Migrating Clay Pigeons and Lame Ducks

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

What does Immigration, Clay Pigeons and Lame Ducks have in common? Well we have a Lame Duck President and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid attempting to Clay Pigeon an Immigration Bill through the Senate. What you say?

It is said the U.S. Senate is the greatest deliberative body in the world. So why is the most important bill in at least the last 20 years, a bill that will determine the flow of immigration in this country for decades, why is that bill being “Clay Pigeoned” through the Senate instead of being debated?

What is Clay Pigeoning you ask? Clay Pigeoning is a very complicated Senate maneuver, an attempt to ram a bill through the Senate in a very controlled protected way which will limit debated on the Bill. The bill S.B. 1348 the 790 paged Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act is the legislation that the Senate is not debating, the Senate is not calling in expert witnesses for pro or con arguments on this bill as to the impact that this legislation would have on the people of the United States of America instead the most powerful man in Government Senator Harry Reid, D-Nev is doing what he does best, he’s controlling the discussion around this issue.

The Senate tactic, “Clay Pigeon” gets its name from the target used in skeet shooting, which explodes into bits as it is hit. In the Senate, an amendment is the target, and any one senator can demand that it be divided into separate fragments to be voted on piecemeal.

Ironically, the move is usually used by mavericks - not leaders - to slow down legislation, not in the opposite manner that Senator Reid is using it.
Usually this procedure used to stop a bill but the master tactician that Harry Reid is, he has conceived of a plan to use this maneuver to the favor of proponents of this bill. Because usually, "It's a brilliant way to gum up the works," said Robert B. Dove, a Senate rules expert who was the chamber's referee for 36 years.

The maneuver appears to be a relatively modern innovation; Dove said he first became aware of it in the early 1970s, when then-Sen. Jim Allen, D-Ala., a master of parliamentary procedures, used it against a bill pushed by the then- majority leader, Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Mont. "I remember people being dazzled when he did this," Dove said.

Reid's plan has its risks, chief among them further inflaming the vocal conservative opponents who have vowed to do whatever they can to kill the immigration measure.

Reid said he would revive the bill to legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants late this week. To do so, though, he needs backing from 60 senators, and a way to guarantee votes on a tentative list of 22 Republican and Democratic amendments whose consideration is seen as vital to satisfying key waverers.

The so-called clay pigeon is how he's expected to do it, under a strategy that was still taking shape Monday.-- JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Washington, AP

Edwin Meese, III
Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy and Chairman of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies explains the complicated immigration bill.

Senator Harry Reid is no stranger to complicating thing in the Senate and coming out on top. As the Minority leader Senator Reid gave Senate Majority leader Bill Frist fits.

Accusing Republicans of ignoring questions about pre-war intelligence, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session in 2005, igniting anger from GOP leaders.

Before making the rare motion, which was seconded by his assistant minority leader, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Reid said his colleagues across the aisle "have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why."

Michael Franc, Vice President, Government Relations explains how present procedure to rush S.B. 1348 is not normal procedure for complicated Senate legislation.

An exasperated and outdone Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was reduced to shouting out in the halls of the Senate, the Senate "has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership."

"They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas," he said.
Frist said the Democratic Party leadership did not warn him in advance of the move, which Republicans called a "political stunt."

"It means from now on, for the next year and half, I can't trust Senator Reid," the Tennessee lawmaker said. –Worldnetdaily, November 1 2005

Duh, Senator Frist that’s why Republicans lost control of the senate in 2006, Democrats were better politicians than Republicans. Much better! Democrats were controlling the Senate way before 2007 before they had official control of the body because of incompetent Republican leadership. The same leadership with Trent Lott as second in authority that will lose in 2008.

And what about the first month of official control of the Senate, Reid used, a Senate tactic called "filled the tree" a tactic meant to block any amendments to the continuing resolution and twice attempted to block votes on alternatives to his Iraq resolution to set deadlines and timetables for withdrawal. So much for real debate.

By filling the tree and filing cloture on the latest Iraq resolution, he brings the Senate in for a Saturday cloture vote - trying to break the minority by forcing Republicans to vote for cloture or else suffer media spin that they are blocking a vote on Iraq. Nice senator Reid real nice.

If S.B. 1348 is passed it will be done on the planning and political maneuvering of a superior political party, the Democrat Party, but not because the legislation is good for America.

If Republicans are going to stop this clay pigeon from migrating through the Senate they will have to overcome incompetent Republican leadership, disregard the lame duck in the White house and the Harry Reid controlled Senate to do the right thing for America.

