Rep. Boozman Says He Cannot Support Senate's Amnesty Bill
Rep. Boozman Says He Cannot Support Senate's Amnesty Bill
Speaking to the Fort Smith Rotary Club
U.S. Representative John Boozman (AR-03), the lone Republican member of Arkansas' Congressional Delegation, said today that he cannot support the Senate's version of immigration reform because it includes an amnesty provision.
"Amnesty by another name is still amnesty," Boozman said referring to the Senate's attempt to change the debate by calling their amnesty program a guest worker program.
He added, "The problem with their approach is that Americans see these proposals for what they are - which is amnesty. Changing that name does not change their opinions. Nor will it change mine. I believe that amnesty rewards unlawful behavior, which goes against everything this country stands for. Trying to change the framing of debate does not change the actions of the perpetrator."
Boozman went on to state that not only is amnesty unfair in principal, but that it has also proven to be a failure as a public policy idea in the past.
"Not only do my constituents overwhelmingly oppose amnesty because it is unfair, but there is also precedent to show that it simply does not work. If you look-up a summary of the 1986 act, it would read eerily similar similar to what the Senate just passed. The end result of that policy was over two million illegal immigrants were granted amnesty for entering the country illegally. As for the reform end, well, you tell me if we ever got that secure border we were promised in 1986," Boozman said.
Last December, Boozman joined his colleagues in the House to take an enforcement-first approach to immigration reform by passing a bill that strengthened our borders, increased enforcement and included no amnesty provisions. Instead of taking up that bill, the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act," the Senate created their own bill that includes amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
"Had the Senate followed our lead and taken an enforcement-first approach, I might have been able to support their bill. However, I simply cannot support a bill that includes amnesty," said Boozman.
http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=44361