Tom Coburn on Senate Immigration Bill

[okie52]

Jun 27 2013

Dr. Coburn’s Statement on Passage of Senate Immigration Bill

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement today regarding the passage of S. 744:

“This bill is a historic missed opportunity for the United States Senate. It is a $48 billion border stimulus package that grants amnesty to politicians who want to say they are securing the border when in fact they are not. I very much wanted to support an immigration reform proposal that balances our fundamental American values of legal immigration and the rule of law. Sadly, this bill fails that test.

“Speaker Boehner and House Republicans now have all the justification they need to start over. I would encourage the House to use President Reagan’s view of immigration as a blueprint. In his farewell address Reagan described what he saw when he talked about America as the ‘shining city on the Hill.’

“Reagan said, ‘it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.’

“‘Walls with doors’ is an immigration policy that can unite our nation. But, today, Democrats sound like they want only doors; Republicans only walls. The truth is we have neither. We have chaos.

“House Republicans have a chance to be the higher chamber and get reform right. They should first remind the public that America is exceptional because it is a miracle of assimilation unrivaled in human history. The fire beneath our melting pot is not our economic or material wealth, but an immaterial idea that all people are created equal and are endowed by the Creator – not the State – with certain rights. Every legal immigrant who ‘comes hurtling through the darkness, toward home,’ as Reagan said, makes that fire brighter and our nation stronger.

“The House also has an obligation to defend the rule of law, which is what the debate about border security is really about. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, our border is only 40 to 55 percent secure. At the same time, under the Senate bill, illegal immigration will drop by only 25 percent according the Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, more than 40 percent of all people who are currently here illegally came through the front door and have overstayed their visas.

“The rule of law is the glue that holds our nation together and it guarantees the freedom that has drawn millions to our country. As a nation, we have an obligation to our citizens – and to legal immigrants – to uphold the rule of law and ensure the process is fair to all. Unfortunately, this bill is full of holes as far as the rule of law is considered. It is written so that the Secretary of Homeland Security can waive almost every portion of it. That’s not the rule of law. That’s the rule of rulers.

“The House can, and must, do better. But we should be precise about what the problem is. Oklahomans and people across this country aren’t mad at illegal immigrants. They’re mad at Washington. And they are right to be angry. Politicians who pass laws they have no intention of enforcing do more to undermine the rule of law than a Guatemalan father of four who crosses the border twice a year to help feed his extended family. We can’t welcome everyone, but we should be delighted people want to come to this country, and we should do everything in our power to treat aspiring Americans fairly and with dignity.

“I filed 19 amendments to improve this bill, including amendments to help secure the border and increase interior enforcement. Unfortunately, those amendments were not considered. The House now has an opportunity to give the American people the debate they want and deserve.”

###

http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/rightnow?ContentRecord_id=9c61d854-7727-4039-a4f3-bd3506f4af2c

[okie52]

Inhofe Opposes Amnesty-First Immigration Bill
Thursday, June 27, 2013


WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), today opposed the Border Security Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744). The bill passed by a 68-32 vote.

“I am disappointed with today’s Senate passage of the Immigration bill which gives amnesty to illegal immigrants, and does so before meaningful border security is achieved,” said Inhofe. “The law only requires that the Department of Homeland Security submit two strategies for border enforcement before ‘provisional immigrant’ status is granted to illegal aliens. The border security provisions in the bill allow too much discretion to the Department of Homeland Security. They are full of exemptions and discretionary language. DHS has proven itself incapable of enforcing existing law. To make matters worse, once the DHS, not Congress, determines operational control of the border has been attained, this triggers an automatic process for illegal aliens to attain permanent residency, and ultimately citizenship. Furthermore, this bill fails to adequately address the federal benefits that illegal aliens receive. No immigration proposal is complete without provisions that reform the entitlements and other public sector resources that attract and keep these individuals in the country.”

Sen. Inhofe introduced four amendments to S. 744 that were not granted a vote by the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

The Keep Our Communities Safe amendment would close the legal loophole that requires immigration authorities to release back into the United States, illegal aliens that have not been accepted for deportation to other countries after being detained for six months. This practice is also referred to as "catch and release."


The English Language Unity amendment would declare English as the official language of the United States and require the federal government to preserve, protect and enhance the role of the English language within our government.


