[StBernard] Landrieu: Immigration Bill Still Falls Short on Essential Reform

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu: Immigration Bill Still Falls Short on Essential Reform Continues
to vote no on 

controversial immigration bill.

 

WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today released
the following statement after voting against a motion to proceed on S. 1639,
the immigration bill.  The procedural motion passed 64-35. The Senate will
debate the bill this week, and another procedural vote is expected on
Thursday.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"Earlier this month, I voted against the immigration bill because it
contained an unenforceable guest worker program and did little to help
employers struggling with a lack of skilled workers. I voted no again today
because the basic tenets of the poorly crafted bill have not changed. The
bill still encourages illegal behavior. People who have broken the law to
enter this country are still given a generous path to citizenship while
authorized guest workers and siblings, parents and adult children of U.S.
citizens are given a lesser path.   

"Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security, which would be tasked
with implementing this policy if it becomes law, was exposed by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita to be mired in red tape, slow and inefficient. As it
stands, the agency has proven anything but capable of taking on this
enormous responsibility."

During the debate earlier this month 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.  

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