Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R,TX) - Traitor to the American Worker
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Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
(R-Texas)
Served in Senate: 1993-
Voted in favor of motion to invoke cloture on S. 2611 to increase overall immigration numbers and reward illegal aliens with amnesty in 2006
Sen. Hutchison voted in favor of a motion to invoke cloture on S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. The motion to invoke cloture was a procedural move to ends debate on S. 2611. If the motion had been rejected by at least 40 Senators, Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD (R-TN) would have had to choose between continued debate on S. 2611 and moving on to other legislative business. If the motion had failed, Sen. Frist was expected to move on to other legislative business, thus effectively killing the bill. S. 2611 provides an indirect path to citizenship for illegal aliens. S. 2611 also provides for major increases in temporary worker visas and permanent immigrant visas. It provides for at least an additional 100,000 H-1B visas annually; an additional 325,000 new guestworker visas (H-5A/H-2C visas); a one-time-only permanent increase of 310,660. In addition, the S. 2611 includes amnesty for an estimated 10.2 million illegal aliens (about 6.7 million illegal alien workers and 3.5 million illegal aliens spouse and/or children). The cloture motion passed by a vote of 73 to 25.
Cosponsoring bill to increase high-tech foreign-worker importation in 2006
Sen. Hutchison is a cosponsor of S. 2691, the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership Act of 2006 (SKIL Act). The SKIL Act would increase the annual H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000 in the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment and then increase the cap by 20 percent in any fiscal year following a year in which employers used all available visas. As well, H.R. 5744 exempts from the annual cap on H-1B visas aliens: who work at a nonprofit organization; who hold a graduate degree from an institution of higher education in a foreign country (up to 20,000 exempted per year); who have earned an advanced degree from a U.S. institution of higher education; or who have been awarded medical specialty certification based on post-doctoral training and experience in the United States. The SKIL Act also increases the annual worldwide level of employment-based (EB) immigrants by 150,000 and exempts the spouses and minor children of EB immigrants, along with certain other aliens, from that cap. The SKIL Act facilitates a path to permanent residency and employment for L-1 visa holders by requiring DHS to extend the authorized stay of an L-1 nonimmigrant who has an application for LPR status pending. The SKIL Act also expands eligibility for F student visas to include any student qualified to pursue a full course of study in mathematics, engineering, technology, or the sciences leading to a bachelor’s or graduate degree. The result of the SKIL Act would be to further depress the wages of Americans working in high-tech and scientific fields and to cause additional job displacement for those workers.
Voted in favor of amendment to create additional guestworker visa categories in 2006
Sen. Hutchison voted in favor of the Hutchison Amendment (SA 4101) to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. The Hutchison Amendment would require the State Department to grant a Secure Authorized Foreign Employee (SAFE) visa to a national of a NAFTA or CAFTA nation who meets specified requirements. The "E" visa is already a visa for treaty-trader countries, thus the Hutchison Amendment would have just created more unnecessary "guestworker" categories. The Hutchison Amendment failed by a vote of 31 to 67.
Voted on Senate floor to kill amendment to strike guestworker provisions from immigration bill 2006
Sen. Hutchison voted for a motion to table the Dorgan Amendment (SA 4017) to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 . The Dorgan amendment would have stricken the guestworker provisions of the bill that would add an estimated 8.4 million foreign workers and their dependents over the next ten years (according to a May, 2006 study by the Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector). The motion to table passed by a voted of 68 to 29, effectively killing the Dorgan amendment.
Voted against amendment to fund additional immigration investigators in 2006
Sen. Hutchison voted against the Sessions Amendment to H.R. 5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill for 2007. This was an amendment to add about $86 million for 800 more staff to investigate immigration law violations, offset by reductions in other programs. The Sessions Amendment failed by a vote of 34 to 66.
Voted against amendment to extend border fence in 2006
Sen. Hutchison voted against the Sessions Amendment to H.R. 5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill for 2007. This was an amendment to add 370 miles of fence on the Southwest border paid for by $1.8 billion in offsets from other programs. A fence is one of the most effective tools for preventing illegal migration. This amendment would have funded the fence provided for in the Senate-passed bill (S. 2611). The Sessions Amendment failed by a vote of 29 to 71.
