Wolf Signs Discharge Petition For SAVE Act
By Greg L | 11 March 2008 | National Politics, Illegal Aliens | 21 Comments
Congressman Frank Wolf has signed the discharge petition for the SAVE Act, which will get this important piece of legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives for a recorded vote. Sponsored by Democrat Heath Schuler, it is one of the best proposals for immigration policy reform to be introduced in Congress.
Here’s the press release:
Wolf joined more than 90 House Members in signing a discharge petition on H.R. 4088, the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007. Wolf is a cosponsor of the bill, introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-TN (sic, Shuler actually actually represents North Carolina)).
“Congress needs to address this issue,” Wolf said. “We must take action, and it seems like the only way to move this bipartisan bill forward is through a discharge petition.”
A discharge petition is a procedural maneuver that is used to force action on legislation, bypassing the usual committee process for moving legislation. It can only be filed after a bill has been pending, but not acted on, for 30 legislative days. The petition is given to the Clerk of the House, who is tasked with publishing the petition signatures once a week in the Congressional Record on the last legislative day of the week. The SAVE Act was introduced in November.
Once a majority of the sitting members of the House have signed the petition, it is placed on the House calendar. After the petition has been on the calendar for at least 7 legislative days, the petition can be called up on the 2nd or 4th Monday of a month immediately following the Pledge of Allegiance. The petition can only be called up by a signer. After 20 minutes of debate, there is a motion to proceed to the consideration of the bill.
Thanks to Frank Wolf for helping to get this moving!
UPDATE: The list of petition signers can be viewed here. The list includes Virginia Representatives Thelma Drake, Tom Davis, Eric Cantor, Frank Wolf, Randy Forbes, Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte, and Robert Wittman. Notice who from Virginia is absent from this list? Virginia’s Democratic delegation to the House of Representatives. All of them.
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Rep. Wolf use to be our fine Congressman. Now we have Rep. Moran to petition that for once he will do the right thing, or at least, abstain from blocking a floor vote.
Greg-
How much do you think Feder will lose by this year?
If she gets the nomination, I see a 25 point rout. Easy. The only question is whether she will again vie for the title of the biggest loser of election day, since Dems are running candidates in every congressional district for the first time in something like ten years, and there are bound to be worse candidates than her somewhere else in the state.
Greg
Congressman Shuler is from North Carolina vice Tennessee as reported above.
Thank you Congressman Bilbray and the Immigration Reform Caucus for standing up for the American people and forcing this discharge petition!!!
I believe Heath Shuler played for the University of Tennessee but is from Noth Carolina. If he gets this legislation passed I will forgive him for all the money I lost betting on the Redskins when he was their QB.
OK, this is confusing. BVBL supports “SAVE” but U.S. Border Patrol says it is weak compared to other bills being introduced in Congress. See the letter reproduced below.
———-
Dear Concerned Citizen:
Recently, eight U.S. Senators rolled out eleven bills designed to solve our immigration problems, once and for all. Unlike the huge omnibus bill crafted by Senators McCain and Kennedy that hid amnesty provisions and other rewards for illegal aliens deep within its hundreds of pages, each of the bills introduced by these Senators tackles a specific objective and leaves little room for bad amendments to be tacked on.
This is the kind of legislation Americans have wanted for years. And now it is here for all of us to support. (click on the GO button to tell your Representative and Senators you support this powerful collection of tough, no nonsense immigration reform bills.)
Unfortunately, a number of immigration reform groups have decided to back legislation by Congressman Heath Shuler, a Democrat from North Carolina. I can understand their enthusiasm. When I first learned of HR 4088, the SAVE Act, I was excited. It was about time Democrats found the courage to step up and address these immigration problems that affect American workers who are the core of their political base.
But a closer look quickly revealed that the Shuler bill, while it does contain some real immigration reforms, cannot compare to the House bill offered by former Judiciary Chair Jim Sensenbrenner (HR 4065) which really does it all.
