Excerpts of tonight’s Presidential Address
ADDRESS TO THE NATION EXCERPTS
As Prepared for Delivery
On the President’s vision for comprehensive immigration reform:
“We are a Nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws. We are also a Nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways. These are not contradictory goals – America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time. We will fix the problems created by illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly, and fair.”
On Border Security:
“Since I became President, we have increased funding for border security by 66 percent, and expanded the Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000 agents. . . .we have apprehended and sent home about six million people entering America illegally.
“Despite this progress, we do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that. Tonight I am calling on Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border.”
On the Importance of a Temporary Worker Program to relieve pressure on the border:
“The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across.”
On enforcing our laws:
“. . . we need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally. Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees, because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility . . .
“A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law – and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.”
On the President’s opposition to amnesty:
“. . . we must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully – and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.”
On assimilation:
“. . . we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot, which has made us one Nation out of many peoples. The success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and embrace our common identity as Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language.”
On the tone of the debate:
“We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say.”
I like what I’m reading–I don’t have a problem with any of it. No amnesty, crackdown on employers, beefing up border security with manpower AND technology, and a temporary worker program. And a statement addressing respect for American culture and our language.
Sounds good to me. I’m sure there will be some who aren’t happy no matter what he says, though. :roll:
:!: UPDATE– WHAT SHE SAID!!!!!
Tags: Bush, President Bush, immigration, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, undocumented workers
Sigmund, Carl and Alfred » “A house divided against itself cannot stand” says:
[...] Beth on immigration: I like what I’m reading–I don’t have a problem with any of it. No amnesty, crackdown on employers, beefing up border security with manpower AND technology, and a temporary worker program. And a statement addressing respect for American culture and our language. [...]
tommy says:
Well, I just saw his speech. He offered little in the way of real border security - just a promise to get some national guard out there in a “support” role for the border patrol for a year and some more border patrol agents by the end of 2008. Great. he talked about barriers, but it sounded like they would be limited in nature. No talk of a 700 or 1500 mile barrier on our border.
Of course, yes, he did call for amnesty and for a guest worker program. No surprise. How suprising. How nauseating.
He did himself no favors tonight with anyone who was upset about this issue. His poll numbers will continue to reflect that. His speech contained all the same old plans and insulting platitudes. I’m back on the fence about whether I will support Republicans who don’t support border enforcement. I am very disappointed. :-(
Beth says:
All right, Tommy. He absolutely did NOT call for amnesty, quite the opposite.
Didn’t we just discuss the difference between guest worker program and amnesty the other day? Didn’t YOU correct me because I said you equated the two? You said you know there’s a difference. Now you say it’s the same. Or so I’m guessing, because he quite specifically said NO amnesty.
Be reasonable. A fence is not the ONLY way to secure the border. How long do you think it would take for tunnels to be dug? They already HAVE tunnels without a fence! Sure, I think it would be a good SYMBOLIC gesture, but I can live without an actual wall being built along 1500 miles of barren desert.
See, I KNEW there would be no change in anyone’s minds. You guys don’t want to hear anything but what you believe already.
:shaking head:
benning says:
Actually Beth, some of what GW had to say was a tad ambiguous. But, like I told The Anchoress, I will wait to see what shakes out. I want our borders secure. If GW does that, or at least gets it started, I’m fine with that.
tommy says:
It is neither wise nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border. There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law … to pay their taxes … to learn English … and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship. But approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I have just described is not amnesty: It is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.
Beth, this is an amnesty. It is the same “non-amnesty” amnesty he has been trying to sell people on all along. Line up and purchase your citizenship right here….step right up! American citizenship for sale. All I can say about those who have been waiting patiently in line and trying to get into America the right way: what a bunch of suckers. Breaking the law pays.
Also, if you have been looking the blogosphere today, you’ll notice that an analysis has come out that states that the Hagel-Martinez proposal would add about 100-200 million more legal immigrants over the next twenty years! Frightening.
A fence is not the ONLY way to secure the border. How long do you think it would take for tunnels to be dug? They already HAVE tunnels without a fence! Sure, I think it would be a good SYMBOLIC gesture, but I can live without an actual wall being built along 1500 miles of barren desert.