Voted against amendment to strip foreign-worker increase in 2005
Sen. Hutchison voted against the Byrd Amendment to S. 1932, the Budget Reconciliation bill. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), would have stripped ALL immigration increases from the Budget Reconciliation bill and replaced the increase with a provision to impose a $1,500 fee on employers who hire certain non-immigrants. The immigration increase was added to the Budget Reconciliation bill by the Senate Judiciary Committee as a result of an 14-2 vote in favor of an amendment introduced by Senator Arlen Specter. The Specter plan would increase permanent, employment-based immigration by nearly tripling the number of foreign workers who can enter the U.S. each year. As well, it exempts workers’ families from the 140,000-visa cap on employment-based immigration. It also raises the cap on employment-based permanent immigration by adding each year the lesser of 90,000 visas or any unused employment-based visas from any prior year. Altogether, these provisions could generate a net increase in permanent immigration of 366,000 aliens, or about one-third of current, annual legal immigration. Senator Byrd’s amendment was cosponsored by Sens. Sessions (R-AL) and Durbin (D-IL). It was also supported by the AFL-CIO. The Byrd Amendment failed by a vote of 14 to 85.
Voted in favor of amendment to increase foreign-worker importation in 2005
Sen. Hutchison voted in favor of S. Amdt. 387, an amendment offered by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), to H.R. 1268, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005. The Mikulski amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act increased the number of H-2Bs who can enter and take jobs in the United States in the next two years and apportioned the H-2B visa cap so that visas will be available throughout the year. Specifically, the Mikulski Amendment would split the H-2B visa cap so no more than 33,000 visas are made available for the first six months the fiscal year, and another 33,000 visas would be available in the second half of the year. HOWEVER, the Mikulski Amendment exempts from the annual cap aliens granted an H-2B visa within three years prior to approval of an H-2B petition, thus potentially TRIPLING the number of H-2B workers in the United States at any one time. Although apportioning H-2B visas is a common-sense approach that will help prevent the situation that occurred in FY 2004 and FY2005 when the 66,000 annual cap on H-2B (low-skill) nonimmigrant visas was hit within the first quarter of the year, the Mikulski Amendment would ultimately harm American workers by creating exemptions which potentially could triple the number of H-2B workers in the U.S. at any given time. Fortunately, however, the increase is limited to two years, and the additional visas can go only to foreign workers who worked in this country legally during the last three years. The Amendment passed by a vote of 94 to 6.
Voted for a foreign worker bill with no anti-fraud measures in 2000.
Sen.Hutchison voted for S.2045, the Abraham foreign worker bill to nearly triple the number of foreign high-tech workers. On the heels of the release of a GAO report finding no proof of a high-tech worker shortage and evidence of abuse in the H-1B program, Sen. Hutchison voted for this foreign worker bill that contained no worker protections or anti-fraud measures. The bill passed the Senate 96-1.
Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998
Sen. Hutchison helped the Senate pass S.1723 in a 78-20 vote. Enacted into law, it increased by nearly 150,000 the number of foreign workers high-tech American companies could hire over the next three years. Although the foreign workers receive temporary visas for up to six years, most historically have found ways to stay permanently in this country. Sen. Hutchison voted for more foreign workers even though U.S. high tech workers over the age of 50 were suffering 17% unemployment and U.S. firms were laying off thousands of workers at the time.
Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998
Before the Senate passed the H-1B doubling bill (S.1723), Sen. Hutchison had an opportunity to vote for a measure requiring U.S. firms to check a box on a form attesting that they had first sought an American worker for the job. Sen. Hutchison voted against that, joining those who said the requirement would give government too much authority over corporations’ right to hire whomever they please from whatever country.
Voted to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers in 1998
Before the Senate passed the H-1B doubling bill(S.1723), Sen. Hutchison had an opportunity to vote for a Kennedy amendment that would have prohibited U.S. firms from using temporary foreign workers to replace Americans. Sen. Hutchison opposed that protection. The Amendment failed 38-60.
Voted to grant amnesty to close to one million illegal aliens from Nicaragua and Cuba in 1997
Sen. Hutchison voted to grant legal status to Nicaraguans and Cubans who had lived in the United States illegally since 1995, along with their spouses and minor unmarried children. The overall ten year impact of this legislation will be the addition of some 967,000 people to U.S. population. There was no separate vote on the amnesty, as it was inlcuded in the DC Appropriations bill. The only opportunity Senators had to vote in favor of or against the amnesty was the Mack Amendment to S.1156. The Mack Amendment passed 99-1.
Tried to kill voluntary pilot programs for workplace verification in 1996
Sen. Hutchison voted IN FAVOR of the Abraham Amendment to S.1664. She was part of a coalition of pro-business conservatives and liberal civil libertarians who tried to use the amendment to kill the establishment of voluntary pilot programs in high-immigration states. The programs were intended to assist employers in verifying whether people they had just hired had the legal right to work in this country. Such verification is considered by many experts to be an essential tool for withdrawing the job magnet from illegal aliens. The verification system established by S.1664 did not involve an ID card. Rather it provided that when new workers wrote down their Social Security number on an application, employers could phone into a national verification system to help assure that the number was a real number and belonged to the person giving it. In earlier smaller pilot programs, businesses had hailed the verification system for making it easier for them to avoid hiring illegal aliens. Sen. Hutchison was unsuccessful in stopping the voluntary verification system. The Senate tabled the by a 54-46 vote.
