Amnesty by Any Other Name...

Ben Johnson writes about the Senate Immigration Bill for Front Page Magazine:

This bill doubles the amount of legal immigration, while reorienting our employment visas, for the first time, toward unskilled laborers. (The National Academy of Sciences found each “migrant” with less than a high school education costs the United States $90,000, and that immigrants only begin to “contribute to our economy” if they have a post-secondary education.)

But our economy will contribute to them. In addition to millions of dollars U.S. taxpayers spend for the welfare, education, health care, and incarceration of illegals, the Senate assures aliens will receive all the money they “contributed” to Social Security – even if they stole someone’s identity in the process. They’ll also be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. In all, this “comprehensive” reform could cost $54 billion within a decade. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-PA, surmised, “[It] certainly is possible that it will bust the budget.”

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Elsewhere, the bill makes clear enforcement is not a Senate priority. Russ Feingold and Sen. Sam Brownback successfully moved to allow activist judges to stay deportations essentially at will.

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The Conference Committee will have to iron out the differences between the Senate amnesty bill and the House’s all-enforcement bill, passed last December. The House, which by design is constitutionally and ideologically closer to the American people, has pledged to stand firmly against any amnesty in committee. Perhaps no bill whatever will result – which, contrary to Tony Snow, would not be received by Americans less favorably than amnesty. Or perhaps the two will coalesce along the lines of a bill introduced by conservative leader Rep. Mike Pence, R-IN. It includes a guest worker program – but unlike his Senate colleagues, Pence “gets it” on border enforcement. He recently noted, in 2005 alone, more than 200 illegals detained by Border Patrol came from the Middle East, “countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others.” His plan would require workers to leave the country before receiving a biometric worker ID card – and would provide no “path to citizenship” for those blazing the trail north for economic reasons. After a specified period, the illegals would be required to leave the country.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=22656

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Voting "yes" were 38 Democrats, 23 Republicans and one independent.
Voting "no" were 32 Republicans and four Democrats.

Democrats Yes
Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Bayh, Ind.; Biden, Del.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Cantwell, Wash.; Carper, Del.; Clinton, N.Y.; Conrad, N.D.; Dayton, Minn.; Dodd, Conn.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Feinstein, Calif.; Harkin, Iowa; Inouye, Hawaii; Johnson, S.D.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Lieberman, Conn.; Lincoln, Ark.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Nelson, Fla.; Obama, Ill.; Pryor, Ark.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Sarbanes, Md.; Schumer, N.Y.; Wyden, Ore.

Democrats No
Byrd, W.Va.; Dorgan, N.D.; Nelson, Neb.; Stabenow, Mich.

Democrats Not Voting
Rockefeller, W.Va.; Salazar, Colo.

Republicans Yes
Bennett, Utah; Brownback, Kan.; Chafee, R.I.; Coleman, Minn.; Collins, Maine; Craig, Idaho; DeWine, Ohio; Domenici, N.M.; Frist, Tenn.; Graham, S.C.; Gregg, N.H.; Hagel, Neb.; Lugar, Ind.; Martinez, Fla.; McCain, Ariz.; McConnell, Ky.; Murkowski, Alaska; Smith, Ore.; Snowe, Maine; Specter, Pa.; Stevens, Alaska; Voinovich, Ohio; Warner, Va.

Republicans No
Alexander, Tenn.; Allard, Colo.; Allen, Va.; Bond, Mo.; Bunning, Ky.; Burns, Mont.; Burr, N.C.; Chambliss, Ga.; Coburn, Okla.; Cochran, Miss.; Cornyn, Texas; Crapo, Idaho; DeMint, S.C.; Dole, N.C.; Ensign, Nev.; Enzi, Wyo.; Grassley, Iowa; Hatch, Utah; Hutchison, Texas; Inhofe, Okla.; Isakson, Ga.; Kyl, Ariz.; Lott, Miss.; Roberts, Kan.; Santorum, Pa.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Sununu, N.H.; Talent, Mo.; Thomas, Wyo.; Thune, S.D.; Vitter, La.

Others Yes
Jeffords, Vt.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060526/D8HR4FBO1.html

54 billion... Can you believe it? That's our money, I'm pretty sure. Are these Senators insane, or is the electorate insane for not screaming its collective head clean off? Who are these Senators working for these days?

If your Republican Senator is up for re-election and actually voted for this insanity... find the Libertarian lever this November and send him a message. I know I won't be voting for Dick Lugar.

54 billion... With this kind of generosity Vincente Fox may be looking for a home in Arizona. And if enough of the Senate Bill makes it out of committee there should be enough of his fellow countrymen moving north to elect him to the United States Senate. I think he has many friends there and would fit right in.