Shamnesty, Here We Go Again!

The shamnesty bill is coming back to life, thanks to efforts from the White House and several waffling Senators (especially some key Republican sell-outs). What you're hearing in the mainstream media is that there will be an immediate up-front infusion of $4.4 billion for border security in exchange for the Senate re-examining the issue and addressing 20 or so amendments. Supporters are hopeful that enough support will be skimmed from the opposition to pass the bill.

Now, here's the real scoop.

The $4.4 billion is merely a pretext to allow a few Senators to ride both sides of the issue - they can still oppose amnesty (which they still say isn't a part of this bill), but they can also say they're 'tough' on border security. But, there are a few problems:
- there's no estimate from the White House of how much money the provision would generate yearly toward border security
- the White House could not say whether the money would be in addition to currently planned border security funding levels or just a way to dedicate funds to that purpose
- it wasn't clear what budget account would be drawn down to pay for the initial $4.4 billion

Seems a little too vague for my comfort level, especially given that this deal requires the "deal-makers" to go behind closed doors for the fourth time to work things out in secret! Again, what are they hiding?

Here's the big question in my mind: even if this extra money does get approved, what does it really accomplish? What's different about this deal that would make Americans believe that the government is actually going to secure the border this time? Let me remind you of some of the provisions in the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations and Secure Fence bill signed last year:
- $362 million for the US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator (US-VISIT) project, which has been stymied for 11 years
- $7.4 billion for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including $1.2 billion for fencing and other barriers along the border, and funding for 1,500 new Border Patrol agents
- $3.9 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- $181 million for US Citizenship and Immigration services (USCIS)

How much of that has actually happened? To my knowledge, NONE of it. I've already blogged about the fence here, and I haven't seen anything concrete on any of the other items.

Here's another dirty little secret: John Hawkins at Right Wing News reports that "if the bill gets through the Senate and the House, the Democrats and the open borders Republicans will work together when the bills have to be reconciled in committee to strip out any amendments that the 'grand bargainers' don't like." That means the amnesty crowd gets everything they want unless the cloture vote fails (remember, cloture is a vote to end debate on a bill and go straight to the yes/no vote on the bill itself). If cloture passes, amnesty passes.

Call your Senators, and call the wafflers (they may not want to listen to you if you're not from their state, but they can't ignore a tidal wave). The key ones that need to be swamped with calls are Brownback (Rep, KS) because he's local and otherwise conservative; McConnell (Rep, KY), because he's the Senate Minority Leader; and Lott (Rep, MS), who is simply waffling because he knows the media wants this amnesty and he's trying to get some good press after his ousting from leadership over a racial comment about Strom Thurmond. If you have the time and inclination to make more calls, the rest of the Senators being targeted to remove their opposition are (a '*' means they're up for re-election in 2008):
- * Alexander (R-TN)
- Bennett (R-UT)
- * Cochran (R-MS)
- * Coleman (R-MN)
- * Collins (R-ME)
- * Cornyn (R-TX)
- * Craig (R-ID)
- * Domenici (R-NM)
- Gregg (R-NH)
- Hatch (R-UT)
- Hutchison (R-TX)
- Kyl (R-AZ)
- Murkowski (R-AK)
- * Smith (R-OR)
- Snowe (R-ME)
- Stevens (R-AK)
- * Warner (R-VA)

Again, the toll-free number is 800-417-7666, or you can find the number for the Capital Switchboard on my contact list to the right. Call these people and tell them you oppose the "amnesty for amendments" deal. It's now or never!

Some of our leaders think we're too stupid to realize what they're doing - granting amnesty to millions of illegals in exchange for an empty promise. Don't let them get away with it!

There's my two cents.