Voted in 1996 to continue chain migration
Sen. Hutchison in 1996 voted against the Simpson Amendment to S.1664. It was a vote in favor of a chain migration system that has been the primary reason for annual immigration levels snowballing from less than 300,000 in 1965 to around a million. Sen. Hutchison supported provisions that allow immigrants to send for their adult relatives. Then each of those relatives can send for their and their spouse's adult relatives, creating a never-ending and ever-growing chain. The bi-partisan Barbara Jordan Commission recommended doing away with the adult relative categories (begun only in the 1950s) in order to lessen wage depression among lower-paid American workers. The Simpson Amendment attempted to carry out that recommendation. But Sen. Hutchison helped kill the reform by voting with the 80-20 majority against the amendment. Sen. Hutchison's vote helped continue a level of immigration that the Census Bureau projects will result in a doubled U.S. population in the next century.See detailed description
For the edification of other redstaters, here's another page in the site: http://www.ejection2006.com/about.htm
You're talking about running from the frying pan into the fire. Tossing incumbants out means a victory for the party of appeasement in this country ... so by all means, if you want Congress to waste more time and taxpayer money in more endless investigations and circular "impeachment" logic (while ignoring real threats) - work on "throwing the bums out." It's your vote.
While I agree that it's true the GOP could use awhile in the "wilderness," I don't think international politics will give us that luxury.
Hutchison does not do everything to my satisfaction, but she does enough of the right things to make me think she's doing better than her competition would do for Texas.
at least she got the final S2611 vote right. No doubt because of a lot of noise from her constituents.
She is a tad diplomatic, but for the most part can be counted on to do the right thing -- which is more than her Dem opponent can be counted on for.
If you have a problem with any of her stances, write to her office, and she will respond. I have had several snail mail letters from her, and she has explained her stances to my satisfaction.
She voted against funding for the border fence, because there was no provision for where the money was coming from. I believe Texas Senator John Cornyn had more to say about that.
S.1664 is a dumg bill, not even requiring solid identification.
Anytime she votes against any Kennedy sponsored bill, she has my support. Kennedy's a snake
Nice try to publish a hit piece on RedState, but no rec from me.
I have sent dozens of emails, letters and faxes to Hutchison, Cornyn and Texas reps. I get the same form letter answers. Corporations will get their third world labor and Americans will get their pink slips. The belief in "jobs Americans won't do" and lazy, unproductive American engineers and technicians is echoed in all of their writings. "Corporations cannot find qualified Americans". "American schools are not producing talent." "Americans are dropping out of technical professions."
This is pure bullcaca.
The lobbyists for Microsoft, IBM, Intel, HP, chemical, engineering and manufacturing companies are begging Congress every day for more foreign labor, while announcing layoffs of Americans in the tens of thousands.
Foreign workers are the precedent to offshoring.
Have you heard about offshoring? Are you aware of what NAFTA and other "free trade" agreements have done to our economy?
It's called "globalization". Whenever you hear a CEO preaching about globalization, make an effort to check their layoff history and foreign worker importation.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/popups/exporting.ameri...
I beg you, please deny this. I have nothing to do but to load you down with references and information.
Incidently, I am not a Democrat. I am attacking as many Demopubs as Republicrats. They are all on the corporate payrolls.
"I am so far right-wing
I come back in on the far left"
I question whether people like youself are really conservatives because you are begging for protectionism, which is not a right wing fiscal concept. Personally, I do not see the problem with any of these agreements seeing our economy continues to grow at the fastest rate in the industrialized world and we have low unemployment.
Now to say everyone is benefitting from the changes taking place in the economy would be a false statement, but those with an education (most of my generation) are doing well. Hasn't the government been warning people for decades to get an education if you want economic security? I cannot feel a bit of sorrow for any unskilled worker who has not taken the decades of advice to heart.
Maybe I truly believe in the free market and believe its perfectly fine for a company to produce goods at the lowest cost possible. A good example of this is what we are seeing here in Michigan. Everyone wants to blame the leaders for the economic problems, which they do deserve some blame, but the real problem is people believing they have a right to make $35 an hour to do work a machine or an unskilled third world laborer could do for far less. Tell me where you have a constitutional right to work for decent wages? Efficency is far more important from a capitalist/free market perspective not paying someone without skills four times what they deserve.
Piracy, fraud, and slavery must suit your philosophy perfectly.
Your idealism is noble, but immature.
We live in a real world with a lot of unbalanced forces. Tyranny is the ultimate monopoly and expression of a "free market". That is why unions came into effect at the turn of the century and we now have 8-hour work days, minimum wage, child labor laws and anti-trust. The honor system doesn't last very long.
Our overseas competition do not have these laws. Nor do they have retirement plans, health insurance, environmental laws, and 200 years of success.
