of its own citizens? – Fred Thompson.

Fred seems to understand.