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House Republicans introduce own immigration bill
Rebuke to Bush bars amnesty for illegals, require legal-status checks for all workers

House Republicans, in opposition to Senate bill, also detail ways they think U.S. has failed on border and law enforcement. With no chance of passage, the measure underlines the party's split.

In a sharp rebuke to President Bush, House Republicans unveiled legislation Tuesday that would bar illegal immigrants from gaining legal status in the U.S., require tamper-proof birth certificates for Americans and make English the nation's official language.

The measure's core principles include gaining control of the border and enforcing existing immigration laws. It does not provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, as the Bush plan does.

The House bill stands virtually no chance of becoming law, or even advancing, in the Democratic-controlled Congress. Still, it casts in bold relief the split between Bush and many fellow Republicans in the immigration debate.

The bill surfaced one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), working with the White House, resurrected efforts to pass the broader legislation Bush wants.

The authors of the House bill also are pushing for a congressional resolution detailing ways in which they think the federal government has failed to enforce immigration law and has made it easier for illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S.

"The current illegal immigration crisis is a direct result of this and previous administrations failing to enforce or adequately enforce at least eight immigration laws," the resolution said.

The bill's authors, Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), said it was meant to challenge the immigration bill the Senate planned to return to this week.

That measure, King said, goes "against the wishes of the American people."

In another sign of GOP restiveness over immigration, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) introduced a resolution Tuesday calling on Bush to enforce existing immigration laws in order to halt "the lawlessness at our borders."

Sessions has been a vocal critic of the Bush approach to revamping immigration laws. The president, however, travels to Alabama this week to headline a fundraiser for the senator.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel rejected the criticism that the administration has been lax in border enforcement. As one example, he cited a sharp rise in funding under Bush for stricter border control.

In 2001, enforcement funding totaled $4.6 billion; that has increased significantly. In his latest budget request, Bush is seeking $11.8 billion.

Stanzel also noted that the Senate bill included border security goals that would have to be achieved before other aspects of the overhaul could proceed.

Reid wants the Senate to decide the fate of the immigration bill one way or the other before Congress breaks for its July 4 recess. But even if the measure passes the chamber, it faces an uncertain fate in the House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has told administration officials that she will not take up the bill unless about 70 Republicans are brought on board to help pass it.

The bill unveiled Tuesday is the equivalent of a warning flag that conservatives intend to fight for those Republican votes.

"It seems a formal way of putting proponents on notice that there will be resistance from those quarters in the House," said Roberto Suro, director of the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center.

He added that the number of cosponsors the bill attracted could act as "an indication of how many votes there are to oppose something that resembles the Senate bill or … includes the legalization program."

The measure would require that 18,000 border patrol agents be deployed by Dec. 31, 2008. Currently, the force totals about 12,000.

It would also require the full implementation of US-VISIT, a program that is meant to track entries and exits at all ports of entry but that has fallen short of that goal.

U.S. citizens would be affected by many of the changes proposed for work site enforcement, including mandatory checks of all employees' eligibility and a nationwide electronic system for tracking birth and death records.

Smith, one of the bill's authors, said it would allow for greater information-sharing among the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration and the Department of the Treasury to identify illegal immigrants.

"One of the problems we have is that databases don't mix," he said.

If only they would do what the American people want, instead of pushing this through for their own selfish gains and in the process destroying our great country. I have always been a Republican. I have supported our president in this war, and I still support the war and our troops, but I am fed up with this immigration bill and the NAFA  Super Highway plan. I am not voting for any candidate that is for this bill or project.

I agree with you totally. It is going to be a very hard decision on who to vote for in this election as so many of them are against God's teachings. I will vote even if it has to be a write-in but it will not be for someone that is un-godly.

Pastor Roger,
You made mention in another post that the United States (our country), is not mentioned in the Bible. Is this land mass mentioned at all anywhere in the Bible?  I was curious about this.