I am not as anxious as you to go back to the middle ages.
I think you were missing my main point stated in later posts also. I was trying to say, the main cause of this change in the economy is not the influx of cheap labor or the use of cheap labor in other countries, but the development of technology, which requires people to be educated and eliminates the need for many workers. Now you are the one who wants to return to the Middle Ages.
A good example of this reality is the American auto industry. The Big Three have maintained their labor intensive forces and even used cheap third world labor to an extent as in opening factories in Mexico, but they are falling behind year after year. Their counterparts have recognized its important to increase the technology in the production process while still maintaining some high paid employees, most of them are educated to a greater extent. The Japanese have embraced technology while the Big Three continue to try to use their cumbersome and out of date methods. At this rate, I personally hope the Big Three go out of business completely because they are being a fundamental drag on the economy. The Japanese surely can increase their production to offset any fall in the Big Three as they are doing now.
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
How about we save the internal bloodletting for mid-November?
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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.
But if there is to be an Inquisition after November, who is to play the following roles:
Cardinal Ximinez
Cardinal Bibbles
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"…Oh Bugger
Thomas,
As part of the job, but from a totally different movie, you have to be able to sing a song from From the great Mel Brooks and the History of the World Part I.
The Inquisition (what a show)
The Inquisition (here we go)
We know you're wishin' that we'd go away.
But the Inquisition's here and it's here to-
"Hey Toquemada, walk this way."
...
We got big news for all of yous:
You'd better change your point of views TODAY!
'Cause the Inquisition's here and it's here to stay!
Sillyness now "OFF"
_______________________________
Another South Park Republican spouting off !
to fb's remark, we can do a whole lot worse than KBH...and certainly cannot afford to lose any R votes which she consistently brings when it matters...to thomas, absolutely definitely not the time to tear the house asunder...the games begin in earnest AFTER these mid-terms.
dana-we could and HAVE done much worse in TX...MUCH worse.
Proud to be: politically incorrect, straight, white, pro-life Christian, and of the opinion the spotted owl tastes just like chicken.
It's becoming more clear that many with the title Republican are not adhering to conservative values.
Importing massive cheap labor and trading workers is not in our national interests and is also a potential national security risk.
I might not agree with the mass illegal immigration, but there is no reason to oppose allowing workers into the nation to perform jobs nobody else is willing to perform for the going rate.
Maybe my educated mindset is not allowing me to understand the plight of the working man, but from a free market perspective, I would far prefer having lower prices for goods and services than inflated prices because we are paying people too much for a good.
Good example - the Big Three. They have too many workers making too much and ignore inovation while their Japanese counterparts have less employees (they still make comparative wages) and cherish inovation. The problem with the Republican Party is that it has embraced a portion of the population who does not understand basic free market principles. True conservatives support the free market not the protectionist "America first" garbage.
Ryan, the "going rate" is defined by who's willing to do the work for that rate. Thus, you seem to be saying that anyone on the planet should be given permanent residence in the U.S. (or at least a visa) as long as they're willing to work for less than the current lowest bidder at any given job. I can't see that ending well.
About the Japanese... yes, they've generally been kicking the daylights out of the Big 3 for decades. But Japan also has not embraced the "give the job to the lowest-bidding worker, imported or native" idea. Far from that, they've got among the strictest immigration and citizenship laws in the world. Many millions of Chinese would absolutely love to, and have been trying to, transplant themselves to Japan, to do work at rates much lower than those paid to Japanese. The Japanese, wisely, haven't bought into this, and they've done quite well. This is more likely because of, rather than in spite of, their unwillingness to adopt the lowest-imported-bidder mentality. Would you tell them that they've been making some sort of mistake and should import some of that cheap labor just across the Sea of Japan? Tell that to an average Japanese and they will think you are insane.
There are things, both tangible and intangible, that the country is not willing to give up just for potential, and likely very temporary economic benefit.
Why can't we have a week wait before someone can post nonsense?
we were discussing on the super secret hyper secure editor's IM just yesterday (always on the job) how the quality of the diaries, or now blogs, has taken a noticeable header over the past two or three months.
I think we came close to a consensus that quantity absent quality is not a good thing
I just finished my novel...maybe I'lll have time to try to help upgrade the quality! :-)
we're going to lose the House and Senate --- the management can't even reach a consensus about a consensus :-)
John
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Democratic civilization is the first in history to blame itself because another power is trying to destroy it.
... Jean-François Revel
Give Erick a harumph!
Harumph!
You watch your (Democrat).
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
Maybe the witch will drop dead of a heart attack the next time she raises her voting knife to stab the American people in the back. You know they say people's sins follow their families, to what generation I do not remember.
This November, throw the corporate prostitutes out.
http://www.Ejection2006.com