In case you missed it, Jack was on Lou Dobbs Radio yesterday discussing his efforts to ensure that any jobs created by the economic “stimulus” proposed by House Democrats go toward creating jobs for legal workers, not illegal immigrants. To learn more about Jack’s efforts, click here.
 To listen to the segment, click here.
In case you missed it, click on the video below to see Jack on Lou Dobbs Tonight:
Jack will appear on CNN’s Lou Dobbs Tonight at 7 p.m. (eastern) to discuss his efforts to ensure that any jobs created under the “stimulus� package are created for legal workers, not illegal immigrants.
Earlier this week, Jack successfully amended the “stimulus� package during a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee which would require any contractors or subcontractors who are employed as a result of the bill to participate in E-Verify. E-Verify is a program sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Social Security Administration, that allows employers to easily and instantly verify the work eligibility of their employees.
While Jack does not support the “stimulus” package at this time, the Kingston Amendment is an important provision to ensure that American taxpayers are not financing the employment of illegal immigrants.
Lou Dobbs Tonight will air tonight beginning at 7 p.m. (eastern) on CNN. Please check your local listings for more information.
Jack, along with Congressmen Elton Gallegly, Ken Calvert, and Brian Bilbray sent a letter today to President Obama calling on him to immediately implement Executive Order 12989 which President Bush issued in June 2008. The order, which was set to take effect on January 15, would require all federal contractors to participate in E-Verify, a program that would allow them to easily ensure that all their employers are legal workers. The Department of Homeland Security, in the face of a lawsuit brought forth by five industry associations, has halted implementation.
As Congress debates a near-trillion dollar make-work “stimulus” package and millions of Americans are unemployed, we cannot allow the taxpayers to employ illegal workers. Companies that wish to do business with this government must abide by the regulations put forth by this government.
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
CONGRESSMAN KINGSTON’S IMMIGRATION REFORM PROGRAM EXTENDED
House extends program for five years
Congressman Jack Kingston (R/GA-1) today praised the passage of legislation that extends E-Verify. The program, which allows employers to verify the legal working status of their employees, was slated to expire in November of this year.
“E-Verify is the first step towards ensuring the security of our workforce and ridding our nation of illegal workers,� Congressman Kingston said. “It not only protects American jobs but helps protect us all from identity theft by ensuring that a job applicant’s social security number is their own. I have always been concerned that this program would fade away in the bureaucratic maze of Washington. The legislation passed today not only extends the program but it addresses concerns of costs and the impact on small businesses.�
Initiated by an act of Congress in 1997, E-Verify was originally only available in the five states with the highest illegal immigrant populations. By December 2004, the program was extended to all fifty states. Congressman Kingston, who has been a longtime supporter of the program, worked to include legislation in annual spending bills that would require all federal contractors to participate in the program.
“Illegal immigrants have been found working on military installations, government buildings, and even helping to build the border fence along our border with Mexico,� Congressman Kingston said. “It is a threat to our national security that must be addressed. With E-Verify, employers can submit an applicant’s information and know whether or not they’re legal within seconds.�
On June 6th, Congressman Kingston’s proposal became a federal requirement, when the President issued Executive Order 12989. The action has tripled the number of requests processed through the program.
The legislation, H.R. 6633, was passed by a vote of 407-2 today. It must now be taken up in the Senate before being signed into law.
In today’s The Hill, it is revealed that conservative Democrats continued defiance of House leadership includes their desire to block illegal immigrants from getting tax breaks. According to the article:
“Twenty-one Democrats voted for the measure that would have changed the tax bill to prevent illegal immigrants from getting tax breaks.” (click here for full article)
The article goes on:
“The Republican motion would have tried to stop illegal immigrants from claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit and sought to block subsidies from going to so-called ’sanctuary cities’ that don’t enforce immigration laws.”
Not only did Democrat leaders block Republican efforts to cut off those who are in our country illegally from benefitting from the hard earned tax dollars of the American people, they had to break their own rules to do it!
“The tie vote came with some procedural wrangling. The vote was held open with the clock at 0:00 as the narrow margin fluctuated by a vote or two…The vote was gaveled closed by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) in the Speaker’s chair after someone on the Democratic side shouted, ‘Shut it down, Sheila.’â€�
For a list of members who voted in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to recieve tax benefits, check out the “Nays” on this page.
Today’s CongressDaily AM has a piece about how Democrat leadership is trying to block Republican efforts to vote on an immigration reform package offered by Democrat Heath Shuler.
According to the article:
Sources in the Democratic leadership said the majority leaders want to curtail Republican efforts to forace a vote on an immigration enforcement bill from Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., that would make E-verify, a voluntary electronic verification program, madatory for all U.S. employers within four years.
As you may recall, Jack led the fight last year to require all those contracting with the Federal government to use E-verify. Then, too, Democrats blocked the measure from final passage during closed-door deal making on last year’s appropriations bills.
The article continues:
House Democrats are concerned that another 10 rank-and-file lawmakers, likely Blue Dog Coalition members, will sign the petition. With that, Republicans could easily round up the few in their party who have not signed on and ensure that the measure comes to the floor.
Senior Democratic leadership and rank-and-file aides said that the set of hearings, agreed to in a closed door meeting with Pelosi last week, is designed to dissuade Democrats from signing the discharge petition.
Are they serious? Perhaps in their minds there’s no need to act when you can hold a hearing and issue a press release.
