PenceBlog: <b>Founder of Minuteman Project comments on the Pence Plan<b> - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence : 6th District Of Indiana

The founder of the Minuteman Project, Jim Gilchrist, commented on the Pence Plan Monday on KOGO AM in San Diego.

To listen to Gilchrist's comments and the Congressman's interview with Mark Larson, visit this site and scroll down to the section on the right side entitled "Mark Larson Podcast."

Here is a transcript of the show when Gilchrist called in:

Mark Larson: You never know who is listening to the program here. Jim Gilchrist just called in. He does once in awhile. He joins us here on KOGO. You’re on with Mike Pence, welcome…

Jim Gilchrist: Hi, thank you for having me on. Mike, terrific, I really like what you’re saying here, and I’m just elated that even representatives from Indiana are getting on this issue. My only question to you is that there is so much feeling out here of mistrust that any of these laws will be enforced, what assurance are we going to have as American citizens that these laws will be actually enforced?

Congressman Mike Pence: Well Jim, Mark just called me a national leader--that actually would accurately be applied to you on this.

Mark Larson: Ok, you’re both national leaders…

Congressman Mike Pence: Jim, I think there’s an essential element…Johnny Isakson came up with a proposal in the Senate that we included in my bill, which I hope that you will take a look at the bill and the executive summary that are on my web site, mikepence.house.gov. We posted the draft bill today. The assurance that we will have in my legislation is that we will have two years, while we are setting up these Ellis Island centers before one of them can open, we’re going to have two years that is exclusively border security and setting up the apparatus for employer sanctions. At the end of that two-year period of time under my legislation, as Senator Johnny Isakson proposed, we’re going to ask the secretary of Homeland Security to certify that the border security measures in the legislation have been substantially completed before a single new guest worker visa is issued at the new Ellis Island centers outside the United States. That’s the assurance, that unless and until the Secretary of Homeland Security signs off that the border security measures in the legislation have been substantially completed, meaning the 700 miles of fence, the UAV’s, the additional personnel, the additional incarceration facilities, then we just don’t go forward with the program. To me, it’s first things first, border security first, but that doesn’t mean that in the legislation, Jim, we can’t build a no amnesty guest worker program to meet the needs of the economy in an orderly way.

Jim Gilchrist: Thanks Mike. I agree, and the Minuteman Project has never been anti-immigrant or anti any guest workers. We know that there is a need for some, we just don’t need 30 million here to pick strawberries. Meantime, until the Minuteman Project sees results Mr. Pence, and this is, I am commending you for what you’ve done I’m very impressed, I’m not trying to intimidate you with this comment, but until we see results, we’re continuing to assemble on the border. We’re going to have the largest and longest one launching on 9/11 and going all the way through November 7, Federal Election Day, at Laredo, Texas. We hope to get 10,000 volunteers on this one.

Congressman Mike Pence: Well, Jim thank you for founding the Minuteman Project, thank you for all of the decent, God-fearing, law-abiding, men and women who have participated in it and we appreciate you very much here on Capitol Hill.

Mark Larson: Jim, appreciate the call.

posted by Pence Press Office # 9:53 AM