UPDATE AND NEW REQUEST FOR FRIENDS OF
BORDER SECURITY,
Your phone calls yesterday have moved our border security concerns to
the top of the agenda today.
After showing no particular awareness at all in the border-crisis issue
entailed in H.R. 324 (the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act),
the U.S. House Republican leadership has taken it as its major effort
today. Ensuring immigration enforcement was a key topic of the meeting
of all Republican Congressmen this morning. And the Democratic
leadership is scrambling to avoid this bill becoming the next national
immigration controversy.
I'll explain more in a minute.
HERE'S WHAT WE NEED NOW:
Phone 202-224-3121
The direct message is:
I'm calling about H.R. 324, the Santa Cruz Valley
bill.
I am asking that Rep. xmxmxmx vote FOR the Motion to Recommit the bill
to add language that will guarantee that this bill will not weaken
border security enforcement.
My understanding is that the language currently proposed for the bill is
not strong enough and is filled with loopholes. Take the time to be
sure.
The vote on this Motion to Recommit will measure which Members of
Congress are truly dedicated to border security.
No. 1: If you have a Democratic
Representative, phone him/her with the message listed below.
You will find talking points on a phone action note on
your Action Buffet.
No. 2: If you have a Republican
Representative, we are being told that the Republicans will vote nearly
unanimously for the Motion to Recommit for better border security.
If you have any doubts about your Republican Representative, go ahead
and call.
But most of you can save your energy for phoning Democratic
Representatives in your state. You can find them listed by
clicking to the Grade Card locator map and then clicking on your
state.
WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE SANTA CRUZ VALLEY DESIGNATION ITSELF. But
the sponsor's refusal to guarantee border security enforcement has
thrown it into controversy.
HERE'S THE LATEST SCOOP
FROM OUR CAPITOL HILL TEAM
- GRIJALVA RESPONDS:
After your phone calls lit up the switchboards throughout Congress
yesterday, the supporters of H.R. 324 realized that what they had
hoped would be a routine vote was becoming a litmus test on border
security.
The sponsors rushed to write new border security language that they
could support on the floor and defuse the explosion that NumbersUSA
members were threatening to set off during floor debate today.
But our Hill Team tells me that the new language is not clear and
appears to be full of loopholes. It is not the straight assurance
that Rep. Bishop had proposed in his amendment in committee that was
voted down.
Rep. Bishop has decided -- and the Republican leadership has thrown
its full weight behind his decision -- that the only way to protect
full border security enforcement in much of Arizona is to vote for a
MOTION TO RECOMMIT H.R. 324 so the right language can be added.
- THE BILL: Rep. Grijalva
(D-Ariz.) bill is H.R. 324 - the Santa Cruz Valley National
Heritage Area Act.
This would cover a gigantic area of Arizona, including much of
the illegal entry area that reporter Leo Banks chronicled in his
article
"Following the Amnesty Trail".
- THE LANGUAGE WE NEED: Rep.
Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has been trying to add language to preserve
border enforcment in the huge new park area.
It says that nothing in the bill shall prevent the Border Patrol
from performing their duties to secure the border in this newly
designated area.
Rep. Grijalva made sure that amendment was defeated in
committee. Now, that NumbersUSA members are waging a national
campaign on this issue, he has put together some language to
address the concerns but our allies tell us the language is
insufficient.
- THE DANGER: The Border
Patrol is increasingly being limited in its enforcement on
various park lands. Promoters of illegal immigration inside the
federal government seem to be on a trend of turning parks into
sanctuaries for illegal alien traffic.
The fear is that the H.R. 324 designation will be used to
prevent the Border Patrol from setting up communication towers,
cameras, sensors and so on, on the massive land included under
the bill.
The land included under the bill covers some of the primary
smuggling corridors in Arizona.
It also covers Highway 19, where the Border Patrol has a
temporary checkpoint that is scheduled to become a permanent
checkpoint--at which the BP seizes huge amounts of drugs and
apprehends large numbers of illegal aliens each year--within the
next year. It is entirely possible that the designation could be
used to reverse that decision, especially since Rep. Grijalva is
a vocal opponent of checkpoints (or any other activities that
deter illegal immigration).
THE MOTION TO RECOMMIT would instruct that
language be added not only to protect all current border
security activity but would make the essential Highway 19
checkpoint permanent.
It was a Republican who kept these checkpoints from becoming
permanent. Former Rep. Kolbe (R-Ariz.) constantly thwarted
checkpoint efforts in Arizona. The Motion to Recommit apparently
would finally erase his legislative mischief.
TRUST IS EARNED THROUGH VERIFICATION
The only way we can trust that
Grijalva's bill will allow all border security activity is for
there to be language CLEARLY guaranteeing it in the bill.
- READ MY BLOG ON THWARTING THE
CONTINUING DRIVE FOR AN AMNESTY: See my blog today on
the Home page about why we are thanking Pres. Obama for
backing down on health plan coverage for illegal aliens even as
we continue to prepare for his amnesty push.
Surprisingly, some of our members have mistakenly thought that
we are letting down our guard against continuing moves toward
amnesty. Nothing could be further from the truth. After you make
your phone call(s), please take a look at my blog explaining
more about our strategy.
THANKS,
Click here to make a September donation.
Please take a look at our fundraising thermometer for this
month. As you can see -- after making our monthly goal in August
-- we're running short in September.
For all of you who have never kicked in $10 or $25 to the
movement, this would be a great time.
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