The only question is, are Republicans good enough politicians to get the job done. Truth is they haven’t been for quite a while.

So what’s Broken Mr. President?

“…the iniquity of the fathers upon the children”

—Exodus 20:5

There is a saying that, nothing in politics happens by accident. Whether that’s true is the stuff of conspiracy theorist no doubt. However, what puzzles me is how politicians and their cohorts are representing the idea that the Immigration policy in this country somehow just came apart at the wheels like some old rusted farmer’s tractor that had plowed one to many lettuce fields.

I beg to disagree Mr. President I don’t believe that America’s current Immigrant law is broken at all. I believe that present immigration law is working. And as a matter of fact it is working as it was written and it is doing just exactly what it was intended to do.

That’s what I said, the present Immigration situation is not a broken system rather it is the system that the Clinton Administration and Congress of the United States of America wrote, voted into law and amended. This present “broken immigration” policy was intended to do just what it’s doing, what we are experiencing are the sins of the United States Congress and our government being visited upon the people of America. Let me explain.


In 1996 Congress wrote, voted for, and amended a comprehensive immigration reform entitled, The Immigration and Nationality Act 1996, H.R. 2202. This reform was supposed to be the comprehensive answer to America’s immigrant problems.

Leaving nothing to chance Congress commissioned a report for recommendations on how best to handle the immigration policies of America. The commission headed by the late U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was referred to as the Barbara Jordan Commission on Immigration Reform.

This bi-partisan commission suggested a comprehensive plan to improve the way the United States handled its immigration policy from which Congress adopted legislation in the form of the bill The Immigration and Nationality Act 1996, H.R. 2202.

The Jordan commission recommended four important points and three minor. The four important points are as follows:

1) A strategy of prevention of illegal entry and the facilitation of legal migration in the national interest.
2) Reduce the magnet that jobs currently present for illegal immigration
3) Illegal aliens should be eligible for no public benefits other than those of an emergency nature
4) Removal of criminal aliens.

Also the Barbara Jordan Commission recommended doing away with the adult-relative categories within U.S. immigration policies also called chain migration (begun only in the 1950s) in order to lessen wage depression among lower-paid American workers. The House Judiciary Committee agreed with the Jordan Commission and passed H.R.2202, which would have effectively ended chain migration.

Chain migration as U.S. immigration policy was then written allowed immigrants to send for their adult relatives. Then each of those relatives can send for their and their spouse's adult relatives, creating a never-ending and ever-growing chain.

This policy encouraged legal and also the illegal immigration which harms this country even today because as foreign nationals began to see their countrymen leaving in mass numbers and as they heard of the money that could be made in America it invoked jealousies and desires in those who were left behind with no family to call them over across the border into the United States of America.

As originally written H.R.2202, with its prohibitives against sending for adult relatives, upon the recommendation of the Jordan Commission once again would have ended chain migration.

What happened next set this Nation on the course we’re on today and this is the thing that is “broken” with our present laws Mr. President. On the floor of the House an amendment was attached to H.R.2202 which stripped out the comprehensive reforms that would have ended chain migration. The Chrysler-Berman Amendment which passed the House by a vote of 238-183 annulled all of the work that the Barbara Jordan commission set forth to comprehensively reform immigration in the United States. The names of the 238 Representatives who broke immigration are linked here.

This was done at the Clinton Administration’s request.

President Clinton publicly announced his support for the recommendations on legal immigration of the late Barbara Jordan's Commission on Immigration Reform. The headline in the June 8, 1995 edition of the Washington Post, for example, was "Clinton Backs Call to Reduce Immigration." The article began as follows: "President Clinton yesterday endorsed the recommendations of a congressional commission calling for a substantial reduction in the number of legal immigrants allowed to enter the country." The article went on to say that the President had issued a statement in which he praised the recommendations as "consistent with my own views" and a "road map for the Congress to consider."

