Well, we're certainly finding out now

November 8 Election - 2011 Constitutional Amendments

This post is going to give some info/links on the 10 Propositions we have to vote on shortly.  I'm going to post what TURF sent me in an e-mail because I don't see it on their site.  They were explicit on Prop 4 and said they opposed Prop 2 also but didn't give a reason.  I think it's pretty obvious that both propositions are giving beauracracies the power to tax us and increase our property taxes through the issuance of bonds without having to ask us.  The rest of the organizations I'll just give links to so you can go to them direct.

Here's TURF:
Beware of Prop 4 on Nov. 8!


On November 8, Texas voters will once again head to the polls to decide whether or not to approve 10 new ballot propositions passed by the 82nd Texas legislature. Prop 4 is based on the Constitutional Amendment HJR 63 authored by Rep. Joe Pickett (D - El Paso). Prop 4 would expand Transportation Reinvestment Zone (or TRZ) authority to counties.

TRZs heist property tax appraisal increases within the designated zone to pay for transportation projects, including to subsidize toll roads (which would be a DOUBLE TAX). TRZs allow local governments to use your property taxes to back bonds, and they don't have to go to the voters to do it. Your property taxes aren't going to go down once your city (which already has this authority) or county (who will get this authority if you vote 'yes' on Prop 4) sells bonds dependent on ever increasing property tax appraisals!

TRZs are a way for STATE legislators to punt on their responsibility to build and maintain STATE highways and their responsibility to end diversions of the gas tax to non-road uses, and allows them to outsource tax increases for roads by passing it down to the LOCAL level.

Spread the word! Vote 'No' on Prop 4!

Eagle Forum analysis of propositions and their recommendations here.

Empower Texans analysis of propositions and their recommendations here.

Houston Tea Party analysis of propositions 4-6 and their recommendations here

Texas Legislative Council analysis of propositions and pro/con arguments here.

.

In this MegaVote for Texas' 11th Congressional District:


Recent Congressional Votes

Senate: Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

Senate: Motion to Proceed; Debt limit disapproval

House: Intelligence Authorization Act, FY 2012



Upcoming Congressional Bills

Senate: Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011

House: Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act

House: Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recent Senate Votes

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act - Vote Passed (89-9, 2 Not Voting)

The Senate gave final approval to this bill that would change the way patents are awarded from “first to invent” to “first to file.” The overhaul is intended to speed up the process of awarding patents. The House passed the bill in June. President Obama is expected to sign it into law.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison voted YES

Sen. John Cornyn voted YES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motion to Proceed; Debt limit disapproval - Vote Rejected (45-52, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate rejected this motion to take up a resolution that would have disapproved a $500 billion debt limit increase. Under the budget law enacted on August 2, the debt limit was increase by $400 billion. A second increase of $500 billion will take effect unless Congress passes a disapproval measure.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison voted YES

Sen. John Cornyn voted YES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recent House Votes

Intelligence Authorization Act, FY 2012 - Vote Passed (384-14, 33 Not Voting)

This House bill would authorize spending for the 16 intelligence agencies in the upcoming fiscal year. The cost of the bill is classified. The Senate is expected to take up the bill later this year.

Rep. K. Michael Conaway voted YES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Votes

Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011 - H.R.__

Both chambers are expected to work on bills to extend authorizations for the Federal Aviation Administration and highway funding.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act - H.R.2218

This House bill would encourage the expansion and replication of successful charter school models.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act - H.R.2587

The House may take up this bill that would limit the authority of the National Labor Relations Board to rule on issues of where a company locates its facilities.

Beware of Prop 4 on Nov. 8!

On November 8, Texas voters will once again head to the polls to decide whether or not to approve 10 new ballot propositions passed by the 82nd Texas legislature. Prop 4 is based on the Constitutional Amendment HJR 63 authored by Rep. Joe Pickett (D - El Paso). Prop 4 would expand Transportation Reinvestment Zone (or TRZ) authority to counties.


TRZs heist property tax appraisal increases within the designated zone to pay for transportation projects, including to subsidize toll roads (which would be a DOUBLE TAX). TRZs allow local governments to use your property taxes to back bonds, and they don't have to go to the voters to do it. Your property taxes aren't going to go down once your city (which already has this authority) or county (who will get this authority if you vote 'yes' on Prop 4) sells bonds dependent on ever increasing property tax appraisals!