How much do you want to bet that adding 6,000 more border patrol agents won’t stymie the problem of illegal immigration, Beth. I didn’t hear any reasonable proposals tonight to seriously curtail illegal immigration, just a lot of smoke and mirrors. A border (with ground sensors and cameras) may not be a perfect solution, but it would be an excellent start. It would reduce the current flow of illegals down to a trickle.
Bottom line: I gave the president a chance. I was really hoping he would surprise us all and get tough on the issue. I thought Karl Rove might have advised him better than this.
Predictions if the bill passes:
(1) Guest workers will not return home in large numbers, creating a vast new section of illegal immigrants. (Who will have to someday be given an amnesty also.)
(2) Immediate increase in the number of people who cross the border illegally, spurred on by hopes of an amnesty.
(3) Continued illegal crossings in large numbers.
(4) Massive number of relatives of illegals who will become eligible for citizenship. The total effect of the Bush amnesty will be to allow somewhere around 25-30 million illegal immigrants and their families citizenship.
(4) Long-term decline of the Republican party in areas with high populations of Hispanics. Mark my words: Mexicans will vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, in spite of everything Republicans might try short of becoming left-wing, themselves.
(5) Long-term deterioration of the educational, medical, and criminal systems in America coupled with an increse in demands for social programs funded by increasing taxes from Hispanic advocacy groups.
(6) The gradual cultural and linguistic balkanization of American society.
(7) Lots of unforseen trouble.
I’m curious as to what you think will occur. What predictions would you make?
tommy says:
A meant to say “a fence (with ground censors and cameras” not “a border.”
tommy says:
Here is the source, BTW, the for the 100 million immigrants (up to nearly 200 million possible) I quoted earlier:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/wm1076.cfm
If this takes effect, you can kiss America as we have come to know it goodbye. This is insane.
tommy says:
Some great humor on tonight’s speak from ScrappleFace:
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=2259
Jake Jacobsen says:
Hey Beth,
This is what I cover on my blog full time, I think it’s that important.
Let’s run it down. Enforcement under the president has fallen to disgraceful levels, show arrests a week before a vote look and smell bad — like a cheap, Clintonian political ploy.
The president has promised increased border patrol in the past then underfunded it, providing much less than promised.
The president consistently uses a phrase most Americans find insulting, “jobs Americans won’t do.” I suppose somebody finally beat it through his head that wasn’t a winner since he adjusted it tonight.
The president seeks to create an EU style “Supercontinent” joining Mexico, Canada and the US in a shared defense and trade zone.
The president appears to support illegal aliens and Mexico over citizens in both attitude and rhetoric.
The president has referred to me as a personally as a vigilante.
The president has given this speech approximately thirty times in various forms. There was literally nothing new tonight.
The president has used weasel words and phrases in this debate “automatic” not to mention a consistent conflation like conflating illegal immigration and immigration, two very different things.
President Bush has persistently pursued his goal of amnesty. Everything else is secondary to that goal. And I’m not pulling that out of my butt, it has been his clearly stated goal, and he knows a lot of Americans feel burned after the Reagan amnesty so he’s had to lie and cheat to try to get it through.
My question to you is this, why hasn’t the president held enforcement hostage to getting his amnesty program?
Do you know why? It’s quite simple actually, It’s the dirty little secret of this whole debate. Enforcement works, works like a charm actually. In fact every time we’ve actually enforced the law it has had a dramatic effect on this problem.
But that’s the problem. How can you keep enough low wage slaves in the country if you pursue a winning strategy? Answer, you can’t. So what do you do, you “say” you’ve tried enforcement and that it doesn’t work, but you don’t actually do it.
I voted for this man twice but once he started lying to me it was all downhill from there.
Beth says:
Blah blah blah. Heard all the same whining before.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sorry, I’m for winning elections.
Next?
icepick says:
Seeing that President Bush was a two term governor of Texas, I’d like to think that he knows at least a thing or two regarding the current mess we’re in. I think he’s got some good ideas in there. Just don’t dismiss it all outright because of “illegals alien will invade and steal you souls, seduce your daughters and jack you ipods” hype. The problem’s been festering for years, this may be the beginning of a solution. Besides, this is like that one last question on your philosophy final, it ain’t gonna be an easy, one sentence answer, expecting otherwise is to be at best naive, at worst a Liberal Democrat.
‘Pick