The Common Sense English amendment would protect private employers who chose to have an English language requirement in the workplace from frivolous lawsuits from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).


The Multilingual Services Accounting amendment would require the annual budget report to congress to include the amount of taxpayer money each government agency spends on translation services each year.


###.

[TheHumanAlphabet]

It is written so that the Secretary of Homeland Security can waive almost every portion of it. That’s not the rule of law. That’s the rule of rulers.

And if the Congressional Black Caucus gets their way, that will be Sheila Jackson-Lee...Ole Princess Leia hair herself...and a person who never met a photo-op she didn't like...

[okie52]

Yep, that's why McCain, Graham, Flake, Rubio, et al all look so foolish. They want to pass anything that says reform and legalizing 11,000,000 illegals...border security be damned.

[Curly Bill]

I gave up on McCain having any true principles a long time ago, Lindsey Graham is not far behind him. I'm still not sure about Rubio, though this immigration thing isn't helping him in my eyes.

[okie52]

I did have some hopes for Rubio but if he can be duped this easily I doubt I would ever support him.

[rock on sooner]

Don't think Rubio is being duped, I think he's trying to tiptoe thru
the minefields of Dems and Pubs and keep his 2016 hopes alive.

[Curly Bill]

Don't think Rubio is being duped, I think he's trying to tiptoe thru
the minefields of Dems and Pubs and keep his 2016 hopes alive.

I kinda agree with this - I think he's trying to play both sides of the proverbial aisle.

[okie52]

Don't think Rubio is being duped, I think he's trying to tiptoe thru
the minefields of Dems and Pubs and keep his 2016 hopes alive.

I disagree...McCain, et al, sold him on being the coverboy for immigration reform as a pathway to the presidency in 2016. Now, Rubio has started to recognize its unpopularity with the pub base and has virtually withdrawn from the discussion. McCain and Graham are still out front on the issue. Rubio barely has a passing comment other than he "wants strong border security".

I'm hopeful but not very optimistic that Graham gets beat next year. I do like Cotton's chances vs Pryor in AR though.

[okie52]

Rubio unsettles immigration reform supporters
POSTED: 07/27/2013 11:25:53 AM MDT
UPDATED: 07/27/2013 11:26:06 AM MDTBy Caren Bohan, Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Marco Rubio's repeated criticism of parts of the sweeping U.S. immigration bill he helped craft has unsettled immigration reform advocates and others who support its passage.

Rubio, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Florida seen as a possible 2016 presidential contender, has consistently defended the bill's centerpiece - providing legal status for roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants.

But he has publicly said he wants changes to the bill and said last week that he agreed with some of the concerns voiced in a letter by 150 prominent conservatives who oppose the legislation. He also told CNBC that it would not pass without changes.

His office also raised eyebrows a few weeks ago when it circulated a memo to other Senate staff listing 21 concerns with the bill and ideas for changing what would be the biggest overhaul of federal immigration law in decades.

Frank Sharry, head of the immigration advocacy group America's Voice, said Rubio's comments made him "anxious" and cautioned that the lawmaker must avoid taking his message too far.

Read more: Rubio unsettles immigration reform supporters - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_23744330/rubio-unsettles-immigration-reform-supporters#ixzz2ajez9VOL
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse
Follow us: @Denverpost on Twitter | Denverpost on Facebook.

[rock on sooner]

Okie, without reading the Denver Post story, what you posted supports
the argument that Rubio is indeed trying to tiptoe...

[okie52]

Okie, without reading the Denver Post story, what you posted supports
the argument that Rubio is indeed trying to tiptoe...

Oh, I don't disagree he isn't trying to "tiptoe"....in fact now I would call it full blown backpedaling....but he still got duped in being out front in the first place.

[rock on sooner]

Well, if McCain duped Rubio, just add him to the entire GOP because
McCain did it to the party when he picked Palin in '08...jus sayin...

[badger]

He also called Washington "kindergarten" (http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Coburn_calls_Washington_a_kindergarten/20130801_335_0_WASHIN23518?subj=298) today :)

[okie52]

Well, if McCain duped Rubio, just add him to the entire GOP because
McCain did it to the party when he picked Palin in '08...jus sayin...

