WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced four common-sense amendments to the immigration reform bill (S. 744) to further strengthen the legislation.
The Hatch-Rubio amendments will ensure that newly legalized immigrants pay their back taxes, that federal welfare requirements are fully complied with, that there is a five-year waiting period for Obamacare tax credits and subsidies after becoming permanent residents and that unauthorized workers are prohibited from receiving Social Security benefits. Hatch filed similar amendments during Senate Judiciary Committee consideration of the underlying bill.
The amendments are:
- Compliance with welfare and public benefits laws – This amendment would prevent the Obama Administration from undermining welfare reform and ensure that no noncitizen will get welfare.
- Payment of back taxes – This amendment would clarify the underlying bill to ensure that certain immigrant applicants satisfy their lawful federal tax obligations during any period of their U.S. residency by requiring that immigrant applicants must demonstrate to the U.S. Treasury Department or Internal Revenue Service that they have actually paid their back taxes, and continue to pay taxes.
- Five-year waiting period for Obamacare tax credits and subsidies – This amendment requires a five-year waiting period for individuals going through the RPI and Blue Card pathway when they become legal permanent residents for tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
- Prohibits Social Security benefits to unauthorized workers – This amendment helps protect the Social Security program by ensuring that those not authorized to work in this country cannot claim unauthorized earnings to gain eligibility for Social Security coverage.
Hatch said:
“As I told my colleagues on the judiciary committee, my support in committee did not guarantee my support for the bill on the floor unless further changes were made to make this bill better. These common-sense amendments that Sen. Rubio and I are introducing today will go a long way to garner broader support from across America and throughout the Senate for this legislation.
“What we are talking about is a basic fairness that those wanting to become American citizens have to play by the rules, just as Americans do today. Who can argue against ensuring that these immigrants pay their back taxes, or that they don’t have the right to immediate government benefits? The American people are kind and compassionate, and we’re a nation of immigrants who came to this land in search of a better life. The overwhelming majority of those that have come to our shores come not in search of a handout from American taxpayers, but rather in search of creating a stronger foundation for themselves and the generations who will come after them.
“These are thoughtful amendments that ensure a basic fairness for both those wanting to become American citizens, and for American taxpayers. Sen. Rubio understands that, and I hope our colleagues join us in supporting them.”
Rubio said:
“The vast majority of immigrants who come to America, whether legally or not, come in search of a chance at a better life, not to become dependent on government. The purpose of this immigration bill cannot and should not be to provide as many immigrants as possible with as many government benefits as possible.
“From the start of this process, the bipartisan group of senators that wrote the bill committed firmly to the principle of no federal benefits. Since the immigration legislation was introduced two months ago, many valid concerns have been raised about ways the American people could potentially get stuck with the bill of fixing our broken immigration system, particularly as it relates to federal benefits.
“We must find a way to address these concerns, and Sen. Hatch has developed serious and reasonable measures to ensure that this immigration bill reflects the core principle that those who have violated our laws will not receive federal benefits. Amendments like these are being offered in good faith and should ultimately enjoy broad-based bipartisan support because we simply cannot burden the American taxpayer with the costs of federal benefits being granted to illegal immigrants.”
Submitted by: The Office of Sen. Orrin Hatch
Resources
S. 744 Immigration Reform Bill
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“As I told my colleagues on the judiciary committee, my support in committee did not guarantee my support for the bill on the floor……” Blah, Blah, Blah!! Same ol’, Same ol’. Trying to make like he is accomplishing something while he goes on making sure nothing gets accomplished.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE COSTS TO TAXPAYERS IN YOUR STATE?
It’s very hard to locate financial information about the costs of illegal immigration on taxpayers, whether intentional or not the dollar figures are scary as it is? The cost of illegal immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 was a NET (after subtracting taxes immigrants pay) $70 BILLION a year, [Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University].
Over 2/3’s of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal. Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops but 29% are on welfare. See THE CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES.
There is a lot more research at the SNOPES website, under illegal aliens that you might want to see?
The best example of illegal migrant/ visa overstay illegal immigrants is the crisis city and county of Los Angeles, where few public servants fear to admit the obvious. Only the County Supervisor Antonovich is determined to unlock the mind numbing costs to foreign nationals who very few will rise to a productive existence, because they are minus a higher education than 8th grade if they were lucky, specifically those who arrive illegally via the insecure border region. The overstay-s may be set apart as they arrive here by plane, by ferry, by ship with a decision to ignore the law and remain after their visa becomes persona non grata have at least a GED, because they paid for the transportation, from wherever they came? They arrive here as tourist or some other proverbial visitor or even a new scholar, so that is why the SENATE Bill 477 must adopt the ENTRY & EXIT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
Additionally several other TRIGGERS must be incorporated if this law is going to find passage in the Congressional House and that must be the Double Layer Fencing. Right from the beginning of the Senate sliced away at the amendments that would illustrate that the PEOPLE’S WILL that would be strictly imposed. And that was 700 miles, of two high rise fences, running parallel to each other, with fast all-weather track in between for Border Patrol vehicles. Chris Crane union leader of ICE wanted to testify that the border was not secure, as Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano had misled on many occasions. Many landowners had come as witnesses, to denounce that the border was still overrun with armed human drug pack mules, contraband and large movements of illegal alien. Crane from the ICE Council was denied the chance to express how dangerous the border region still is, and that agents trod on treacherous ground each day.
