VICTORY: AgJOBS amnesty stripped from Iraq Supplemental

Forums Home | The FireWire | Breaking News

Posts 1-20 of 25 | Latest Post

First 1 2 Last
May 21, 2008 11:59 AM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007
From:   Anne Manetas, Deputy Director, NumbersUSA
Date:   21MAY08     10:45 a.m.
 
VICTORY: AgJOBS amnesty stripped from Iraq Supplemental
 

Your Phone Calls Worked!

Friends,

CONGRATULATIONS! You have achieved what some believed to be nearly impossible last week. The AgJOBS amnesty has been stripped from the Iraq Supplemental bill. Here's more good news: the employment-based permanent workers have been stripped from the bill too!

Unfortunately, the H-2B low-sill worker increase is still in the Iraq Supplemental so your phone calls are still needed.

Please keep phoning your Senators throughout the day and ask them to strip the H-2B increase from the Iraq Supplemental spending bill. During your call, you may also want to express how pleased you were to learn that the amnesty and employment-based permanent workers were stripped from the bill.

202-224-3121

Our Capitol Hill team heard initial reports late last night that the AgJOBS amnesty had been stripped from the bill, but we wanted to await confirmation of that before reporting back to you.

Apparently Senate Majority Leader Reid and other Senators were starting to fear a prolonged fight over the immigration provisions, similar to the Senate fight last summer over the "comprehensive" immigration bill. In order to avoid that, Senator Reid stripped the AgJOBS amnesty and employment-based permanent increases from the bill.

Your Phone Calls Made This Happen Our Capitol Hill team is hearing from one Congressional office after another that their phones have been ringing off the hook in opposition to the immigration provisions in the Iraq Supplemental.

There is still a chance we can get the H-2B increase stripped from the bill if Senators come to believe that it is just too controversial. We will come to you again later in the day or evening as we have new information.

BACKGROUND
The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 17-12 to attach an amnesty to the Iraq supplemental spending bill. The amendment that passed provides a 5-year visa for up to 1.35 million illegal agricultural workers—but the cap of 1.35 million does not include spouses and children, who would bring the total amnesty to a total of about 3 million.

Rosemary Jenks (Vice President, Government Relations) has outlined the most egregious aspects of the amnesty here. Find it online here http://www.numbersusa.com/PDFs/AgJOBS_Amnesty_2008.pdf.

In short, the AgJOBS amendment would require the Department of Homeland Security to grant “emergency agricultural worker status” (i.e., amnesty) for up to five years to as many as 1.35 million illegal aliens, plus their spouses and children.

Last Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee added several immigration amendments to the version of the Iraq Supplemental they were marking up.

The immigration amendments include the Feinstein AgJOBS-lite amendment, which passed by a recorded vote of 17-12; and the Mikulski H-2B amendment which would, for the next three years, exempt from the annual cap of 66,000 any H-2B workers who were admitted during the previous three years. (The impact on the numbers could be exponential--they could rise from 66,000 in FY 2008 to over 400,000 by FY2011.) This passed by a recorded vote of 23-6!

In a somewhat unexpected move, the Senate began debate on the Iraq Supplemental Spending bill late in the day on Tuesday of this week. Senator Byrd (D-WV) filed three substitution amendments Monday night to H.R. 2642 (to replace all the House language in three parts). This is a similar tactic the House used during debate on their version of the Iraq supplemental bill last week: divide the bill in three to give cover to the different party constituencies. The AgJOBS language is in the first amendment (SA 4786).

CONGRATULATIONS!

Rosemary reminded me this morning that we won't be totally safe until the bill is off of the Senate floor, but we are in much better shape this morning than we were last night and you are the reason why. Once again, you have shown the power of citizen-activism and reminded Congress that their immigration actions are being watched.

Thank you for reminding our elected officials of the immigration wishes of your fellow Americans.

ANNE
P.S. We can triple our membership quickly if our members email their friends about us and they in turn email theirs. Polls show that most Americans agree with NumbersUSA's positions but, despite our recent rapid growth, most American voters still have never heard of us. You can help change that by forwarding this email widely. (Note: depending on your email provider, you may need to send this as an "attachment.")