I understand McCain's logic on Palin even though she is not who I would have picked.

In September, 2008, McCain was behind Obama in the polls and he wasn't energizing his base. The GOP had just taken a tremendous hit due to the collapse of the economy. Palin, for all of her failings, did energize the base and McCain left the convention with a 3 point lead. Palin was a hail mary that worked for a brief period but McCain was desperate.

I find McCain's logic on other issues like immigration reform to be much more irrational.

[rock on sooner]

I understand McCain's logic on Palin even though she is not who I would have picked.

In September, 2008, McCain was behind Obama in the polls and he wasn't energizing his base. The GOP had just taken a tremendous hit due to the collapse of the economy. Palin, for all of her failings, did energize the base and McCain left the convention with a 3 point lead. Palin was a hail mary that worked for a brief period but McCain was desperate.

I find McCain's logic on other issues like immigration reform to be much more irrational.

Irrational is an excellent descriptive for McCain...immigration reform, bombing
Iran, no fly zone for Syria...not because I'm a Dem but because I'm an American,
we are fortunate that he didn't get the presidency...

[diverdog]

I understand McCain's logic on Palin even though she is not who I would have picked.

In September, 2008, McCain was behind Obama in the polls and he wasn't energizing his base. The GOP had just taken a tremendous hit due to the collapse of the economy. Palin, for all of her failings, did energize the base and McCain left the convention with a 3 point lead. Palin was a hail mary that worked for a brief period but McCain was desperate.

I find McCain's logic on other issues like immigration reform to be much more irrational.

At a distance Palin looked like a home run pick. Once she was vetted it turned out to be an awful pick. McCain suspending his campaign was a big strategic mistake.

[okie52]

Irrational is an excellent descriptive for McCain...immigration reform, bombing
Iran, no fly zone for Syria...not because I'm a Dem but because I'm an American,
we are fortunate that he didn't get the presidency...

I agree...but how different is he than Obama? Obama is sending McCain to Egypt. Obama bombed Libya and instituted a no fly zone. Obama has been considering intervention in Syria. Obama is for more open borders than McCain. McCain being more hawkish on Iran is about the only difference I am seeing in these areas.

[okie52]

At a distance Palin looked like a home run pick. Once she was vetted it turned out to be an awful pick. McCain suspending his campaign was a big strategic mistake.

Hell, I'd forgotten about McCain suspending his campaign...


In explaining his decision, McCain also referred to 9/11, patriotism, and partisan divisions that have "prevented us from addressing our national challenges." What he didn't mention was that Democratic nominee Barack Obama—at the urging of GOP Sen. Tom Coburn—had called him early this morning with an invitation to issue a joint statement that would outline agreed-upon principles and conditions for the Treasury's bailout proposal and urge Congress and the White House to join in the statement. And that when McCain called him back at 2:30 this afternoon, the two candidates had agreed on some broad principles.

[diverdog]

Hell, I'd forgotten about McCain suspending his campaign...

In retrospect Palin was about one third of his problems. The bad economy and suspending his campaign hurt him worse than Palin. I think it is a bit unfair to lay his loss on her.

Gawd that hurt to type but is accurate.

[FaninAma]

In retrospect Palin was about one third of his problems. The bad economy and suspending his campaign hurt him worse than Palin. I think it is a bit unfair to lay his loss on her.

Gawd that hurt to type but is accurate.

for every shortcoming Palin had as a national candidate Obama had them just as severe or worse. BTW, I am even happier that I didn't vote for McCain. He is a volatile, egotistic, self-serving idiot.

[KantoSooner]

Not that it really matters, but Palin seriously hurt that campaign by appearing in any sort of back-and-forth discussion. Okay on set piece speeches, she displayed a truly shocking lack of grasp of much of anything. Her lack of even the most rudimentary foreign policy knowledge would have been, quite literally, disappointing in a tenth grader. That she would have been a old man's heartbeat away from the presidency liquifies one's bowels in terror.
Makes Biden look like an effing savant.


An Idiot Savant, but a savant nonetheless.

[rock on sooner]

Not that it really matters, but Palin seriously hurt that campaign by appearing in any sort of back-and-forth discussion. Okay on set piece speeches, she displayed a truly shocking lack of grasp of much of anything. Her lack of even the most rudimentary foreign policy knowledge would have been, quite literally, disappointing in a tenth grader. That she would have been a old man's heartbeat away from the presidency liquifies one's bowels in terror.
Makes Biden look like an effing savant.


