Illegal Immigration Watch: United States Senate Defeats Ensign Amendment

Reuters: Senate blocks effort to limit benefits to immigrants

The U.S. Senate blocked an effort on Thursday to limit Social Security benefits for illegal immigrants who would become permanent residents under a sweeping immigration overhaul being debated by lawmakers.

The Senate also killed an amendment offered by Sen. John Ensign, a Nevada Republican, that would have prevented immigrants who legalize their status from getting Social Security credit for work while they were illegal.

“Social Security was not intended for people who entered our country illegally,” Ensign said.

The Senate vote is here.

Note well: Senator John McCain’s vote.

Republicans voting against the Ensign amendment are:

Brownback (R-KS)
Chafee (R-RI)
DeWine (R-OH)
Graham (R-SC)
Hagel (R-NE)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)

Tim Chapman (Via Michelle Malkin) gives some background on the amendment.

Social Security for illegal immigrants

To qualify for full Social Security benefits, a worker must register 10 years of work. Under current law, illegal immigrants who obtain legal status can use their previous illegal work history to apply for Social Security benefits.

A compromise immigration bill pending right now in the U.S. Senate (sponsored by Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Mel Martinez (R-FL)) comes at a time when our nation is facing an enormous crisis on the entitlements front. A recent report moved the year in which Social Security will go broke from 2041 to 2040. Congress cannot afford to keep the promise of Social Security to its own citizens, let alone illegal workers.

To remedy the situation, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has offered an amendment to the pending Senate immigration bill that would reverse this law to ensure that law-breakers are not rewarded for their past work at the expense of immigrants who have waited in line and American citizens. Ensignâ€™s amendment may be considered when the Senate takes up the immigration issue yet again — possibly as soon as next week.

Of course, this vote is outrageous and a slap in the face to all Americans who are here legally and pay their taxes, including those to pay our elected officials.

This Senate bill is a travesty and it looks like it may be better to have NO immigration reform than this poorly drafted “compromise” sell-out.

Now, tell Flap, why elect Republicans to the Senate when they vote WITH the open-border Democrats?

Michelle Malkin has SENATE KILLS ENSIGN AMENDMENT

Am getting word that the Ensign amendment, SA 3985, was killed this afternoon.

The Senate’s march towards Amnesty First, Enforcement Later (Never?) goes on.

Allah names names.

Start dialing.

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Meanwhile, illegal aliens may soon be voting in North Carolina.

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And a flashback on Social Security, illegal aliens, and the pandering (or as Kaus says, “Hispandering”) Bush administration from 2004.

Mary Katharine Hamm over at Hugh Hewitt has Whaaat???: Illegal Immigration Edition

Sen. Ensign, God bless him, offered an amendment suggesting illegals should not be eligible for Social Security benefits accrued while illegal.

The U.S. Senate voted to kill that amendment, 50-49.

Are these guys freakin’ serious? I’m so disgusted I’m just hoping maybe my C-SPAN feed is faulty or I’m mistaken. I don’t think I am.

Capitol switchboard, baby: (202) 224-3121

But, why bother to call?

This Senate bill is on the fast track to passage and the ONLY posilble derailment will be the House Conference Committee and James Sensenbrenner, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Associated Press: Sensenbrenner: Bush turned back on bill

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who has pushed a tough border security bill through the House, accused President Bush on Wednesday of abandoning the legislation after asking for many of its provisions.

“He basically turned his back on provisions of the House-passed bill, a lot of which we were requested to put in the bill by the White House,” Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., angrily told reporters in a conference call. “That was last fall when we were drafting the bill, and now the president appears not to be interested in it at all.”

Sensenbrenner chairs the House Judiciary Committee and would be the House’s chief negotiator on any final immigration package for Bush’s signature. He said it was the White House that had requested two controversial felony provisions in the bill the House passed last winter.

And the President will need House approval of appropriations for his Natonal Guard deployment at the border.

USA Today: Bush requests $1.9B to bolster borders

President Bush sent Congress a $1.9 billion request Thursday to increase border security as supporters of sweeping immigration legislation reasserted control in Senate debate.

The White House said the money would pay for the “first 1,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents that will be deployed in the next two years,” as well as the temporary deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops to states along the Mexican border. The request includes funds for new fencing and other barriers as well as two new unmanned surveillance aircraft and five helicopters to curb illegal immigration.

The House should use these requests for funding to leverage their negotiations in conference.

The question to be asked: Would it be BETTER to have NO Immigration reform with this President?

Probably!

Stay tuned……

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