TRZs are a way for STATE legislators to punt on their responsibility to build and maintain STATE highways and their responsibility to end diversions of the gas tax to non-road uses, and allows them to outsource tax increases for roads by passing it down to the LOCAL level.

Spread the word! Vote 'No' on Prop 4!

Barney Frank Caught Lying About Fannie Mae

Oh...I've got to save this one on the toothless, slobbering wonder also.

Democrats and Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae

Saving this 'cause Fox is going to tell me again one of these days that it's all the Republicans' fault and I don't want this far from my fingers.

News from Minuteman PAC

Today's Illegal Immigration News

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

POLL: VOTERS FAVOR BORDER CONTROL OVER AMNESTY

The latest Rasmussen Reports poll shows that Obama just may be catering to a losing minority when it comes to forcing Amnesty on America.


According to the Rasmussen national telephone survey of Likely Voters, 61% deem border control as the most important aspect of immigration reform while just 31% say it’s more important to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants already here. At the same time, 57% of voters agree that the goal of U.S. immigration policy should be to keep out national security threats, criminals and those who would live off our welfare system welcoming all immigrants that do not fall under those categories.

These results have remained consistent in surveys dating back to 2006.

HUNTER BILL WOULD SPEED UP DEPORTATION

In response to Obama’s “blatant disregard for the law,” Arizona state Rep. Duncan Hunter is planning to introduce a bill that would speed up the deportation of thousands of illegal immigrants whose deportation cases are jamming immigration courts. Rep. Hunter’s effort comes as a stark contrast to the new Obamnesty measure cancelling all pending deportation cases except those of illegal immigrants convicted of additional crimes.

The bill would:

Require that immigration officers order the immediate removal of an illegal immigrant who has not been continuously living in the U.S. for a period of four years, unless he or she has been charged with a crime, plans to apply for asylum or is determined to be a national security risk.

Require that immigration officers refer immigrants who are seeking asylum to an asylum officer only if the immigrant has been in the country for less than a year.

Make it clear that the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security has the authority to expedite the removal of criminal immigrants.

Limit the ability to grant stays of removal to illegal immigrants who have been ordered removed.

Hunter is currently seeking co-sponsors and is likely to introduce the bill next month after Congress returns from its summer break.

Super committee not so super

August 18, 2011 12:57 AM

William Wilson

Establishment elites are thrilled at the picks made for members of the so-called “Super Committee.” With all 12 members now public, detailed analysis has confirmed that these are “serious” men and women who can be counted on to produce a “reasonable” product that will meet the goal of reducing the national debt by at least $1.2 trillion over ten years.

And, if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell to you.

What is becoming very clear is that the star-chamber known as the Super Committee is stacked, it is loaded with people dedicated to preserving the status quo of bloated government, reckless spending, faddish social policy and insider dealing.

The Senate GOP members are Jon Kyl of Arizona, Rob Portman of Ohio and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Every conservative, free-market advocate in the country is happy to see Toomey on this tribunal. He is committed, right-thinking, tough, and incorruptible. But, he is one guy. The other two Republicans don’t offer as much hope. Senator Kyl is not seeking re-election, so he is free to think about his future employment — not encouraging when the horde of rent seekers come pounding on his door. Senator Portman has the most knowledge of anyone from his time as George Bush’s budget director. But that is the worry — he was part of the “compassionate conservative” poison that is responsible in part for the crisis we face.

Being as kind and respectful as possible, there are two GOP Senate votes for accommodation with the left. There can be no debate about the Senate Democrats — all three are sure to be bad. Beyond their ideological drive, the chair — Patty Murray of Washington — is the chair of the Democrat Senate campaign arm. Are we to believe she will not shakedown a wide variety of interests in her new role?

Turning to the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi has named three reliable statists who never saw a government program or handout they didn’t think needed more money. Jim Clyburn has an absolutely horrible record of pushing wasteful, questionable spending. Chris Van Hollen is a tool of the union-dominated Maryland Democrat establishment, he can’t and won’t think for himself. And finally, Xavier Becerra has already tried to use his membership on the committee to shakedown Wall Street for campaign money.

That leaves the three House Republicans selected by Speaker Boehner. Again, the names are far from encouraging. Jeb Hensarling is a conservative who has a strong record. There is fear, however, that as No. 4 in the House leadership he will not be a free agent. But give him and the Speaker the benefit of the doubt and call him a Toomey ally. The other two, however, are blood chilling.

Dave Camp is Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. If this super committee is not going to accept tax increases, why has the Chairman of the tax writing committee been put on? Camp’s selection is a signal, one that portends “revenue enhancements” or whatever cute term the insider crowd wants to use today.

