Sheesh! Can you believe it! Senators Rubio and Graham, two chief proponents of ‘COMPREHENSIVE immigration reform,’ had no clue that the US State Department, at the behest of the UN, was contemplating bringing in possibly tens of thousands of Syrian refugees while thousands of their constituents know about it and disapprove. So much for comprehensive!
Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), two lawmakers who are part of the gang of eight immigration bill, are unaware of the administration’s willingness to accept thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States.
Rubio, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Breitbart News, “Well this country has a long history of asylum and taking people who are fleeing oppression. On the other hand, given the nature of the Syrian conflict, like any asylum seeker, that they be carefully vetted. That’s my initial take. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
[….]
“I don’t think that would go over very well. It’s news to me. I haven’t heard that,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a member of the armed services committee, remarked to Breitbart News. He added, “I think it would be better policy to help the rebels build militarily than to bring them here. I think it would be big backlash [if the administration tried to brings the refugees here.]”
Be sure to visit the Breitbart story with quotes from other clueless Senators, so fixated on the Hispanic vote they haven’t any idea of who else is coming to America.
Readers might want to visit this postin which I discuss the Presidential Determination for FY2013. Obama set the cap for refugee admissions for 2013 at 70,000. They are on target to meet that number despite high unemployment rates and high welfare use rates for refugees. And, btw, the President sends his determination to Congress for approval and it has been reported to us that NO ONE ever challenges it.
I do believe that the Refugee Act of 1980 (Kennedy, Biden, Carter!) has a provision for an ’emergency’ situation that would allow them to go over the cap and admit tens of thousands of Syrians. I’ll have to do some research on that.
Keep up the pressure on your US Senators against S.744 and tell them NO to Syrians!
LOL! Sarah Palin said in a speech yesterday in Washington—these are all Muslims squabbling in the Middle East, so let Allah solve their problems!
I was away yesterday at a Refugee meeting in Lancaster, PA which I’ll tell you about shortly, and when I heard the news during my long drive home that Amnesty for 11-20 million illegal aliens might be on the horizon I wondered to myself what that will do to refugee resettlement.
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a leading opponent of “comprehensive” immigration reform.
The contractors, here are the top nine, who bring (some say drop-off) refugees in your towns and cities are struggling to find work for legal refugees (half are not finding any work!), and decent apartments (not in slums!), and to get them enrolled in welfare programs, and if the monster S.744 passes there will be a slush fund so these very same contractors will get federal money to process even more immigrants through a failing system.
Other than more money coming their way, I can’t for the life of me understand why those nine major contractors and their hundreds of subcontractors are lobbying for amnesty and the inevitable job competition for the legal refugees they can’t properly manage now!
I also predict an even greater public backlash against refugees if amnesty comes to pass because the general public will feel that immigrants are being shoved down their throats and taking their jobs. The average American citizen does not understand the difference between the federal programs and the people they permit to enter the US.
Here is what Roy Beck at NumbersUSA reported about the vote yesterday. If you are not on Numbers’ e-mail alert list, go to their website and please sign up.
DEAR FRIENDS,
We have a ton of work ahead of us, but you have done an amazing job thus far with your phone calls and faxes and personal appearances.
The Senate a couple of minutes ago passed the Motion to Proceed to bring S. 744 to the floor for debate.
Two hours ago, 82 Senators voted YES to stop a filibuster. That vote allowed the Motion to Proceed.
But don’t be alarmed by that number, even though it is far above the 60 votes needed on the all-important final filibuster vote later this month.
A number of the Senators who voted to proceed have announced over the last few days that they will eventually vote against the b ill unless it is significantly changed on the floor. And the changes they are demanding are being called unacceptable on the floor right now by Chief Amnestymeister Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
We have no doubt that your tens of thousands of calls the last two days planted very powerful seeds among many of the YES voters today that makes them realize that they are going to have a very hard time voting YES at the end when the question is not debate but passage.
The 15 Senators who today said that this bill is so hopelessly out of touch with the needs of America that it shouldn’t even be debated included four Senators who a couple of weeks ago were being touted in the media as prime swing voters who would push the final vote over 60:
Kirk of Illinois
Crapo of Idaho
Risch of Idaho
Barrasso of Wyoming
Congratulations to all of you from those three states who have done such a remarkable job of helping those Senators understand both where the voters are in your state and also the moral and practical imperative of stopping this bill.