An Idiot Savant, but a savant nonetheless.

Palin's loose cannon mouth in unscripted venues truly doomed
the GOP for '08 and elevating her as a keynote speaker leading
up to '12 made Obama's task much easier. If she runs for the
senate, that will continue to contribute to GOP troubles for '16.
Biden's mouth is only slightly less dangerous, but he does have
a lot of experience. Be that as it may, Hillary's resume is so
formidable that if she runs, no matter how polarizing she is,
the GOP (imo) should consider a sacrificial candidate and wait
til '20 (Hillary would be 72 then and I'd think pretty tired).

[KantoSooner]

Sorry. Hillary is too far.
I have no idea who among current generation Rep's I could vote for without serious reservations, but, really I think only Santorum on the basis of his cultural facism, and Inhofe on the basis of his febrile stupidity would be completely out for me vs hillie.

I'd strongly consider Josef Goebbels rather than Hillary. (albeit he's dead)

He'd be less danger to the country and more of a supporter of personal freedom.

[okie52]

Doubt Inhofe will be running for prez but the other senator from OK would make a great prez...but he probably isn't electable either.

[okie52]

This could be fun....


Progressive Activists to Challenge GOP Lawmakers at Town Halls
Thursday, 01 Aug 2013 03:24 PM
By Courtney Coren

Progressive activists plan to turn up the heat on Republican lawmakers at their town hall meetings during the August recess with questions for them on issues such as Obamacare and immigration reform.

Americans United for Change will send representatives to Republican town halls mainly in swing states, but also in red states as the group tries to go after Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, The Huffington Post reports.

"This is a new approach," said Brad Woodhouse, president of the progressive group. "The theory in the past has been to be stealth about the effort to confront members at town halls — but sometimes it's been too stealth, and we haven't generated enough activity."

"Since everyone knows that both sides are doing this, we're going to be public-facing about it," Woodhouse said.

The group launched Accountable Congress on Wednesday, giving those who want to participate information and tools about when and where GOP senators and House members will be speaking while on recess, complete with talking points on a variety of issues from immigration to gun violence.

Woodhouse says he hopes activists will engage with the lawmakers, ask tough questions, and report the results, so that Americans United can share the outcomes. They also plan to have daily conference calls to coordinate strategies with activists.

"We're also not just focusing exclusively on swings 1 whether in the issue or electoral sense," he said. "We'll try to have a presence at any GOP member event."

While House Republicans have put together their own playbook with information for lawmakers on meeting with constituents, promoting the Republican agenda in the House, and getting media attention.

The Huffington Post notes that conservative and tea party groups such as Americans for Prosperity, will be represented at town hall meetings, as well.


Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/progressive-activists-town-halls/2013/08/01/id/518281#ixzz2ake58LjP


Doubt they will show up in good ole Oklahoma but it would be fun if they did.

[okie52]

Speaking of Coburn and Paul...


Coburn Bill to Force Congress to 'Pay Attention' to Constitution
Thursday, 01 Aug 2013 01:02 PM
By Wanda Carruthers

Sen. Tom Coburn said Thursday his colleagues in the Senate and House "don't pay attention" to the U.S. Constitution, and that he has a bill in the Senate to address the issue.

Coburn, along with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, introduced the Enumerated Powers Act of 2013, which would require that each act of Congress "contain a concise explanation of the specific authority in the Constitution" that is the basis for its enactment.

The measure "has 35 co-sponsors, but there's not one Democrat on there," the Oklahoma Republican said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

"All it says is when you're going to pass a bill justify it by relating to the Constitution where you get the power to do that," Coburn said. "We wouldn't be $17 trillion in debt if we actually followed the constitution. What our founders set is a very limited government."

Coburn said, "We really lack leadership. And what we have is selfish desires for political power, rather than thoughtful consideration about what's in the best long-term interest of our country as a whole, and what are we putting at risk when we don't have the leadership that redirects us to think long term and also think in terms of limited government."

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/coburn-bill-congress-constitution/2013/08/01/id/518246#ixzz2akgFOfSZ