From DrudgeReport2005 website:

FLASHBACK: Dem Senate Leader Harry Reid: 'Our Federal Wallet Stretched To Limit By Illegal Aliens Getting Welfare'

'Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally'

August 5, 1993

The Office of Sen. Harry Reid issued the following:

In response to increased terrorism and abuse of social programs by aliens, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today introduced the first and only comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress.

Currently, an alien living illegally in the United States often pays no taxes but receives unemployment, welfare, free medical care and other federal benefits. Recent terrorist acts, including the World Trade Center bombing, have underscored the need to keep violent criminals out of the country.

Reid's bill, the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, overhauls the nation's immigration laws and calls for a massive scale-down of immigrants allowed into the country from approximately 800,000 to 300,000.

The bill also changes asylum laws to prevent phony asylum seekers. Reid said the U.S. open door policy is being abused at the expense of honest, working citizens.

"We are a country founded upon fairness and justice," Reid said. "An individual in real threat of torture or long-term incarceration because of his or her political beliefs can still seek asylum. But this bill closes the door to those who want to abuse America's inherent generosity and legal system."

Reid's bill also cracks down on illegal immigration. The 1990 census reported 3.3 million illegal aliens in America. Recent estimates indicate about 2.5 million immigrants illegally entered the United States last year.

"Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs," Reid said. "The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement.

"Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes.

"Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world. "Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally," Reid said.

Specific provisions of Reid's Immigration Stabilization Act include the following:

-- Reduces annual legal immigration levels from approximately 800,000 admissions per year to about 300,000. Relatives other than spouse or minor children will be admitted only if already on immigration waiting lists and their admission does not raise annual immigration levels above 300,000.

-- Reforms asylum rules to prevent aliens from entering the United States illegally under phony "asylum" claims.

-- Expands list of felonies considered "aggravated" felonies requiring exclusion and deportation of criminal aliens. Allows courts to order deportation at time of sentencing.

-- Increases penalties for failing to depart or re-entering the United States after a final order of deportation order. Increases maximum penalties for visa fraud from five years to 10 years.

-- Curtails alien smuggling by authorizing interdiction and repatriation of aliens seeking to enter the United States unlawfully by sea. Increases penalties for alien smuggling.

-- Adds "alien smuggling" to the list of crimes subject to sanctions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Expands the categories of property that are forfeited when used to facilitate the smuggling or harboring of illegal aliens.

-- Clarifies that a person born in the United States to an alien mother who is not a lawful resident is not a U.S. citizen. This will eliminate incentive for pregnant alien women to enter the United States illegally, often at risk to mother and child, for the purpose of acquiring citizenship for the child and accompanying federal financial benefits.

-- Mandates that aliens who cannot demonstrably support themselves without public or private assistance are excludable. This will prevent admission of aliens likely to be dependent on public financial support. This requirement extends to the sponsor of any family sponsored immigrant.

-- Increases border security and patrol officers to 9,900 full-time positions.

END

Now, he's threatening to fillibuster a bill that is incredibly similar?

Hypocrisy thy name is DemoCrap.

Eric The(Nativist)Hun

There are few pleasures in the world more sublime than hoisting liberals on a petard made from their own words.

But....but......hey, thats not fair using his own words against him.
Ya big meanie.

Heard this on Rush today....amazing isn't it.

I can't wait to here his "explanation"

Rush Limbaugh suggested that the House Republicans resurrect the bill and submit it for a vote!

BTW, did y'all catch his interview with Tom DeLay?

Interesting stuff.

Eric The(Dittohead)Hun

I like the fact that there were target levels mentioned.  Does any of the current proposed legislation contain target levels of illegal aliens?

Randall

1965, .. Hart-Seller Act , Amnesty and it fails so go forward to ,,,

1986..IRCA Amnesty and it fails so we get reform in

1994  Reforms to IRCA Amnesty and it too has failed.


Amnesty doesn't work.  3 strikes....yer out!

The media doesn't hold liberals to the same standard of hypocrisy they do conservatives.  When I see this in the LA Times or the NY Times on the front page (or on CBS News) I'll believe differently.

Guinness/BRILLIANT!/Guinness.



-K

Harry Reid is such a tool.  When you close your eyes and listen to him talk, he sounds remarkably similar ro Tom Dashle.