This may be a good time for you to make sure that you've let us know all of the areas you are interested in. In order to further customize the type of alerts you receive click here http://www.numbersusa.com/survey?action=longlist

As a NumbersUSA subscriber, you will receive occasional emails about immigration-related opportunities. If you want to increase or reduce the frequency of these emails, click here and choose from Total Activism, Moderate Activism, or Limited Activism at the bottom of your registration form: http://www.numbersusa.com/user

NumbersUSA - relies upon individuals like you to reach its goal of an environmentally sustainable and economically just America.

Numbers USA
1601 N. Kent Street
Suite 1100
Arlington, VA 22209



May 21, 2008 12:25 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007

And from ALIPAC


ALIPAC
Friends of ALIPAC,

We have great news to report.

While many of you have reported in new findings this morning, we have just confirmed with Senator Jeff Session's office and other contacts in DC that the Amnesty language has been removed from the Iraq War funding bill!

It took our movement about three business days to get the phone lines and talk radio shows white hot, but yesterday we are flying in great form.

You did it! You made this happen!

Yet, our job is not complete. Our friends at NumbersUSA report...

"Unfortunately, the H-2B low-sill worker increase is still in the Iraq Supplemental so your phone calls are still needed."

WE NEED YOU ON THE PHONES AND TALK RADIO SHOWS AGAIN TODAY DEMANDING.

"Get all of the immigration language OUT of the Iraq War spending bill. Remove the H2B visa increases from this bill immediately. It is offensive that you would even consider putting immigration language into a war spending bill! Oppose the visa increases!"

SENATE CONTACT LIST (Contact All Senate Offices)
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-63874.html


Talk Radio List
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-76263.html

Post your feedback and responses from Senate offices on this new tracking thread at...
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-690166.html#690166




Let's use our momentum to kill the H2B increases and then turn our attention and victory momentum to the states and to kicking many of these DC BUMS OUT OF OFFICE!

---

We have more good news to share. As the largest archive of information in existence on this issue, your support has made ALIPAC one of the top voices in America fighting illegal immigration.

We can gauge much of our success in our web traffic.

We are pleased to report that as of today, May 21 2008, we are on course to set a new monthly web traffic record. This means that more people than ever are coming to ALIPAC and learning the truth about what is happening and seeing other Americans taking action.

Our existing monthly web traffic record was set in January of 2008 when we had over 4,101,937 Hits or page views. 4.1 million pages viewed is a phenomenal level of attention.

Our current projections for this month are that we could reach 5.3 million pages viewed for May of 2008! This would set a new precedent for us, but we are not there yet.

Please continue to...

1. Post links to http://www.alipac.us on other web boards you visit.
2. Circulate our fliers found in the ALIPAC Action Panel on the top blue tool bar. They are in the ACTIVISM section.
3. Send e-mails to your contacts encouraging people to visit www.alipac.us and sign up for our email alerts.
4. Mentioning ALIPAC.us on talk radio shows or in letters to the editor.
5. Asking other websites you frequent to add links to ALIPAC.us to their sites.

Extra measures you can take to help us set a new record are...

1. Spend some time reviewing the material in our main Story Archives found in the Main Menu on the left of screen at www.alipac.us

2. Spend some time exploring our Discussion Groups area also found in the Main Menu.

3. Sign up for an account to post your own comments in our Discussion Groups by filling out the form on the left or contacting Accounts@alipac.us

4. Read our latest articles placed on the homepage at www.alipac.us each day.

ALIPAC supporters with website accounts can view our web traffic logs by clicking on the blue number in the box on the lower left titled "Site Traffic"

---


Are you pleased with ALIPAC's performance on this legislation? Please lend your financial support today to keep ALIPAC well funded, capable, and strong in the fight against Amnesty by visiting our SECURE online contributions page today at...
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=9













May 21, 2008 12:34 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
March 3, 2007

Finally our calls and faxes pay off AGAIN! These idiots on the hill are going to keep trying to stick stuff like this into bills that look benign! Sneaky buttheads!