Back in 2007, we also lost big on this procedural first vote to bring that amnesty bill to the floor. But we built on the solid opposition of a strong bloc of Senators to kill the amnesty on the final vote later.
HERE ARE TODAY’S CHAMPIONS WHO TRIED TO STOP THE AMNESTY BILL IN ITS TRACKS
ALABAMA: Sessions & Shelby
ARKANSAS: Boozman
IDAHO: Crapo & Risch
ILLINOIS: Kirk
IOWA: Grassley
KANSAS: Roberts
LOUISIANA: Vitter
OKLAHOMA: Inhofe
SOUTH CAROLINA: Scot
TEXAS: Cruz
UTAH: Lee
WYOMING: Barrasso & Enzi
Everybody else voted YES, except for three who didn’t vote:
ALASKA: Murkowski
ARIZONA: McCain
OKLAHOMA: Coburn
I have no idea at this time why they didn’t vote. Murkowski and Coburn have both made strong nods toward voting for the bill recently but have been hammered by the voters.
Senator Jeff Session a champion for common sense! The numbers are just too high!
Sen. Sessions (R-Ala.) did a magnificent job in his speech on the floor today, speaking up not only for the 20 million unemployed but for the millions more Americans whose real wages have been driven downward by 30 yea rs of high immigration.
He painted the picture very clearly that this is a bill about helping those affluent Americans who happen also to be greedy at the expense of the most struggling members of our society, and at the expense of the taxpayers.
If you haven’t gotten in gear yet to oppose S.744, the next couple of weeks are critical. The Senate will proceed now to floor debate, so contact your US Senators. The House will be crafting a bill, so contact your Member of the House—NOW! Tell them to stop the bipartisan Obama/Schumer/Rubio destruction of America.
By the way, at RRW we believe at minimum all refugee and asylum changes should be stripped from the bill because the program is in dire need of Congressional review on its own—especially in light of the Boston Marathon bombing by a political refugee.
Addendum: If you’ve never watched Roy Beck’s video—Immigration by the Numbers—take a few minutes and watch it now.
Editor’s note: This is cross-posted from my other blog, Potomac Tea Party Report. Regular readers here at RRW know that the Gang of Eight bill is going to expand the refugee and asylum sections of the law and create a “slush fund” for the non-profit organizations involved in refugee resettlement. Here is our archiveon the so-called “comprehensive” immigration reform bill (S.744).
This is it! After the first punch, Obamacare, the second punch is the Gang of Eight plus Grover bill, the so-called “comprehensive” immigration reform bill. It’s the one-two punch that is going to destroy America.
Marco looking for love from the Left!
You need to take your eyes off of the scandalpalooza going on in Washington and direct your energy this week to telling your US Senators to vote NO! on S.744. (Yes, Marylanders, even Mikulski and Cardin!).
I stole that title—Mother of all legislative train wrecks—from this website. Visit it and follow links to Forty Reasons why the bill is bad for America.
I’ll update this post as the week goes on.
* The caricature of Senator Marco Rubio, a key Republican member of the Gang of Eight and a leading contender for the 2016 Presidential race, is from the Daily Kos, here in February where they call him “Kochsman” (a reference to the wealthy Republican mega-donor brothers who favor ‘immigration reform’ because they want cheap labor). Once Rubio fulfills their wishes (the Koch’s and the Left’s) on S.744, they, Daily Kosand other Lefties, will go right back to caricaturing him this way. He won’t have their love in 2016 and he won’t have ours either (unless he bails out of the coming train wreck now)!
It is Sunday morning, is your church taking taxpayer money?
S.744, the so-called “comprehensive immigration reform” bill (Gang of Eight plus Grover bill) that was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with cheers of “si,se puede!”, contains a slush-fund for open borders groups and churches.
So, today, if you attend an ‘Evangelical’ church you might ask your pastor, are we involved with World Relief?
In Minnesota, World Relief of Minnesota, one of several refugee contractors in the state, is getting excited about the new flow of federal money (your money!) into their till should S.744 become law. Thanks to Debbie for sending the following action item. But, before reading below, note that according to World Relief Minnesota’s most recent Form 990, they ‘earned’ $1,364,202 and they received 80% from government grants (from you!) $1,094,793.
Also, note that World Relief (MN) will be joining others on Tuesday evening (May 28th) to hear from Rep. Keith Ellison about what goodies the new immigration law would bring to the refugee program, here.
