SENATE PLACES IMMIGRATION BILL ON FAST TRACK FOR VOTE

The United States Senate is placing the, "comprehensive, " immigration bill on the fast track ending debate in order to have the final vote by Friday so that the bill can be in conference by the Memorial Day weekend. This bill that is on its way to passage in the Senate has the provisions for limited border security that the President outlined in his speech last week which in itself is not tough enough on border security. The bill creates more problems than it solves because of the provisions that allow the guest worker program and the legal immigration quotas that the bill sets in light of the flood of illegals that are flowing into this country. According to the Heritage Foundation the bill in its present form would allow 80 to 100 million immigrants into this country in the next 20 years which equates to more than one fourth of our entire population. This is madness! Though this is not being referred to as an, "amnesty, " bill these provisions which do not require illegals to return to their country and also gives no incentive for anyone to come out of the shadows to obey the slim penalties of paying back taxes, ( how to you pay taxes that have never been reported ?), a minimal fine, gainful employment, etc., in essence is an amnesty bill. Though the bill will go into conference with the House bill that gets tough on the border and has stiff penalties for employers the Senate version will have to be somewhat adopted for a compromise to be met to get the bill to the President's desk. Many House members are adamant about not signing on to any type of amnesty programs which will eventually kill this bill unless those who are showing a backbone in the House back down and cave in which has happened in the past on other legislation. If this bill dies then we are once again faced with a surmounting problem with no solution. Personally, if both houses would pass a strict tough bill for border security that stops the flow of illegals as a stand alone bill then address the other issues especially stemming the employment of illegal which ends much of the incentive to enter this country, I believe they would find backing by most of the country. Following is a list of Republican Senators who support amnesty for illegal aliens and social programs including Social Security benefits. Along with the name and state of each Senator is the phone number to contact them in Washington. Unfortunately South Carolina's Lindsay Graham who is quickly losing support in my state for his betrayal of the conservative platform that he ran on four years ago is on this list. I am calling my Senator to express my disgust of his support for amnesty and my fellow conservatives and liberals alike if your Senator is on this list then I request that you do the same!
Robert Bennett (UT): (202) 224-5444 - Sam Brownback (KS): (202) 224-6521 - Lincoln Chafee (RI): (202) 224-2921 - Norm Coleman (MN): (202) 224-5641 - Susan Collins (ME) (202) 224-2523 - Larry Craig (ID): (202) 224-2752 - Mike DeWine (OH): (202) 224-2315 - Lindsay Graham (SC): (202) 224-5972 - Chuck Hagel (NE): (202) 224-4224 - Richard Lugar (IN): (202) 224-4814 - Mel Martinez (FL): (202) 224-3041 - John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235 - Richard Shelby (AL): (202) 224-5744 - Olympia Snowe (ME): (202) 224-5344 - Arlen Specter (PA): (202) 224-4254 - Ted Stevens (AK): (202) 224-3004 - George Voinovich (OH): (202) 224-3353 - John Warner (VA): (202) 224-2023

Ken Taylor