No, there are no statements in the Bible that mention this continent.

I'll simply say "YEAH!, somebody finally stood up and demanded that existing laws be enforced."

This is not a matter of choice for our government. The negligence of the Federal government is criminal - plain and simple. We need to start filing charges against those who aren't doing their duties for the people. I must add that there is a significant list of violations:  criminal, civil, and Constitutional. The people need to stop this nonsense and make the government do their duty. For those who don't, put them in jail and get someone who will.

Hello Pastor Roger,

Brother, I agree with you. There are many people on the forum who have studied Bible Prophecy for years, and nearly all agree that North America is not mentioned. The ones who do mention America in association with the end of this age are more associated with conspiracy theories than Bible Studies. I must add that those who tried to associate their conspiracy theories with Bible Study did a horrible job that was immediately recognized as false.

Islandboy, we have some threads already on the forum that contain some excellent and highly detailed studies of Bible Prophecy.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 11:33 NASB  Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

I have also often wondered about our country in Bible prophesy.  The fact that it isn't mentioned, leads me to believe that we will be destroyed by a nuclear weapon.  I also don't believe that if the U.S. were in existence, the other nations would dare to come against Israel. 

Rev. 16:16 
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

There are many possibilities. There is a super volcano in Yellowstone National Park that has been showing activity recently that some expect to go up which would destroy about 50% of the U.S. Then again perhaps the U.S. will not be the U.S. but rather the North American Union. The Bible does tell us that the nations of the world will go up against Israel. With many people in Congress today and many different "churches" that are going against Israel it is a possibility that we will be one of those nations, but if this is so then many things will yet have to change in this nation from what it is now.

Hello Faithin1,

I have also considered this possibility. In fact, this possibility is discussed in at least one of our threads on Bible Prophecy. This would be just a guess, but there must be some reason why we aren't mentioned. Many others made the same guess, but we both already know this is just a conclusion not based on Bible fact. Currently, we are an ally of Israel. If we went to a war involving Israel, we would be on the side of Israel. I can't see this changing, and I doubt that any world power expects this to change. SO YES, we would be an obstacle for anyone wanting to destroy Israel. The world stage is already set for the attempt to do just that. The central focus for end of this age events is most obviously the Middle East and Israel. The primary players have been in place for thousands of years - NOT hundreds of years.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 10:16-17 NASB  However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

If the North American Union goes through as planned by key Democrats and Republicans in office now, and with that merger would be no more illegals, as it basically erases our borders between US and Canada and Mexico, making them legal by default. Also destroys the US middleclass and makes us all poor or poorer. This will cause major damage to our way of life and no doubt cause riots and in some areas out right war. Canadian citizens also will lose in this battle to keep there homelands.
There is a good possibility that we as a nation will be destroyed in the process of trying to save ourselves.
The media is deliberately not reporting about the North American Union and the NAFTA  Super Highway, as they are controlled by big business and both political parties. I think this is doing a great disservice to the American People. Even if they close their eyes to the NAU, the Super Highway Plans are already being fought in Texas and States north of it. This highway has ties with the immigration bill that is trying to be pushed through Congress. The battle over this issue may very well lead to the downfall of America. I do not see any good that will come from this bill or the highway. However, many who want this bill passed through will benefit in cheap labor and big profits. The added fact that many States are selling their roads and bridges to a foreign company, who will maintain them, yeah right.
Scotty, are you there??    Beam me up "NOW"!

Scotty's there right along with these two.


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This is the ultimate goal, to make only two classes of people world wide, the rich and the very poor. It is called socialism. In the process there will be nothing but one government and it will be in control of a third world economy. Unfortunately many of the people that are working towards this and in full support of it are truly naive enough to not realize what will the outcome of all this will be.

If those two are with Scotty,  cancel my trip. I'd drather stay here with all of you.

There is someone much, much, much better that will take us up when it is His timing. I am waiting for that great day.

Keep Looking Up!