He....hehe

You said petard

Quoted: From DrudgeReport2005 website: FLASHBACK: Dem Senate Leader Harry Reid: 'Our Federal Wallet Stretched To Limit By Illegal Aliens Getting Welfare' 'Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally' August 5, 1993 The Office of Sen. Harry Reid issued the following: In response to increased terrorism and abuse of social programs by aliens, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) today introduced the first and only comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress. Currently, an alien living illegally in the United States often pays no taxes but receives unemployment, welfare, free medical care and other federal benefits. Recent terrorist acts, including the World Trade Center bombing, have underscored the need to keep violent criminals out of the country. Reid's bill, the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, overhauls the nation's immigration laws and calls for a massive scale-down of immigrants allowed into the country from approximately 800,000 to 300,000. The bill also changes asylum laws to prevent phony asylum seekers. Reid said the U.S. open door policy is being abused at the expense of honest, working citizens. "We are a country founded upon fairness and justice," Reid said. "An individual in real threat of torture or long-term incarceration because of his or her political beliefs can still seek asylum. But this bill closes the door to those who want to abuse America's inherent generosity and legal system." Reid's bill also cracks down on illegal immigration. The 1990 census reported 3.3 million illegal aliens in America. Recent estimates indicate about 2.5 million immigrants illegally entered the United States last year. "Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs," Reid said. "The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement. "Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes. "Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world. "Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally," Reid said. Specific provisions of Reid's Immigration Stabilization Act include the following: -- Reduces annual legal immigration levels from approximately 800,000 admissions per year to about 300,000. Relatives other than spouse or minor children will be admitted only if already on immigration waiting lists and their admission does not raise annual immigration levels above 300,000. -- Reforms asylum rules to prevent aliens from entering the United States illegally under phony "asylum" claims. -- Expands list of felonies considered "aggravated" felonies requiring exclusion and deportation of criminal aliens. Allows courts to order deportation at time of sentencing. -- Increases penalties for failing to depart or re-entering the United States after a final order of deportation order. Increases maximum penalties for visa fraud from five years to 10 years. -- Curtails alien smuggling by authorizing interdiction and repatriation of aliens seeking to enter the United States unlawfully by sea. Increases penalties for alien smuggling. -- Adds "alien smuggling" to the list of crimes subject to sanctions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Expands the categories of property that are forfeited when used to facilitate the smuggling or harboring of illegal aliens. -- Clarifies that a person born in the United States to an alien mother who is not a lawful resident is not a U.S. citizen. This will eliminate incentive for pregnant alien women to enter the United States illegally, often at risk to mother and child, for the purpose of acquiring citizenship for the child and accompanying federal financial benefits. -- Mandates that aliens who cannot demonstrably support themselves without public or private assistance are excludable. This will prevent admission of aliens likely to be dependent on public financial support. This requirement extends to the sponsor of any family sponsored immigrant. -- Increases border security and patrol officers to 9,900 full-time positions. END Now, he's threatening to fillibuster a bill that is incredibly similar? Hypocrisy thy name is DemoCrap. Eric The(Nativist)Hun

It would be a good start, this is the kind of thinking that we need

We can worry about a guest worker AFTER we find out how long it will take to secure our border

I don't think they will ever secure the border, they have been letting the mexican military escort
drug shipments in this country for DECADES, they aren't planning on stopping it anytime soon

Reid just knows "what side of the bread his butter is on."

Without illegal immigrants, Las Vegas and much of Nevada would grind to a halt.

Quoted: The 1990 census reported 3.3 million illegal aliens in America. Recent estimates indicate about 2.5 million immigrants illegally entered the United States last year.

Ah, the good ol'days.

And so for the past 15 years we've allowed 1-2 million illegal aliens per year and now we're easily at around 20million.


And notice how the WordMasters had not yet bastardized the language on the issue yet - they were still referring to them as "illegal aliens". Just TRY to find a major media news story that uses that phrase today.

Nowadays they're "undocumented immigrants".

"undocumented".... much more bland-sounding and bureaucratic than "illegal".
"immigrant".... much more quaint and folksy-sounding than "alien".

Yessiree, the WordMasters have really done a job on changing the words used in this issue - He who defines the terms wins the debate.