Do you think we "rocked their world" so much during the Summer of Shamnesty 2007 that they now find it necessary to pull of stunts like this?

We are going to have to watch them VERY CLOSELY over the next few months and into summer.......

Now we need them to remove the item involving H 2B visas for UNSKILLED workers! Off to submit my faxes....thanks everyone for your calls, faxes and emails- we DO make a difference!

 




"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress." Ronald Reagan "Evil is powerless when the good are unafraid." Ronald Reagan
May 21, 2008 12:43 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007
One thing for sure is I am going to take time tonight from my busy schedule to send a THANK YOU NOTE to Steve Elliott from Grassfire.org and Roy Beck from Numbers USA who were constantly reminded me to call my Senators and I really felt I had to do it.  Without their constant reminders I am sure I wouldn't be able to remember to call my 2 Senators. 


May 21, 2008 12:49 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
March 3, 2007

Great idea Graciela, Steve and Roy are really quick with getting the word out....they also know how to weed through these bills and actually find these thinly disguised addendums that are really PORK AND AMNESTY!

 




"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress." Ronald Reagan "Evil is powerless when the good are unafraid." Ronald Reagan
May 21, 2008 12:54 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007
And a donation to continue the cause would probably appreciated in addition to the thank you!!!
May 21, 2008 12:56 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 16, 2007
(CM) BiotechBabe said:

Now we need them to remove the item involving H 2B visas for UNSKILLED workers! Off to submit my faxes....thanks everyone for your calls, faxes and emails- we DO make a difference!

Just called Houston Offices of both Cornyn and Hutchison asking that they do everythng they can to get immigration amendments and language out of the Iraq War funding bill!

BTW, the link above provides an easy way to get Senate and House phone and fax numbers for every politicians offices.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-63874.html




My Vice Presidential candidate can whip your Presidential candidate!
May 21, 2008 12:58 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 16, 2007

This is an answer to prayer, everyone.  Thanks for posting, Grac. and thanks to everyone else for emailing, calling, faxing, etc.  I agree, BB.  We can't let these worms continually try to sneak in their pork and amnesty provisions in whatever form they take. 

We are so grateful to all of the groups that have helped make our blocks possible--numbers (Roy), grassfire (Steve), Minutemen, ALIPAC, and many others.  

Now to get rid of all of the H 2B Visas. 

May 21, 2008 02:21 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
March 3, 2007
(CM) Jim from Texas said:
(CM) BiotechBabe said:

Now we need them to remove the item involving H 2B visas for UNSKILLED workers! Off to submit my faxes....thanks everyone for your calls, faxes and emails- we DO make a difference!

Just called Houston Offices of both Cornyn and Hutchison asking that they do everythng they can to get immigration amendments and language out of the Iraq War funding bill!

BTW, the link above provides an easy way to get Senate and House phone and fax numbers for every politicians offices.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-63874.html

 

I had an entire list of toll free numbers for the Capital Switchboard (the one we "crashed" last summer with s 1369)......does anyone remember seeing where I posted that list of numbers?.....if you find it, you have my  permission to post it HERE....while cross-posting is NOT allowed...this list of toll free numbers allows you to contact ANY Senator or Rep in DC for free and should be placed on EVERY THREAD regarding call to action by phone. I normally keep a copy ........must have been around the time I had surgery and was a little "flighty" from the medication.

Remember to be extremely polite when phoning your Senators...do not use foul language...rehearse what you will say before phoning and be sure to make VALID points AGAINST the H2B visas. I know they say the staffers are to ignore us, but if you appeal to them "nicely" as your fellow American...they WILL listen! Do NOT identify yourself as a Republican, Democrat or Independent! Say you are a "concerned and well informed American"..... this psychologically puts the staffer on even ground with you....and may help them actually listen to your "spiel"...

Go get 'em.....kill 'em with kindness and well thought out points!