And the final pick is just plain wrong. Fred Upton, the liberal Republican Chairman of Energy & Commerce, is the worst selection of all. His willingness to surrender to the Left is more of an obsession than a conscious choice. It was Upton who after the election of Obama went to a meeting with his good friend Rahm Emmanuel and plotted to deliver GOP votes for the Obama agenda. It is Upton who actively looks for ways to advance the mild socialist agenda of the trendy, chic, cool-kids.

So, the odds favor a mutant, ugly proposal coming from the Super Committee. And that leaves those who want to save America from the fate of decline, bankruptcy and social upheaval with only one option — defeat the proposal and trigger the automatic cuts.

When that time comes, the establishment propaganda machine will swing into high gear. “The markets will crash,” they will scream, if we don’t accept the decision of the unelected, unaccountable panel. But, we listened to them last time and the markets crashed anyway. Every bit of fear, envy, and hatred will be launched against those who refuse to accept a bogus deal. And that will be the real battle, a real hand-to-hand combat fight right before Christmas. That is what America gets for falling for the lie that was the “debt ceiling deal.”

William Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government.

http://www.oaoa.com/opinion/super-70530-establishment-made.html

VIDEO: Appeals court says key parts of health-care reform unconstitutional

Link to video here.

Missouri Ahead of the Game in Dealing with Illegal Immigrants

Editor's Note: The following appeared in our May 13 issue and is written by State Representative Nita Jane Ayres.


Nita Jane Ayres has agreed to write a follow-up editorial which will appear in our print edition on June 24. The follow-up will take a close look at the state's legislation and how it deals with illegal immigrants.

We’re down to one week to go in the legislative session and bills are moving through the process at a remarkable pace. My goal is to keep you updated on all the pieces of legislation that may be of interest to you and your family. In the coming weeks, I hope to do that. However, this week I want to talk about an issue that Missouri has already addressed in a variety of ways – the issue of illegal immigration. I’m sure you’ve seen the headlines about Arizona’s new law aimed at dealing with those who enter our country illegally. It has been called the strictest immigration law in generations. While Missouri hasn’t gone to the same lengths as Arizona, our state has made significant policy changes that effectively deal with illegal immigrants who enter our state. Because of those changes, Missouri is ahead of the game when compared to many other states that are now dealing with this issue.

In 2007, the Missouri General Assembly approved HJR 7 to place on the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment designating English as the official language of Missouri. Voters then went to the polls and approved the measure with nearly 90 percent voting in favor. With that, English became the official language for all governmental proceedings in Missouri. It also means no individual has the right to demand government services in a language other than English. A common language is the cornerstone of a cohesive and united state and country. Ensuring that English is our official language is simply common sense.

Another measure that directly addresses the issue of illegal immigration was passed in 2008. HB 1549 requires our Highway Patrol and other law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person arrested, and inform federal authorities if the person is found to be here illegally. It also allows Missouri law enforcement officers to receive training to enforce federal immigration laws. Furthermore, the bill makes it clear that illegal immigrants will not have access to taxpayer benefits such as food stamps and health care through MO HealthNet. With the passage of this legislation, Missouri sent a clear message that illegal immigrants are not welcome in our state, and that they are certainly not welcome to receive public benefits at the cost of Missouri taxpayers.

2009 saw another significant piece of legislation passed dealing with illegal immigration. HB 390 ensures Missouri’s public institutions of higher education do not award financial aid to individuals who are here illegally. The law also requires all postsecondary institutions of higher education to annually certify to the Missouri Department of Higher Education that they have not knowingly awarded financial aid to students who are unlawfully present in the United States. The bill represents another common sense approach to the issue as it ensures taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize the education of someone who is in our country illegally.

So while Arizona has made national news for its new law, it’s important to remember Missouri has been proactive in addressing this growing problem. The laws we have on the books help ensure the rights and benefits of Missourians are preserved for actual Missouri citizens. It’s also important to remember that this country has always opened its arms to immigrants, which is why our nation is often referred to as the great melting pot. Immigrants from all parts of the world have helped make our country what it is today. However, our doors are not open to those who try to live in our country illegally. I believe Missouri’s laws make that very clear and give our law enforcement officials the authority they need to deal with the problem.