World Relief: Yippee! more money coming our way! (thanks to help from Keith Ellison!)
If immigration reform passes, World Relief Minnesota sees an opportunity for churches to serve more than 85,000 immigrants in Minnesota who will be needing accurate, low-cost legal services to comply with the new provisions.
On Wednesday, June 5 (9-11am), World Relief Minnesota invites church leaders and immigrant advocates to a preview meeting to learn about specific ways that congregations can provide low-cost legal services and information to these thousands of immigrants in Minnesota.
The preview meeting is being hosted by the Immigrant Hope Coalition, a collaborative effort of Transform Minnesota, Immigrant Hope Network, World Relief Minnesota, CCDA and denominational leaders from Assemblies of God,Christian & Missionary Alliance, Evangelical Free Church of America, and theMinnesota Iowa Baptist Conference.
Wednesday, June 5, 9 – 11 am
Christ’s Church International
13th & Lake Street (3015 – 13th Ave So)
Minneapolis, MN 55407
About Immigrant Legal Service Centers (ILSC)
Across the country, churches and faith-based organizations, have set up accredited, low-cost legal service centers to provide basic services and vital information to help immigrants understand processes and to file their applications with the US Customs & Immigration Services.
Immigrants in your community need these services.
When navigating immigration laws and forms, oftentimes immigrants are taken advantage of, or do not have the money to pay attorney’s fees. These ILSC do not replace the role of attorneys, rather they help give immigrants correct information and assistance to file certain types of applications, from someone who has been accredited to do so.
It is very feasible for a church – or ideally a coalition of churches – to get trained, become accredited and set up an immigrant legal service center. The US Department of Justice has created a process whereby individuals can complete 40 hours of training, gain experience at an existing service center, and then apply to become accredited to provide basic immigration legal services under the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the US DOJ branch responsible for overseeing immigration law.
What to Expect June 5
The preview meeting on June 5 will explain the steps in this process, including information about formal training being offered in the Twin Cities in November 2013, information about operating an ILSC with proper accreditation and technical support, and a description of the kinds of services typically provided to immigrants by an ILSC.
The meeting is free, and no registration is required – but we would appreciate to know in advance who is coming. If you plan to attend click here to fill in this simple “sign up” list so that we can plan accordingly.
Questions?
Contact either:
Alex Mandes – Immigrant Hope | Alex.Mandes@efca.org
Carl Nelson – Transform Minnesota | Carl@transformmn.org | 612-243-2941
Here is one story at The Hill. Few changes were made that would make the bill more acceptable to most Americans. (I’m working on a magazine article today and have little time to post unfortunately, but you will see lots of coverage elsewhere of the not-unexpected setback for America).
Five Republicans voted against S.744 (The Gang of Eight plus Grover bill). Those heroes are Senators Chuck Grassley, Jeff Sessions, John Cornyn, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee.
Kristol: Walk away Marco Rubio!
Voting with the Democrats were Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and Orrin Hatch. Here is the listof all committee members. Final vote was 13-5.
And the bill moves to Senate floor – room erupts with “yes we can!” and “si, se puede”! We just live-tweeted history
Yesterday I was surprised to see that Bill Kristol, usually a supporter of supposed immigration reform, urged Senator Marco Rubio to abandon this monstrosity and “walk away.” Frankly, if Rubio sticks with this bill on the Senate floor his political future as a Presidential candidate will be over, especially as the Tea Party re-emerges as a political counterweight to the “ruling class” Republicans. Watch out for ‘ruling class’ extraordinaire Speaker John Boehner in the House going forward! He is showing signs of squishing out!
The Weekly Standard editor told Ingraham that Rubio — who Kristol said he considers “a friend” — should step away from the “big government bill.” Instead, immigration reform should be dealt with issue-by-issue rather than by one comprehensive piece of “bad legislation,” Kristol said.
Our view too! S.744 expands refugee and asylum law without increasing the security issues that the Boston Bombers exposed.
We are among a distinguished group!
Go here and see the letter (opposing S. 744 as it goes to the Senate floor) to which we, Refugee Resettlement Watch, are a proud signator. Be sure to scroll down to see all the Tea Party groups which have signed. So, the next time you see mention of Tea Partiers supporting so-called “immigration reform” consider that Grover (Norquist) and gang are putting out that misinformation.