"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress." Ronald Reagan "Evil is powerless when the good are unafraid." Ronald Reagan
May 21, 2008 02:25 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 21, 2008

"All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian."

                                                                  -Pat Paulsen- 

 

May 21, 2008 02:30 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 18, 2007
(CM) Jim from Texas said:
(CM) BiotechBabe said:

Now we need them to remove the item involving H 2B visas for UNSKILLED workers! Off to submit my faxes....thanks everyone for your calls, faxes and emails- we DO make a difference!

Just called Houston Offices of both Cornyn and Hutchison asking that they do everythng they can to get immigration amendments and language out of the Iraq War funding bill!

BTW, the link above provides an easy way to get Senate and House phone and fax numbers for every politicians offices.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-63874.html

 

While you are at it, send a few faxes to all the democrats on both sides of the houses since they are in control that we want IMMEDIATE exploration for oil in the dakotas, they are in charge of the house/senate now, and it is looking REAL bad that they are more concerned about getting illegal invaders rights/privledges than they are at easing the gas/oil/heating etc problems of this entire country!  We need to use our "firepower" to influence them to get off their sorry butts and get to work on our energy problems (rather than hold endless hearings about the profits of oil companies, which I am mad about too, but it doesn't ease the constant increase in the price of gas one bit and just wastes time) IMMEDIATELY and give up on this amnesty crap!


If you have to hyphenate your race--you are NOT an American!! This from a French-German-English-Irish-AMERICAN! See how silly this can become?
May 21, 2008 02:33 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 18, 2007
(CM) BiotechBabe said:
(CM) Jim from Texas said: I had an entire list of toll free numbers for the Capital Switchboard (the one we "crashed" last summer with s 1369)......does anyone remember seeing where I posted that list of numbers?.....if you find it, you have my  permission to post it HERE....while cross-posting is NOT allowed...this list of toll free numbers allows you to contact ANY Senator or Rep in DC for free and should be placed on EVERY THREAD regarding call to action by phone. I normally keep a copy ........must have been around the time I had surgery and was a little "flighty" from the medication.

Remember to be extremely polite when phoning your Senators...do not use foul language...rehearse what you will say before phoning and be sure to make VALID points AGAINST the H2B visas. I know they say the staffers are to ignore us, but if you appeal to them "nicely" as your fellow American...they WILL listen! Do NOT identify yourself as a Republican, Democrat or Independent! Say you are a "concerned and well informed American"..... this psychologically puts the staffer on even ground with you....and may help them actually listen to your "spiel"...

Go get 'em.....kill 'em with kindness and well thought out points!

I have this one and it worked as of a month or so ago, I know there are more numbers than this one however:

1-877-224-0041 and ask the Capitol operator to connect you to your senators and representative (or any senator/rep you want to talk too--LOL).


If you have to hyphenate your race--you are NOT an American!! This from a French-German-English-Irish-AMERICAN! See how silly this can become?
May 21, 2008 02:35 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
March 3, 2007
VeeBee....Please make a thread with that topic because it is a great idea....Pretty please?Smile  


"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress." Ronald Reagan "Evil is powerless when the good are unafraid." Ronald Reagan
May 21, 2008 02:51 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
May 18, 2007
(CM) BiotechBabe said: VeeBee....Please make a thread with that topic because it is a great idea....Pretty please?Smile  

 

I assume you are talking about the oil calls?  LOL...will do, and will take some info from Jims post so everyone has lots of info to get started


If you have to hyphenate your race--you are NOT an American!! This from a French-German-English-Irish-AMERICAN! See how silly this can become?
May 21, 2008 02:56 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 15, 2007

I'm am so happy about this!  I just hope that the HB2 will be stripped too!  I'm going to keep calling and faxing!   We would surely have so many more resources in this country if we didn't have 38 million illegals here!

 

 

 

May 21, 2008 03:21 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
November 4, 2007
Strnj1 said: All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian."