Thanks again for allowing me to represent you in the state capitol. Feel free to contact me with your concerns, suggestions and ideas. My office phone is 573-751-2492. Email address: nitajane.ayres@house.mo.gov Or write to: State Representative Nita Jane Ayres, House Post Office, State Capitol, Room 233-A, Jefferson City, MO 65101.


http://ozarkssentinel.com/missouri-ahead-of-the-game-in-dealing-with-illegal-immigrants-p1034.htm

Thanks for sending this, dragonrider. ~ Faye

Congress Asked To Pledge Respect To Latinos

.Last Updated: Wed, 03/23/2011 - 11:07am




Amid heated immigration debates, members of Congress are being asked to sign a pledge acknowledging the economic, civic and cultural contributions of Latinos and opposing “irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric” that “dehumanizes” them.

The contract is part of the “Pledge for Respect” campaign launched this month by the politically-connected National Council of La Raza (NCLR), which bills itself as the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The influential Mexican group receives millions of federal tax dollars annually to promote its leftist, open-borders agenda and has hundreds of branches throughout the nation.

NCLR leaders regularly attend congressional hearings as well as White House meetings and President Obama hired one of the group’s top officials (Cecilia Munoz) to serve in his administration. The commander-in-chief even violated his own lobbyist ban to make Munoz director of intergovernmental affairs even though she supervised all legislative and advocacy activities on the state and local levels for the NCLR, which is headquartered in Washington D.C.

With that said, this isn’t merely a publicity stunt for the powerful NCLR, which is pushing the respect campaign as part of this year’s National Latino Advocacy Days. The idea is to reinforce that the Hispanic community is an integral part of the fabric of America, according to the group, which is also using the opportunity to denounce politicians who use Latinos to exploit xenophobia for political gain.

The contract also forces members of Congress to promise that they’ll meet with advocates and leaders from the Hispanic nonprofit (that would include the NCLR) and business communities to hear their perspective on the “issues.” That way they could find a common ground based on “shared values and interests.”

To launch its respect campaign the NCLR enlisted a Los Angeles hip-hop band named after the Aztec astrological symbol of the monkey (Ozomatli). In a public service ad, members of the musical group claim that some candidates for public office have called for landmines on the U.S.-Mexico border and microchips to be implanted in undocumented immigrants. Others have used “stereotypical and menacing images of Latinos in their campaign ads.”

The message goes on to say that elected officials and states have fashioned “extreme draconian” proposals against the immigrant and Latino communities, including the elimination of ethnic studies programs in public schools, forcing publicly-funded hospitals to ask for patients’ immigration status and stripping U.S. citizenship from children born to illegal aliens. “It’s time to tell Congress that we won’t stand for this anymore. We need to know who is with us and who is against us! “

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2011/mar/congress-asked-pledge-respect-latinos

S&P Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating

 
 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's on Friday downgraded the United States' credit rating for the first time in the history of the ratings.


The credit rating agency said that it is cutting the country's top AAA rating by one notch to AA-plus. The credit agency said that it is making the move because the deficit reduction plan passed by Congress on Tuesday did not go far enough to stabilize the country's debt situation.


A source familiar with the discussions said that the Obama administration feels the S&P's analysis contained "deep and fundamental flaws."


S&P said that in addition to the downgrade, it is issuing a negative outlook, meaning that there was a chance it will lower the rating further within the next two years. It said such a downgrade to AA would occur if the agency sees less reductions in spending than Congress and the administration have agreed to make, higher interest rates or new fiscal pressures during this period.

S&P first put the government on notice in April that a downgrade was possible unless Congress and the administration came up with a credible long-term deficit reduction plan and avoided a default on the country's debt.

After months of wrangling and negotiations with the administration, Congress passed this week a debt reduction package at the 11th-hour that averted a possible default.


In its statement, S&P said that it had changed its view "of the difficulties of bridging the gulf between the political parties" over a credible deficit reduction plan.

S&P said it was now "pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics anytime soon."

http://news.yahoo.com/p-downgrades-us-credit-rating-aaa-003628509.html

Lamar Smith's HALT bill

August 2, 2011 4:00 A.M.


Obama’s Administrative Amnesty
The president uses executive-branch authority to circumvent the law

Speaking at the National Council of La Raza’s annual conference recently, President Obama said, “The idea of doing things on my own is very tempting. . . . But that is not how our system works.” The president is right to acknowledge that this isn’t how our government operates, but it seems the temptation to do things his own way is too much for him to withstand. This is especially true when it comes to our immigration laws.


Although Congress has defeated several amnesty bills in recent years, President Obama now wants to grant a backdoor amnesty to illegal immigrants by using executive-branch authority.

