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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Tancredo's border fight going to House Lawmakers to weigh enforcement plan WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom Tancredo is about to get his big border showdown. For years, Tancredo has had to bat down charges that he's a bigot or a crackpot, all while thumping his seal-the-borders mantra. On Thursday, conservative colleagues were calling him their leader as they gird for what could be a big fight in the House of Representatives next week over a proposed immigration enforcement measure. "For a long, long time, you were the voice crying out in the wilderness, and God bless you for it," Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo., told Tancredo during a Thursday afternoon news conference. "You're not in the woods any longer," added Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo. The bill being considered next week falls far short of what Tancredo and his 92-member House Immigration Reform Caucus want. "On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say it's about a 3," Tancredo said Thursday. "There are lots of much-needed reforms that are conspicuously missing from this bill." As it stands, the legislation by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R- Wis., would toughen penalties for both illegal immigrants and their employers. It would make it a felony to be in the United States illegally, rather than a misdemeanor as under existing law. The Sensenbrenner bill also would increase fines for companies that hire illegal immigrants and would make it mandatory for employers to use an immigration verification system established on a voluntary basis in 1996. Those provisions, and the fact that the bill does not include any versions of President Bush's proposed guest worker plan, are fine with Tancredo and members of his caucus. However, they are preparing to fight if the Republican-led House Rules Committee will not allow up- or-down votes on adding some even tougher provisions on their wish list. Among them: Approval and funding for a two-layer fence along the U.S.-Mexico border; an end to automatic "birthright citizenship" for children of illegal immigrants born in the United States; and measures giving state and local governments more authority and resources to detain illegal immigrants. The Sensenbrenner bill is considered an enforcement-only measure. It does not address the White House guest worker plan that Tancredo equates to amnesty for illegal immigrants. The Senate will take up that plan sometime early in 2006. That could set up an even bigger showdown, with Tancredo right in the middle of the fight, once Senate and House negotiators hash out a final bill.
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#1. To: Zipporah (#0)
Watch Mr. Tancredo on CBS's 60 Minutes this Sunday night! I know I'll be watching and listening to some common sense about the illegal immigration problem!
Secure our borders, save our nation!
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