Perhaps, the thinking of those supporting the Shuler bill is that half a loaf is better than none. I disagree. This is no time for compromise. Here’s why: First, the Democrats control the House and the Senate. That means whatever bill is selected for debate will be torn to shreds when it goes to conference. The good language will be stripped out and replaced with amnesty language, 5-year “temporary” visas for illegal aliens and “pathways” to citizenship. And all those Republicans who are now being pressured into supporting the Shuler bill, will likely vote for it, even though it has been transformed beyond recognition.
Another reason for not accepting “half a loaf” is that we will get one shot at immigration reform. Once an immigration bill is passed, neither party will ever revisit this issue again for 20 years! So what is passed had better be able to solve ALL of our immigration problems or we will have to live with serious problems for decades.
I hope the Shuler bill is a sincere effort by Democrats to get on the right side of this issue. But it is also possible that this bill is merely a political stunt designed to give cover to Democrats in tight races this November.
Democrats aren’t fools and they can read polling data as good as Republicans can. By signing on to this bill, they can now tell their constituents they have cosponsored a tough, no amnesty, immigration reform bill.
So … instead of spending our time, money and energy on a bill that is, at best, a half a loaf and, at worst, a stunt to elect Democrats that may vote for amnesty, I believe that each of us needs to get out and support those Senators who have stuck their necks way out to give America the kind of immigration reforms necessary to protect the people and preserve our language, culture and heritage for the next generations.
Here are excerpts of what these new Senate bills will do, if we can get them passed:
* Manadatory minimum sentences for illegal entry
* Mandatory electronic employment verification system
* The entire fence must be completed by 2010
* Major funding cuts for sanctuary cities
* Stop banks from accepting Matricula Consular cards
* Establish English as our national language
* Stop the phaseout of the National Guard on our borders.
* Utilize state and local police forces to assist with immigration enforcement
* States that give licenses to illegal aliens will lose highay funds
* Makes drunk driving among illegal aliens a deportable offense
* Nations must repatriate their illegal aliens or lose aid and visas.
* Repeals presidential order that requires federal agencies to be multilingual
What would you rather support? A weak bill that is silent on some critical enforcement issues or a host of excellent bills, in both the House and Senate, that cut right to the heart of our immmigration crisis.
Here are the Senators who have introduced these excellent bills: Jeff Sessions - AL, Jim DeMint - SC, David Vitter-LA, James inhofe-OK, Pete Domenici-NM, Saxby Chambilss-GA, John Barrasso-WY, Elizabeth Dole-NC.
Please take this opportunity to let your Representative and Senators that America doesn’t need any more halfway measures. WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS CRISIS NOW!
Sincerely,
Edward I. Nelson, Chairman
Correction: the name of the organization above should be U.S. Border Control (instead of U.S. Border Patrol). http://www.usbc.org/
Vigilant, that “misprint” is from Frank Wolf’s office. Is it appropriate to correct the content of a press release when you’re quoting it?
I think you are supposed to follow the error with [sic] as below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sic
Sic is a Latin word meaning “thus”, “so”, “as such”, or “just as that”. In writing, it is placed within square brackets and usually italicized—[sic]—to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been reproduced verbatim from the quoted original and is not a transcription error.[1]
I’m aware of the usage of the term, just wondering about the propriety. I give up. I’ll edit the post.
“What would you rather support?”
I’d rather support a bill that has some teeth, Catawba, as well as has a chance of passing…such as Shuler’s bill.
The fact that this is a bipartisan effort gives this bill the best chance of passing. It is, however, incumbent upon its sponsors (and those watching it closely) to make sure that the bill does not become defanged. If this bill passes there’s a very good chance that we’ll see others because our legislators will thereby show that they recognize that the American people have spoken. If the effort is divided in too many ways before the first bill passes, it’s unlikely that we will see ANY bill addressing the illegal alien issue. Baby steps, Catawba…baby steps…
By the way, it very much sounds to me that you are, in fact, a wolf in sheep’s clothing…any particular reason that you would not like to see the SAVE Act pass, other than your comment above?