What had once been a rumor fueled by leaked administration memos is, as of last month, official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy. The director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued two directives on the scope of DHS officers’ prosecutorial discretion that could allow millions of illegal and criminal immigrants to avoid our immigration laws.


The memos tell agency officials when to exercise “prosecutorial discretion,” such as when to defer the removal of immigrants; when not to stop, question, arrest, or detain an immigrant; and when to dismiss a removal proceeding.

The directives also tell officials not to seek to remove illegal immigrants who have been present illegally for many years. Millions of illegal immigrants have been in the U.S. since the 1990s.

Further, the ICE memos make clear that the administration plans not to use but to abuse these powers. If the Obama administration has its way, amnesty will be the official policy of the United States without a vote of Congress.

This will saddle American communities with the costs of providing education and medical care to illegal immigrants. It will also place our communities at risk by not deporting criminal immigrants.

As a result, I introduced the Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation Act, also known as the HALT Act. This legislation prevents the Obama administration from abusing its authority to grant a mass administrative amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Regrettably, this isn’t the only instance in which President Obama has been tempted to do things his own way. It is part of a broader pattern of ignoring the law.

The Obama administration has all but abandoned worksite-enforcement efforts. Over the past two years, worksite-enforcement efforts fell 70 percent. Under this administration, there have been fewer arrests of illegal workers, as well as fewer criminal arrests, fewer indictments, and fewer convictions of illegal immigrants and employers.

While worksite-enforcement activities have plummeted, the Obama administration argues that it has increased the number of audits of employers. But audits do little to stop illegal immigration or discourage illegal hiring. Audits can result in fines, though employers consider them just the cost of doing business. Illegal workers are typically not arrested, so they continue to compete with citizens and legal immigrants for jobs.

We could open up millions of jobs for unemployed Americans by requiring all employers to use E-Verify. This program quickly identifies those working illegally in the United States by checking the Social Security numbers of new hires. E-Verify takes only one to two minutes per hire to use, and confirms persons who are eligible to work 99.5 percent of the time. And over 270,000 employers voluntarily use it today.

Of course, lost jobs wouldn’t be as large a problem if the border itself were secure and illegal immigrants couldn’t enter in the first place. But according to the Government Accountability Office, only 44 percent of the southwest border is under “operational control” by the Border Patrol.

Completion of the border fence would help secure our border. We know that a border fence can be very effective — in San Diego, the fence reduced apprehensions by 95 percent. But there is no fence in many other areas.

To date, the administration has built only about 650 miles of the 800 miles of border fencing that Congress required in 2006. Of the 650 miles, only 299 have vehicle barriers. And even vehicle barriers can be easily bypassed.

President Obama and his administration should not pick and choose which laws they will enforce. The fact that the president doesn’t like our immigration laws doesn’t mean he shouldn’t enforce them. It appears that doing things on his own is not just tempting, it’s what President Obama does.

— Rep. Lamar Smith (R., Texas) is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/273352/obama-s-administrative-amnesty-lamar-smith#

E-mail Mike Conaway

E-mail John Cornyn

E-mail Kay Bailey Hutchison

My e-mail to the above legislators:

Dear Representative (Senator) _____________:

Please support Lamar Smith's HALT bill and do all you can to impede President Obama's excessive use of executive power.

Thank you,

Faye Hall

Note:  It takes very little.  Their staffs usually just keep counts of yeas and nays.

CONAWAY CHRONICLE: VOLUME 6, ISSUE 4

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO A SPECIAL "DEBT CEILING" EDITION OF THE CONAWAY CHRONICLE.

___________________________________________

Content

1. House vote on Cut, Cap, and Balance Act
2. Cut, Cap and Balance Background
3. Cut, Cap, and Balance Senate Action
4. Cut, Cap, and Balance Video
5. Extra Information

___________________________________________



1. House vote on Cut, Cap, and Balance

For months, the focus in Washington has been the debate over spending, entitlement reform and the debt limit. Without an increase in the debt ceiling before August 2nd, the federal government will default on 45% of its bills. I oppose any increase in the debt ceiling that does not come with significant spending cuts and a change to the out-of-control spending in Washington. That is why I voted against increasing the debt ceiling increase on May 31, 2011. We need to rein in spending, impose spending caps and add a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Otherwise, politicians and bureaucrats in Washington will never change their ways.