For more information on what Jack’s doing about illegal immigration, click here.
The El Paso Times is reporting that 12 workers at Fort Bliss are being detained for being in the country illegally after military police and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents interviewed hundreds of workers at a housing construction site on the base. This is not the first time illegal aliens have been found working at a military base.
As you know, Jack has introduced amendments on several spending bills that would require any company wishing to do business with the federal government to participate in the Employment Eligibility Verfication system. This would allow companies to check if their employees are in the country illegally. And last month, the Department of Homeland Security issued a “no-match” regulation to help employers ensure that their workers are legal.
Jack addressed the House again today offering his amendment which would forbid the funds in the Financial Services Appropriations bill from being used to contract with companies that do not participate in the Basic Pilot program. For the third time, the Democrat majority refused to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are not being used to pay illegal immigrants. For more information on the amendment, see previous posts here, here, here.
You can also check out FAIR’s action alert on the amendment here.
To view a clip of Jack’s remarks, click below.
Â
Jack went on the floor yesterday evening to offer and defend his amendment that would require all federal contractors to verify that their employees are legal workers. (For more information on the amendment, click here).
To see a clip of his remarks, click below.
Â
Jack addressed the House again today about the Legislative Appropriations bill to expand on the lack of transparency on the bill. Despite campaign promises of open and honest governing, the Democrats blocked amendments that would force them to justify and defend their bill.
In his remarks, Jack discussed his proposal which would require all federal contractors to verify their employees are legal workers. Rather than honor their promises, the Democrats refused to hold the federal contractors to the same standard federal agencies are expected to uphold.
In his remarks, Jack noted several examples of federal contractors employing illegal immigrants. His examples include:
It’s important to note that these are just a few examples of when the taxpayers’ dollars are used to pay illegal immigrants. In addition, these are only instances in which the contractor was caught. If the Democrats had allowed Jack’s amendment to be debated and the measure had passed, every person employed by a federal contractor would be required to verify any information given them by their employees against the databases of the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
To view a clip of Jack’s remarks, click on the image below.
Â
As you know, Congress has passed The Secure Fence Act and it is set to be signed by President Bush. This Act provides for over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along the southwest border.
It seems that Democrat Senator Mexican President Vincente Fox is not only criticizing the vote, but is urging President Bush to veto this bill.
I guess we can’t blame him. He was only following the Reid-Kennedy bill which, had it passed, would have required the United States to in fact, ask permission before buidling a barrier at the border.
Â
The next time you reach into your fridge or head to your local bar for a cold beer, you might consider this article when you’re deciding between Miller and Budweiser.Â
It seems that the Miller Brewing Company decided to sponsor an immigration demonstration in Chicago. According to The Chicago Tribune, Miller has paid over “$30,000 for a planning convention, materials and newspaper ads publicizing the event. . . . The politically charged event will promote a controversial plan to end deportations and offer legal status for all 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants.”
With immigration such a hot topic, Jack decided it was time to take a trip down to the border to get the real story from the people on the ground. He arrived in El Paso, Texas yesterday and took a tour of the border with other Congressional Members. Jack also met up with a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
While in El Paso, Jack got the opportunity to participate in the Judiciary Committee hearing on the economic impact of illegal immigration on border communities. The hearing just wrapped up a little while ago. As soon as we get more details and photos, we will post them up.
 UPDATE (4:01 PM): We promised you a picture and some details about yesterday’s immigration hearing that Jack participated in, so here you go.
Some eye-opening testimony was heard from Sheriff Leo Samaniego of El Paso County who serves as Chairman of the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition:Â
“As Law Enforcement officers on the border with Mexico, our primary concern is the welfare and safety of our citizens and our nation. We, the Border Sheriff’s Coalition, have done everything possible to bring awareness to the leaders of our state and our nation. The terrorism threat to our country is very real, it is unfortunate that most Americans have already forgotten the fear, terror and anger we experienced on September 11, 2001. God forbid that we experience another day like that, but if we do, I do not want anyone pointing a finger at me and telling me I did not do my job. The truth is that the Southern border is the weak link in our national security.�
“Intelligence indicates that terrorist organizations are increasingly probing the U.S./Mexico border…..  The large international border creates tremendous smuggling opportunities for terrorists and is fertile ground for recruitment and development of support networks for terrorist organizations. The Mexican drug trafficking and human smuggling organizations use their knowledge of the border to assist terrorist cell members in their attempts to exploit the United States.â€�Â
Â
And here are some interesting border facts for you:
In 2004, the Border Patrol apprehended 1.1 million people. The majority (94%) were Mexican nationals. Over the past three years, Other Than Mexicans (OTM) apprehensions have more than doubled. In 1986, there were about 2.5 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. In 2005, there were about 10.3 million undocumented workers.
In 2005, Mexico received $20 billion in money transfers from migrant workers in the U.S. That is equal to Mexico’s 2004 income from oil exports and dwarfs tourism revenue.
According to the DEA’s El Paso Intelligence Center, most of the foreign produced marijuana –96.7-percent– is seized at or between US Port of Entries along US/Mexico border. Mexican drug lords manage what the UN estimates is a $142 billion a year business in cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, and illicit drugs on US streets. According to the El Paso Intelligence Center, 65% of all narcotics sold in the US market enter the country through the Southwest Border
Â