                                                                  -Pat Paulsen- 

 Great saying! LOL. I can't remember when I have seen so much said with so few words. Thanks




The preamble explains the purpose of the constitution and defines the powers of the new government as originating from the people of the United States.
May 21, 2008 06:47 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007
Other toll free numbers include  1-877 851 6437;  1 866 220 0044 and 1-800 828 0498.  Don't know about numer ending in 1369.
May 21, 2008 10:26 PM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 16, 2007
 
I thought this picture was great (from Michelle Malkin's blog).  It says it all. 
 
We're getting so experienced with the faxing, emailing and calling that their next resurrection will be easy to cover and predict.  You know they'll do it-they love to defy the American people.
 
Continue to call on the HB-2 Visas. 
May 22, 2008 02:33 AM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
February 8, 2007
Comment updated May 22, 2008 02:36 AM

Was the Emergency AgJOBS amendment a DIVERSION to get our attention off of the enforcement that the SAVE ACT would provide????

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Border Security Victory

According to Numbers USA, the amnesty amendment to the war funding bill has been stripped.

CongressDaily AM today reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stripped the AgJOBS amnesty from the Iraq supplemental spending bill (H.R. 2642) last night as well as the increase in visas for employment-based permanent workers. Provisions to increase H-2B visas for unskilled seasonal workers remain in the bill. Please call your Senators to tell them to remove the H-2B visa increases as well, and to keep the AgJOBS amnesty and employment-based permanent worker increases off the bill.

There is a lot to analyze here. First, as you can see, there is still yet another provision open borders provision that has yet to be stripped.

What is impressive is the coordinated email campaign that the likes of Numbers USA, Townhall, GOP USA, the Minuteman, and Human Events, have created to wage a twenty first century grass roots campaign to mobilize anti illegal immigration forces. I received emails from each of the groups in the last twenty four hours regarding this matter.

Second, the forces that continue to push pro open borders legislation are constantly thwarted by this grass roots effort. Yet, there maybe a method to their so called madness. With each piece of pro open borders legislation, these groups mobilize into a full effort of emails, phone calls, and faxes. Each piece of legislation is thwarted.

Yet, what this has done is drained valuable resources from their main priority, the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act is the only enforcement only bill currently being considered. Nancy Pelosi refuses to move the bill to the floor unless it includes blanket amnesty. The sponsor, Heath Shuler, is trying to mobilize an effort for something called a discharge petition. If he is able to get a majority of Representatives to sign onto this discharge petition, Shuler can force the SAVE Act onto the floor without the approval of Pelosi.

Shuler is being supported in this effort by the same groups that mobilize against all of these open borders efforts. Since I first noticed their grass roots campaign they have secured about ten new members for the discharge petition. Shuler is now within thirty signatures. A successful discharge petition is nearly unheard of, and yet the SAVE Act is a unique bill. It enjoys bi partisan support from an eclectic group of politicians, activists, and special interests. Everyone from Tom Tancredo to John Murtha has backed the bill.

By placing unnecessary open borders amendments into war funding bill, grass roots groups are forced to limit their energies on the SAVE Act and focus those same energies onto fighting these pieces of legislation. Whether or not this is in fact the machiavellian plans of the open borders folks is something only they can say, however the effect is the same regardless.

http://theeprovocateur.blogspot.com/2008/05/border-security-victory.html

 

May 22, 2008 07:01 AM    View printable version     Link to this comment   
Member Since:
September 27, 2007
(CM) BiotechBabe said:

Finally our calls and faxes pay off AGAIN! These idiots on the hill are going to keep trying to stick stuff like this into bills that look benign! Sneaky buttheads!

Do you think we "rocked their world" so much during the Summer of Shamnesty 2007 that they now find it necessary to pull of stunts like this?

We are going to have to watch them VERY CLOSELY over the next few months and into summer.......

Now we need them to remove the item involving H 2B visas for UNSKILLED workers! Off to submit my faxes....thanks everyone for your calls, faxes and emails- we DO make a difference!

 

 

They pay off only if the big increase in H-2B visas get trashed also. They are still trying to float that one by in the dark!


Oldguy New Jersey: Congress has got to go!

First 1 2 Last

You must login to discuss this item.