[StBernard] [LANDRIEU] Immigration Bill Falls Short on Essential Reform

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu: Immigration Bill
Falls Short on Essential Reform
Votes no on controversial immigration bill.

 

WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today released
the following statement after voting against cloture on S. 1348, the
immigration bill.  The procedural motion, which would have limited further
debate and allowed a final vote on the bill, required 60 votes to pass but
failed by 34 for to 61 against.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"I voted no today because the floor debate and amendment process have failed
to produce a balanced bill.  I had last month voted to move forward with a
debate on the legislation in hopes that it would be improved by amendment,
but despite a good effort, that has just not happened.  

"The guest worker program proposed in the bill is virtually unenforceable
and its structure does little to help employers short on skilled workers,
instead encouraging overstaying and more illegal behavior.  The legalization
rules laid out give greater preference for those in the country illegally
than they do for authorized guest workers or family members of U.S.
citizens.  This is not fair.  If we are to provide a path to earned
citizenship, the first people in line should be those who have played by the
rules and followed the law.

"Finally, we have seen since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that the Department
of Homeland Security is either unwilling or unable to implement quick and
effective reform when it is needed or directed by Congress.  This bill calls
upon the agency to absorb yet another a hefty responsibility with little
consideration for the resources, accountability and realistic timeline
necessary to make it happen."

During the debate on S. 1348, Sen. Landrieu voted for amendments which would
have eliminated or cutback the bill's temporary guest worker program and "Z
Visa" legalization measures.  She voted for the Dorgan Amendment to
eliminate the temporary guest worker program and for the Bingaman amendment
to cut the number of temporary guest workers from 400,000 to 200,000 per
year, which passed the Senate.

   Senator Landrieu also supported an amendment to eliminate the
legalization measures in the bill and two amendments that would have
strengthened the border security triggers that must be in place before the
temporary guest worker program can begin.

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