Sensenbrenner speaks. The GOP should listen
01/26/2006
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In the aftermath of the subjectively crushing defeat at the Republican National Committee meeting last Friday of Randy Pullen's Immigration restriction resolution, one can only salute Rep. James Sensenbrenner's courage in giving a powerful and articulate interview to the Washington Times on Wednesday on Immigration restriction.

House Republican cites guest worker "amnesty" By Stephen Dinan THE WASHINGTON TIMES January 25, 2006

Sensenbrenner says a number of correct things. But what he fails to say, and what is absolutely essential, is that birthright citizenship must be abolished. Without reform of this biziarre and fallacious misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment, any immigration policy which permits the entry of young and virile aliens will result in America becoming an "Alien Nation."

Valuable Sensenbrenner observations (full reported text here):

Simpson-Mazzoli was based on the flawed premise that we would solve the illegal-alien problem by granting those presently in the country amnesty and not having an employer-sanctions program that would turn off the magnet for new illegals to come across the border. And it didn't work because employer sanctions were not enforced.

I am very disturbed that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce invited Mexican Foreign Minister [Luis Ernesto] Derbez to Chicago to attack my legislation and to attack me by name...They should be ashamed of themselves

The following is really impressive because it suggests the Congressman actually understands economics:
...if you look at the percentage increase in the presence of illegal aliens from 2003 to 2004, the two top states are Iowa and Wisconsin, about as far away from the southern border as you can find...they concentrate in certain types of jobs that are low-skilled jobs and are labor-intensive jobs, which means, as I repeat, the people that are doing it the wrong way and getting such a terrific economic advantage in lowering their labor costs, that they either put out of business the people who are doing it the legal way or they drag down the wages of the U.S. citizens and green-card holders who are employed by the they drag down the wages of the U.S. citizens and green-card holders who are employed by them.
In other words, he blames the employers of illegals. Hot stuff, for a Republican.

And the conclusion:

Amnesty is not negotiable. The American public will not stand for amnesty, and amnesty didn't work in Simpson-Mazzoli, and it's not going to work here.
Sensenbrenner deserves to be encouraged.
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