Harry Reid has lately been one of the most vocal opponents of sweeping illegal immigration reform. He threatened to filibuster if Bill Frist's proposal made it to the floor back in March of this year. He stated, and I quote : "If Leader Frist brings a bill to the floor that does not have the approval of the Judiciary Committee, it will not get out of the Senate," Reid told reporters at the San Ysidro border crossing, a few steps from Tijuana, Mexico."
Reid also stated that the overhaul must include heightened border enforcement, a "guest worker" program and a "path to citizenship" for the estimated 11 million people in the United States illegally. He called legislation by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R- Ariz., a "good place to start." (information courtesy of taylormarsh.com, which is actually a liberal web-site committed to being the "anidote to right wing talk")
I guess Harry Reid changed his mind radically from 13 years ago, when he was one of the fiercest proponents of immigration reform and had a stronger proposal on the table than any currently being debated! Here is, courtesy of the Drudge Report, a release from the office of Harry Reid addressing the illegal immigration debate on August 5, 1993 :
FLASHBACK: Dem Senate Leader Harry Reid: 'Our Federal Wallet Stretched To Limit By Illegal Aliens Getting Welfare'
'Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally'
August 5, 1993
The Office of Sen. Harry Reid issued the following:
In response to increased terrorism and abuse of social programs by aliens, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today introduced the first and only comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress.
Currently, an alien living illegally in the United States often pays no taxes but receives unemployment, welfare, free medical care and other federal benefits. Recent terrorist acts, including the World Trade Center bombing, have underscored the need to keep violent criminals out of the country.
Reid's bill, the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, overhauls the nation's immigration laws and calls for a massive scale-down of immigrants allowed into the country from approximately 800,000 to 300,000.
The bill also changes asylum laws to prevent phony asylum seekers. Reid said the U.S. open door policy is being abused at the expense of honest, working citizens.
"We are a country founded upon fairness and justice," Reid said. "An individual in real threat of torture or long-term incarceration because of his or her political beliefs can still seek asylum. But this bill closes the door to those who want to abuse America's inherent generosity and legal system."
Reid's bill also cracks down on illegal immigration. The 1990 census reported 3.3 million illegal aliens in America. Recent estimates indicate about 2.5 million immigrants illegally entered the United States last year.
"Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs," Reid said. "The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement.
"Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes.
"Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world. "Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally," Reid said.
Specific provisions of Reid's Immigration Stabilization Act include the following:
-- Reduces annual legal immigration levels from approximately 800,000 admissions per year to about 300,000. Relatives other than spouse or minor children will be admitted only if already on immigration waiting lists and their admission does not raise annual immigration levels above 300,000.
-- Reforms asylum rules to prevent aliens from entering the United States illegally under phony "asylum" claims.
-- Expands list of felonies considered "aggravated" felonies requiring exclusion and deportation of criminal aliens. Allows courts to order deportation at time of sentencing.
-- Increases penalties for failing to depart or re-entering the United States after a final order of deportation order. Increases maximum penalties for visa fraud from five years to 10 years.
-- Curtails alien smuggling by authorizing interdiction and repatriation of aliens seeking to enter the United States unlawfully by sea. Increases penalties for alien smuggling.
-- Adds "alien smuggling" to the list of crimes subject to sanctions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Expands the categories of property that are forfeited when used to facilitate the smuggling or harboring of illegal aliens.
-- Clarifies that a person born in the United States to an alien mother who is not a lawful resident is not a U.S. citizen. This will eliminate incentive for pregnant alien women to enter the United States illegally, often at risk to mother and child, for the purpose of acquiring citizenship for the child and accompanying federal financial benefits.
-- Mandates that aliens who cannot demonstrably support themselves without public or private assistance are excludable. This will prevent admission of aliens likely to be dependent on public financial support. This requirement extends to the sponsor of any family sponsored immigrant.
-- Increases border security and patrol officers to 9,900 full-time positions.
Quite a different take than today, huh? His proposals would be met with Sensenbrenner-type controversy if they were made today! My question is, where do his real personal feelings lie? What side did he change his views for? Did he believe back then what he says he does today, but was only appeasing his state's constituents, or does he believe today what he said he believed back then, and is only catering to the Hispanic vote? Perhaps he doesn't know what he believes, and he's just shifting based on polls and demographics, a la John Kerry. Either way, it is the obvious lack of integrity in examples such as this that is killing our political system. Other examples you can research on your own include Pat Leahy ranting today over wiretapping despite being the one who started NSA wiretapping himself in a 1994 bill, John Kerry flip-flopping on most every issue, Al Gore's previous pro-life convictions, and so on and so forth. I don't agree with President Bush on everything, he's made plenty of mistakes during his time in office, but the one thing I give him credit for is holding strong to his convictions whether they are popular with his party or not. Bush leaves a lot to be desired in actually fighting for many of his convictions, but at least he doesn't waffle on the issues. If every politician truly voted on what they felt was best for the nation, regardless of how it would help or hurt them come election time, our system would once again be the marvel of the free world, but the way that things are going right now, if the political climate doesn't change, I fear we are headed for self-imposed disaster and it is just a matter of time.
