Senator Tom Carper Wants to Hear from You on Immigration
This info comes from an email that I received from Senator Carper’s office — I imagine lots of you got this too. I’m posting this to encourage you to contact the Senator’s office and make sure he knows your thoughts on this.
As you may know, last week the U.S. Senate began debating the critically important issue of comprehensive immigration reform. On Wednesday, I took to the Senate floor to let my colleagues know what I have been working on and what I believe a successful bill will accomplish. As the Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I’ve been deeply invested in ensuring that our nation’s borders are secure. Recently, I have been working with my colleagues and other stakeholders to build on the important advances that we have made to strengthen our border over the past 10 years.
Below, I have included a few clips from my speech that outline my views on the upcoming debate. If you’d like, you can also watch my entire speech or read a complete transcript of it.
(Excerpts of the speech approx. 5 and a half minutes)
To stay up-to-date on the ongoing immigration debate underway in the Senate, I recently launched a new page on my website that will provide much-needed facts and information on provisions in the immigration bill, as well as what I’m doing to help make this critical reform effort happen. You can visit the website at:
carper.senate.gov/immigration
There’s more about sharing good ideas on his Facebook and Twitter page, but you get the gist.
So here’s the thing — we already spend $18B per year on Border Security, which is more than we spend on all other Fed law enforcement combined. Carper is advocating adding another $6.5B (a 30% increase!) and 3500 more agents and other goodies. There is nothing here about how this gets paid for. And yes, this is a retracing of old ground, if Senator Carper wants to cut back on Social Security, he owes the people who will be hit by those cuts an explanation of how he can find the money for this. Border security is important, but there is also a point at which you will get only incremental improvements on a border that is as rugged as the southern one is. Meanwhile, ports of entry are suffering — at popular points, it can take hours to get through US Customs. And really — once you have up about as much physical barrier you can put up, the next big problem is the Visa system. This pouring of money into Border Security is beginning to smell alot like the War on Drugs — we do it not because we stop the drugs, but because there are special interests who need the money we spend on it. And if we can figure out how to spend money on the Border and on the War on Drugs, we can certainly find the money to make sure Social Security is whole.
Tags: Immigration, Tom Carper
I saw this as more of a negotiating piece. No way we get true immigration reform (Visas, Entry, Education, etc) passed without the Republicans. No way the republicans support reform without throwing more resources at border security to placate their base. It’s the, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs” mentality.
Harry Reid knows this which I’m certain is the reason behind the increase in border security. No way you keep guys like McCain and Rubio on the right side of the argument without this part.
Tom Carper will vote whichever way the banks want him to.
Would rather see the clips on credit card reform and where he killed the public option in committee during the healthcare debate.
If only we had a primary challenger and/or a 3rd party candidate to run against him then liberals and progressives could rise up and actually do something. Oh wait……
Oh wait, indeed! That should be: If only we had a primary challenger and/or 3rd party candidate who could actually convince liberals and progressives that he/she was the real deal, then we might have some leverage.
Fixed that for you.
No way the republicans support reform without throwing more resources at border security to placate their base.
The interests that are invested in selling the US government more border security overlap ALOT with the people who keep selling the DOD more stuff. So I’m imagining that there are plenty of Dems who get enough campaign cash to be on board with this. It is still an incredibly dumb use of money — being plumped by someone who will tell you with a straight face that you need to live with less Social Security.
Excuses excuses Cassandra.
Be the change you wish to see in the world, Cass. Being cynical and sitting on the sidelines of the blogosphere ain’t gonna get the job done.
At least those “non serious” candidates were pissed off enough to put their money where their mouths are and get on the ballot.
You’re the only one calling these candidates “non-serious”. No doubt they tried to stand up, with the emphasis on TRY. But if you can’t convince your presumed natural audience to vote for you — and none of them did — then these candidates had other difficulties. Just because you stand for office doesn’t mean you are *entitled* to any votes. Getting on the ballot is the easy part. Doing the work to convince people to work for you is what counts.