However the Clinton Administration then announced its support for the amendment by Reps. Dick Chrysler, Howard Berman and Sam Brownback to eliminate the legal immigration reductions from the bill, and it asked House Democrats to support the amendment, as well. Two days later, the Chrysler-Berman-Brownback amendment was adopted by a vote of 238 to 183. This amendment reinstated chain migration thus setting the stage for the on slot on the borders of the United States of America. See amendment below

SEC. 512. CHANGE IN FAMILY-SPONSORED CLASSIFICATION.
(a) IN GENERAL- Section 203(a) (8 U.S.C. 1153(a)) is amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (4) and inserting the following:
`(1) SPOUSES AND CHILDREN OF LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIENS- Immigrants who are the spouses and children of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence shall be allocated visas in a number not to exceed 85,000, plus any immigrant visas not required for the class described in paragraph (2).
`(2) PARENTS OF UNITED STATES CITIZENS-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Immigrants who are the qualifying parents (as defined in subparagraph (B)) of an individual who is at least 21 years of age and a citizen of the United States shall be allocated visas in a number not to exceed the lesser of--
`(i) 50,000, or
`(ii) the number by which the worldwide level exceeds 85,000.
`(B) QUALIFICATIONS- For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term `qualifying parent' means an immigrant with respect to whom, as of the date of approval of the classification petition under section 204(a)(1), at least 50 percent of the immigrant's sons and daughters are (i) nationals of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence and (ii) lawfully residing in the United States.
`(C) REFERENCE TO INSURANCE REQUIREMENT- For requirement relating to insurance for qualifying parents, see section 212(a)(4)(D).'.
(b) INSURANCE REQUIREMENT- Section 212(a)(4) (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4)), as amended by section 621(a) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(D) INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALIFYING PARENTS-
`(i) IN GENERAL- Any alien who seeks admission as a qualifying parent under section 203(a)(2) is inadmissible unless the alien demonstrates at the time of issuance of the visa (and at the time of admission) to the satisfaction of the consular officer and the Attorney General that the alien--
`(I) will have coverage under an adequate health insurance policy (at least comparable to coverage provided under the medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act), and
`(II) will have coverage with respect to long-term health needs (at least comparable to such coverage provided under the medicaid program under title XIX of such Act for the State in which either the alien intends to reside or in which the petitioner (on behalf of the alien under section 204(a)(1)) resides,
throughout the period the individual is residing in the United States.
`(ii) FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT- In making a determination under clause (i), the Attorney General shall take into account the age of the qualifying parent and the likelihood of the parent securing health insurance coverage through employment.'.

Please notice that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s name is on the voting record which broke the Immigration law in this country. What that means is that Americans can not trust this Congress or this President to fix what’s wrong with this countries immigration policies, policies that have allowed 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens to break the laws of these United States of America.

The bottom line is what this demonstrates is that the American people can not trust our government! No matter what the legislation is when the American people are not looking Congress will go back and amend it behind our backs. Or they will choose to defund it, or they will write other legislation to void out the original law. If we allow them to force new broken legislation on the promise to fix it later Americans will end up screwed once again.

Americans can no longer trust this Congress and this President on the issue of immigration. If you Senator Reid, Congresswoman Pelosi and if you President Bush want the backing of the American people you’ve simply have to show the American people that enforcing the law in this Nation of laws is important to you.

The American people will not put up with double standards, not for Paris Hilton and certainly not for people who are not citizens of this country who disregard our laws.

However our greatest disdain is reserved for politicians who forsake their sacred trust for the bidding of the Chamber of Commerce, foreign governments, special interest immigration groups and international corporate interests all who are attempt to suck the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness right out of soul of this country.

The American people expect our representatives in Congress as well as our President to remember what this government is about. This is a republic of the people, of the People, by the People, and for the People.

Right now Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Reid and Mr. Bush we see your actions are actions representative of other interests rather than for the interests of the people who elected you.

Therefore secure our borders first Mr. President, bring all who are guilty of breaking our laws to justice (and do not change our laws to avoid the hard work of being just and fair!), punish big business that is knowingly breaking the law.

If you do these things you would comprehensively reform immigration Mr. President! If you do only these three things Mr. Bush that would be better than the The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, H.R. 2202 and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act 2007, S.B. 1348 because it was the Congress controlled by big business that broken immigration Mr. President and the American people would be the fools, that apparently, you and Congress think we are if we allowed you to “fix” what you broke with more bad legislation. America’s present immigration problems are the sins of Congress visited upon the American people, that’s what’s broken Mr. Bush!

Secure our borders, enforce our immigration laws and punish those who break our immigration laws.

There, a three point plan to comprehensively reform immigration in this country Mr. President. Now for a little arm twisting of our own. Call your representatives (again) today. Tell them that you don’t trust them to fix immigrant and until they secure our borders, enforce our present laws and punish those who are guilty of breaking present laws, don’t even think about adding anything to further confuse the issue of immigration in this country!

No to Comprehensive Immigration Reform S.B. 1348! Call today and keep calling!