Be careful of that link that Catawba left folks…it locks up Internet Explorer. I’ve tried to access the site four times now and, although it comes up, I couldn’t navigate it and was forced to exit Explorer all together (ALL of my Explorer windows). Fortunately, my husband has firewall upon firewall and both Norten AND McAffee on this computer.
H.R.4088
Title: To provide immigration reform by securing America’s borders, clarifying and enforcing existing laws, and enabling a practical employer verification program.
Sponsor: Rep Shuler, Heath [NC-11] (introduced 11/6/2007) Cosponsors (141)
Related Bills: S.2366, S.2368
Latest Major Action: 12/5/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities.
SUMMARY AS OF:
11/6/2007–Introduced.
Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act of 2007 or SAVE Act of 2007 - Sets forth border security and enforcement provisions, including provisions respecting: (1) increases in Border Patrol and investigative personnel; (2) recruitment of former military personnel; (3) use of Department of Defense (DOD) equipment; (4) infrastructure improvements; (5) aerial and other surveillance; (5) a national strategy to secure the borders; (6) emergency deployment of Border Patrol agents; and (7) expansion of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism along the northern and southern borders.
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act and specified maritime law sections to revise alien smuggling provisions.
Sets forth provisions respecting border security on certain federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior.
Border Law Enforcement Act - Authorizes a border relief grant program for a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency in a county within 25 miles of the southern border of the United States.
Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to make the basic employment eligibility confirmation pilot program permanent.
Sets forth conditions for the mandatory use of the E-verify system.
Requires: (1) employer/employee notification of social security number mismatches and multiple uses, and related information sharing with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); and (2) establishment of electronic birth and death registration systems.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) penalize specified employers for failure to correct information returns; and (2) prohibit employers from deducting from gross income wages paid to unauthorized aliens, with an exception for an employer participating in the basic employment eligibility confirmation program.
Increases criminal alien program (CAP) personnel.
Establishes within DHS a rewards program to assist in the elimination of commercial operations to produce or sell fraudulent immigration-related documents and to assist in the investigation, prosecution, or disruption of commercial alien smuggling operations.
Provides for: (1) increased alien detention facilities; (2) additional district court judgeships; and (3) a media campaign to inform the public of changes made by this Act including a multilingual media campaign explaining noncompliance penalties.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR04088:@@@D&summ2=m&
The SAVE act doesn’t do very much except mandate the E-verify system; and even then, it’s phased-in over several years. I can support it.
Greg L said on 11 Mar 2008 at 11:37 pm:
Vigilant, that “misprint” is from Frank Wolf’s office. Is it appropriate to correct the content of a press release when you’re quoting it?
I would have. Perhaps you could have put (sic) at the point of error.
Vigilant1 said on 12 Mar 2008 at 10:04 am:
Greg L said on 11 Mar 2008 at 11:37 pm:
MP Resident said on 12 Mar 2008 at 12:49 am:
I think you are supposed to follow the error with [sic] as below:
Missed MP’s comment. Sorry! We now know where Heath is really from.
Heath Shuler is from Swain County (Bryson, NC) which is on the Tennessee border up in the Great Smoky Mountains. He is a great man.
What representatives from Virginia have not sign yet? let us know who are the good guys (will act against illegals) and who are the bad guys (who won’t do anything). The do nothings type must be voted out of office next time.
Congressman Wolf got my vote last election, he his serving his community well. It is a pleasure to have a person who will do what is right for a change!
I wish we could say the same of our govenor.
Anonymous - here are the Va. Reps. that have signed onto the SAVE Act:
(Va.) - Rep. Drake
(Va.) - Rep. Goode
(Va.) - Rep. Goodlatte
(Va.) - Rep. Wolf