Weeks ago, in an effort to find common ground on spending cuts and entitlement reform, Congressional leaders from the House and Senate traveled to the White House and met with the President to negotiate a deal to raise the debt ceiling without raising taxes – their efforts were unsuccessful. President Obama and the Democrats in Congress continually insist on raising taxes so they can carry on spending money our nation does not have.

With the August 2nd deadline rapidly approaching, House Republicans stopped waiting for the President to propose a deal, and moved forward with a plan of their own: the Cut, Cap and Balance Act. I cosponsored this legislation and voted in favor of it on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 where it passed the House 234-190.

On Friday, July 22, 2011 the Senate failed to pass the Cut, Cap, and balance Act, with a final vote of 51-46. Afterwards, Speaker Boehner sent a letter to President Obama notifying him that House Republicans would be ending discussions with the White House and beginning conversations with leaders in the Senate in an effort to find a path to enactment of legislation that will cut and cap government sending and pave a way for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in exchange for raising the national debt ceiling.

Click on these links to read the details, or keep reading this edition of the Conaway Chronicle for more background.

Full Bill text

GOP.gov Summary

Speaker Boehner's Letter to President Obama

Sincerely,
Rep. Mike Conaway, 11th District

There's a problem with the links for the Full Bill text, GOP.gov Summary, and Speaker Boehner's Letter in the original text of this newsletter from Mike Conaway.  I'll track 'em down and fix the links.  ~Faye

Senator Vitter Going After Obama's Backdoor Amnesty

Dear Friend,

Over the course of the last year, the Obama administration has sought to circumvent Congress and use executive branch authority to allow amnesty. Now they’re taking their action to new levels, even for this administration, by attempting to give Department of Homeland Security officials and other agencies the ability to grant amnesty.

In the Senate we’ve already rejected some attempts at granting amnesty for illegal aliens by defeating the DREAM Act in last year’s lame duck session. Awarding amnesty over the objections of Congress and the American people would be a slap in the face to taxpayers, and especially to legal immigrants.

That’s why, as the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Border Security and Enforcement First Immigration Caucus, I introduced the Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation (HALT) Act, which will prevent the Obama administration from abusing its authority to grant massive administrative amnesty to illegal immigrants.

You can read more about my legislation here.

Just last month, administration officials made changes to the Secure Communities program – a program to identify illegal and criminal immigrants in police custody who have been arrested and fingerprinted. The changes made by the administration could open the door to help millions of illegal and criminal immigrants avoid current immigration laws.

This isn’t the only time the administration has sought administrative amnesty. Last year, a draft memo written by top political officials at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suggested the agency take steps to legalize countless illegal immigrants by granting deferred action or parole. Both deferred action and parole are reasonable on a case-by-case basis but are not intended to be used to grant massive administrative amnesty.

The HALT Act will prevent the Obama administration from these types of power grabs to advance their amnesty agenda.

I will continue to fight to make sure that the laws already on the books will be enforced, push for stronger border security and interior enforcement legislation and work to defeat amnesty in any form.

Sincerely,
David Vitter
United States Senator

From Ring  Huggins via e-mail

Links to places to send e-mails, faxes: ~ Faye

NumbersUSA - Register if not already a member.  You have to fill out a short questionaire so that they can determine your interests in the area of immigration and set up your customized Action Buffett.  Your Action Buffett is really easy to use, contains letters to your elected representatives that you can add to, edit, or write your own that they fax to the representatives, free of charge.  The registration is also free.  I send a donation every once in a while.  Registration, which is also free, will also enable them to alert you by e-mail of things going on in our legislatures that you, according to your interest choices, will be interested in and your Action Buffett will be already set up with the new stuff ready for you to use.

FAIR - This is FAIR's new facebook page.  Down on the left they have a tab for "Take Action."  I haven't used this yet, but I imagine it's similar to that of NumbersUSA.

Congress.org - This is the site I first used.  I haven't used it in a long time and they've changed the format so I'm not familiar with it.  They used to have a basic function you could use free to e-mail any legislator you wanted by bringing up the legislator's Congressional page.  Then they had a service with a fee that would put your letter out on their site so everyone could see what you sent to generate more people to write about it.

And you can always go to any legislator's Congressional page and e-mail directly from there.  I mouth off to everybody so I use this a lot.  Some will not accept e-mails from anyone but their constituents...but I know a way around that.  If you ever need it, I'll share.  Most legislators will value snail mail (write a letter and mail it) over e-mails or faxes.  Sometimes, I use all and call them, too.  Depends on what's going on.