Kansas Democrat breaks ranks on amnesty

posted at 12:08 am on April 8, 2007 by see-dubya
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I can’t find anything to link to, so I guess I’ll have to do this the hard way. This isn’t getting covered on any of the news wires or CNN’s own page, but I heard this on CNN the other day and I chased down a transcript. Sitting in for Lou Dobbs is the wonderfully named Kitty Pilgrim; sitting in for the typical Democratic insanity is Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kansas:

BOYDA: Well, I’ve gone to leadership, and I’m very proud to be a Democrat, and I’ve just said, listen, we’re going to have to part company. This whole thing on amnesty and immigration is an important issue in my district, and I think in the entire country.

And on a given day, I said I’m not sure you understand the amount of outrage that’s going on in our country by not enforcing our laws and protecting our borders.

PILGRIM: All right. Congresswoman Boyda, I’d like to actually read a section of this for the benefit of our viewers.

In this letter [signed by 98 Republicans and two Democrats--seedub], you write, “Amnesty encourages more illegal immigration. It tells all those who have patiently waited abroad that they are foolish.” And it goes on to say, “The United States has the most generous legal immigration system in the world. We should take the side of American workers and taxpayers, legal immigrants, and the rule of law.”

What is your chief concern — yes, go ahead.

BOYDA: Let me also say, Kitty, there is — we — there was a letter that was kind of a companion letter that also went to President Bush saying, please, you know, the American people are asking you. And what we’re asking for is that we provide security first, secure the borders, protect the boarders, and then find a way to enforce the laws.

And when I talk to leadership, I just say there’s no trust with the American people after what happened in 1986. Nobody believes that the enforcement is going to come, so show that you’re going to have some enforcement. Show that you’re going to protect the borders, and then we’ll talk about how we take care of the rest of the issue. It’s a huge, massive, massive problem.

PILGRIM: Now, this letter to President Bush talks about the employers, the crack-down on employers. We’ve seen a flurry of raids, very high-profile raids. The numbers not particularly large in — you know, in contrast to how many illegal aliens are actually working in this country.

What’s your view of the efforts that are being made at this point?

BOYDA: Really, we need to start and say our employers need a system that they can even have to verify who’s here legally or not legally. Right now that’s so much of the problem. Employers don’t know. There’s no system. And you just have to ask was there ever intended to be a system?

You know, they’ve had 20 years to put it together, and it’s not together. Well, gee, maybe they never wanted a system. We’ve got to have a system that allows employers to be able to show who is here legally or not and then take the necessary action.

And that’s to me what I’ve told leadership I think that needs to be done first. And then again to continue working on protecting the border, as well. Show the American people you’re serious. And then — then let’s start talking about how we — how we integrate everybody into the country.

Rep. Boyda’s site doesn’t have those letters up yet, but I’d like to see them.

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