Quoted: Harry Reid is such a tool.  When you close your eyes and listen to him talk, he sounds remarkably similar ro Tom Dashle.

He sounds just like him, He is an embarrassment. When he was reelected and became minority leader after Dashles defeat as a sitting minority leader I wrote a letter to the editor in the local fishwrap with my hopes that he didn't learn too much from Dashle while he served as his underling.

Sadly he has continued Dashle's ways, come 2008 hopefully we can end his career as the Senior Senator from Nevada. Either that or another stroke, a nice big one this time.

Here is a little more in the same vein

Harry Reid: now and then
Apr 4 2006
By TimChapman
www.townhall.com/blogs/capitolreport/TimChapman/story/2006/04/04/192542.html
A friend on the Hill has put together some astonishing quotes from Harry Reid. It turns out that Harry Reid's stance on immigration back in 1993 would make some Republicans of today blush.

Why the change of heart Harry?

Pasted below are Reid statements on the Senate floor from 1993 and 2006:

ECONOMY AND JOBS

NOW: Half a million people come across every year. The fact is, our economy depends on them and absorbs them. Some sectors of the economy would literally shut down without them.

THEN: …for every seven immigrants who enter the job market, one blue-collar American worker loses a job. The INS routinely issues work authorization without regard to the number of jobs the economy is creating.

In certain professions--for example, engineering--we have a surplus of labor in this country. However, the Labor Department allows American companies to bring in foreign engineers. We now admit the equivalent of a major city each year, without having the vaguest idea of how we will educate all the new children, care for the sick, provide housing, jobs, build infrastructure, or attend to any of the human needs of the newcomers or those already here. At a time of huge budget deficits and severe financial constraints, we have no idea of how these huge costs will be borne. We just do it.

HARRY REID: NOW VS. THEN Reid’s statements on the Senate Floor in 2006 and in 1993 AMNESTY AND REWARDS

NOW: One crucial element of this strategy is to provide incentives for the undocumented immigrants already in the country to step out of the shadows.

THEN: In 1986, we granted amnesty--and I voted against that provision in law--we granted amnesty to 3.2 million illegal immigrants. After being in this country for 10 years, the average amnesty recipient had a sixth-grade education, earned less than $6 an hour, and presently qualifies for the earned-income tax credit. If making it easy to be an illegal alien is not enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane country would do that, right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and guarantee full access to all public and social services this society provides. And that is a lot of services. Is it any wonder that two-thirds of the babies born at taxpayer expense in county-run hospitals in Los Angeles are born to illegal alien mothers? Even after Congress has passed massive legalization programs, millions of individuals do not lawfully reside in the United States today, and many more continue to cheat the rules and continue to enter unlawfully. Under our immigration laws, cheaters tend to prosper. [The Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993 introduced by Sen. Reid] prohibits violators of immigration laws from filing for immigrant status.

HARRY REID: NOW VS. THEN Reid’s statements on the Senate Floor in 2006 and in 1993 NATIONAL SECURITY AND CRIME

NOW: Of course most of these eleven million pose no threat. By shifting the flow of undocumented immigrants to legal channels and creating a hard-earned path to citizenship for those already here, we can finally focus on catching the criminals and terrorists who put our nation at risk.

THEN: The issue of crime and public safety is the No. 1 concern of most Americans. Immigration clearly is related to our crime problem. A quarter of all felons in Federal prisons are not even citizens of our country. Unfortunately this shocking number suggests that a disproportionate number of crimes are being committed by immigrants, many of whom are here illegally. In 48 of 50 States, illegal aliens can get a driver's license, the de facto ID document in this country, without having to prove that they are legally in this country in the first place. If you think this is no big deal, think again. Mohammed Salameh, an illegal alien and the alleged driver of the bomb-laden truck that blew up the World Trade Center, happened to live in New Jersey--illegally, of course--one of the two States that actually bothers to require proof of legal residence. So he crossed the Hudson River and got himself a driver's license in New York--very simple. He was not a legal resident of the United States. He was not a resident of New York legally or New Jersey or any State. But the State of New York handed him that vital document needed to live and work, not to mention rent a truck that he could place explosives on, with no questions asked and no proof required. And we wonder in this country why we have an illegal immigration problem.