It is well broadcast throughout the world, that pregnant females who can reach our terra firma, can live of the taxpayers for years to come. The programs are there and any illegal female ready to deliver know that unborn child or the ones that come after, are a cash package and it is unlikely they will be deported. Just read the report beneath and then you should check your state of costs. It might be elusive, because state assemblies run by the Liberal Democrats want to keep the fiscal costs secret. California one of the 50 states that provide some indications of expenditures has exploded.
• Rasmussen Polling Report, April 2009
o 66% of likely voters nationwide agreed it was “Very Important” for the government to improve America’s border security and to reduce illegal immigration.
Mike Antonovich: Welfare to Undocumented Jumps to $54 Million
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services reported that over $54 million in welfare benefits were issued to undocumented immigrant parents in March, according to figures released by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich’s office.
This follows the recent University of Southern California study indicating that 1-in-10 Los Angeles County residents are an undocumented immigrant.
The $54 million includes over $19 million in CalWORKs (welfare) payments and nearly $35 million in food stamps, representing 20% of all CalWORKs and food stamp issuances in the county.
At that rate, the projected annual cost for 2013 is approximately $650 million, an increase of $25 million compared with last year.
These numbers will continue to rise as, according to the USC study, one in five children in Los Angeles County has at least one parent who is in the country illegally.
“With the $550 million for public safety and nearly $500 million for healthcare, the total cost for illegal immigrants to county taxpayers exceeds $1.6 billion dollars a year,” said Antonovich. “These costs do not even include the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually for education.”
Nearly half of the county’s illegal immigrants lack a high school diploma, and 60 percent do not speak English well, according to the USC study.
They’re not going to slip anything past the American People as in 1986. Although with the Senate advancing the Gang of Eight immigration bill to the floor we’ve got serious work to do? New York Senator Chuck Schumer thinks “Illegal immigration will be a thing of the past!” His bill is going to solve it all? Well, I’ve got news Schumer: No, it’s not. By dismissing the majority of the major TRIGGERS, S.477 is worse than law signed into action 27 years ago. Folks we need to slam DC with a “NO AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS! DOWN WITH THIS DE FACTO AMNESTY BILL!” Contact by phone Senators and the House Representatives, either State or Federal at toll-free — 1-888-978-3094—or you may phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A terminal operator will connect you directly with the Senate office or just about anybody in Congress you request. A few well-meaning Senators who can be trusted are Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Ron Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Coats and a few more, who are heading the list that are fighting for American sovereignty and our rights.
33 million new illegal’s on our backs, digging into welfare, food stamps and social security as they overrun our schools, hospitals and jails will be a death sentence to America. Our borders need to be locked down tight—despite Sen. Schumer dismissing border security as “not pressing.” He ought to be thrown out. Meanwhile, Virginia Democrat Senator Tim Kaine delivered his amnesty plea on the Senate floor—IN SPANISH, when a new provision is learning English. Could they possibly pander any more to illegals? Clearly, this is all about grabbing votes for Democrats, nor are Republicans without fault, playing up to the wealthy Special Interest lobby.
Your headline says “strengthen.” That’s a horrible misspelling of “kill.” Proofreaders needed.
The immigration bill before the senate is rightly viewed as “amnesty”, because it removes the sanction of deportation and thereafter provides most illegal aliens with legal status while imposeing no more than a small fine of $2000 for this precious benefit. The aliens thus experience no legal “punishment” in the true sense of this word. Additionally, many republicans remember the promises of 1986 and do not have confidence that the various enforcement provisions of the law are strong enough or that sufficient appropriations will be provided to fully fund these provisions over the long haul.
My suggestion to correct these two problems involves a plea bargain. To get legal status, Illegal aliens would appear in court, and under oath would explain how they came to america and how they have lived since that time. They will confess that they have broken various immigration and employment laws, and acknowledge that their violations subject them to deportation and explain any mitigating circumstances that entitle them to clemency. They would then swear that they have committed no other crimes and beg the court for a lesser sentence. If the judge finds their testimony to be credible, he will then offer them a bargain: Clemency for their violations in exchange for pleading guilty to a single pro-forma charge of “illegal presence”. They will then serve a ten year term of provisional legal status, pay a small fine of $2000, and forfeit any possibility of getting SS benefits for the remainder of their lives. After ten years they will be eligible to get into the line for a green card and citizenship and will be elidgible for all public benefits except social security.
Finally, the SS taxes collected from persons that accept this bargain, will be placed in a special “immigration enforcement trust fund”. The amount should be in excess of $7 billion per annum. These funds will be used to pay for enforcement measures to insure that the experience of 1986 is not repeated.