As previewed by the Washington Post on Christmas Eve, the Bush Administration's illegal alien amnesty proposal—the Robert L. Bartley Memorial Open Borders Bill—could take shape in Congress as the dangerous Arizona Amnesty Plan (H.R. 2899 and S. 1461) already pending since July, 2003.
The Bush Administration gave its first hint about the Arizona Amnesty connection as follows:
"White House aides would not provide details of the proposal, but the Republican officials said it draws on, among other sources, a bill introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)."[Immigration Reform on Bush Agenda, 12/24/03, Washington Post, by Mike Allen]
So if the bills were introduced last July, exactly how long has the Bush Administration been planning its amnesty revival? Or has the idea of Mexican amnesty never really left the table since President Bush visited Mexican President Vicente Fox in February, 2001?
Under the ridiculously misleading title of "Border Security and Immigration Improvement Act," the Arizona Amnesty bills (H.R. 2899 and S. 1461) closely track the Bush plan. The bills are backed by three of the President's fellow open-borders travelers and Republicans—House members Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake, and Senator John McCain.
[VDARE.COM NOTE: Juan Mann analyzed this legislation in August, 2003, and also in the Fall 2003 issue of The Social Contract [PDF]]
Only seven House members and one Senator have signed on to cosponsor the bills.
But it looks like El Presidente Fox already signed on. As VDARE.com correspondent Allan Wall reported last week, the Mexican government supports the efforts of Kolbe and fellow travelers in Congress.
"The January 4th, 2004 edition of El Siglo de Torreón, Page 10A, contained an article entitled "Insiste el Gobierno en pacto migratorio" – 'The [Mexican] Government Insists on a Migratory Accord.' It reported the Mexican government's intention to lobby strongly to support current immigration measures pending in the U.S. Congress. (It was adorned by a picture of Arizona's immigration-enthusiast congressman Jim Kolbe.)"
So this may be the battleground, folks – H.R. 2899 and S. 1461.
And just for the record, here is the list of the pride of the Treason Lobby who signed up to support the bills so far.
U.S. House of Representatives: Jim Kolbe (R-AZ); Jeff Flake (R-AZ); Joseph Crowley (D-NY); David Dreier (R-CA); Adam H. Putnam (R-FL); Jack Quinn (R-NY); Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT); Jeff Miller (R-FL).
U.S. Senate: John McCain (R-AZ); Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC).
Without a doubt, the immigration showdown of 2004 is already underway. The Beltway beachhead of the immigration reform coalition is making it possible for individual patriots to lobby Congress. Grass roots immigration reformers are organizing suitable receptions when these amnesty cheerleaders visit their home districts.
According to a posting on the invaluable American Patrol Report, Rep. Kolbe already felt the public backlash for supporting the pro-illegal alien H.R. 2899. At a town hall meeting on January 15 in Sierra Vista, Arizona:
"[g]reeting meeting attendees at the door to City Hall was a full-sized, stuffed Border Patrol agent who was kneeling, slumped over a bench, with a large knife in his back which bore the labels, 'Bush Amnesty' and 'Kolbe Amnesty."
A picture is worth 1,000 words. Congress and the President will get the message somehow.
Juan Mann [send him email] is a lawyer and the proprietor of DeportAliens.com.
