Friday, June 30, 2006
Transcript of Pence's press conference with White House reporters following Oval Office meeting with President, VP
 Here is a transcript of the press conference Rep. Pence held with White House reporters following his Oval Office meeting with President Bush on Wednesday:
PENCE: I'm Congressman Mike Pence, and I'm chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. I represent the Sixth District of Indiana. I just came from a meeting in the Oval Office with the president and with Vice President Cheney. We met for about 40 minutes on the subject of immigration reform. The president invited me over last week to talk about a proposal that I offered in a speech to Heritage Foundation a month ago that would essentially put border security first, have the secretary of homeland security certify the borders within the end of two years and then, at that time, we would create a private sector-based system of what I call Ellis Island centers outside the United States of America where people who are in this country illegally could leave the country briefly, have a background check, their employment confirmed, and a health screening and return to the United States under the color of the law. I call it a no-amnesty guest worker program. And the president listened intently. He told me that he was intrigued with my proposal. And he said he found it interesting. And what was perhaps most meaningful to me was the president expressed his appreciation for my willingness to step forward on this issue and to bring a new idea into this critical national debate.
QUESTION: Did he indicate to you at all that he was willing to maybe adjust his plan at all?
PENCE: Well, I think I'd leave that for you to ask the president. But I will tell you that I was expecting about 15 minutes with the president; it went about 40 minutes. And he peppered me with very detailed questions about the policy and the proposal and the workability of it. And as I said, he said he was very intrigued by it and he thought it was an interesting idea to ask the free enterprise system, the private sector, to create these Ellis Island centers outside the United States of America. And I would leave it at that. But I left with the undeniable impression that the president of the United States thought our proposal was worth considering. Anyone else?
QUESTION: Last night, Chris Cannon won his primary out in -- wherever he was.
PENCE: Utah.
QUESTION: Utah. Thank you very much. And he bashed the president's proposal. What does this mean for the immigration debate, do you think?
PENCE: Well, I think that, first off, I did take the opportunity to thank the president and the first lady for campaigning for our colleague, Chris Cannon. Chris Cannon not only won a decisive victory in the Utah primary, but he won a decisive victory in a low turn-out primary, which should give some indication that those of us who are calling for tough border security measures in some kind of a comprehensive bill can know that we're standing on a sure foundation of support among Republican voters. Chris Cannon and I have spoken about my proposal. I won't characterize his view of it, but he's expressed enthusiasm for many of the ideas that I've promoted. And interestingly, from my perspective, his opponent in that primary, when asked what his position was on illegal immigration, said that he was somewhere between the position of Mike Pence and Tom Tancredo. His opponent, Mr. Cannon's opponent, actually advocated what he called a fast pass that would ask illegal immigrants to leave the country briefly, much in the some way my proposal would work. And so, those of us who believe that the American people want us to solve this problem, but want us to solve it in a principled way, without amnesty, think that Chris Cannon's victory yesterday was a very important step toward resolving this problem for the American people.
QUESTION: Congressman, did you speak about any of the other immigration issues with the president? Did you talk to him about the delay that the House now has on immigration? Is the president disappointed with that or support for that?
PENCE: We talked a little bit about some of the dynamics in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. The president was very curious about conversations that I was having with colleagues in both chambers. I informed him that I had sit-down meetings with Senator McCain, with Senator Kennedy, with Senator Kyl and Senator Cornyn as well as the leadership in the House. And he was appropriately curious about the feedback that I was getting. And I told him that while none of those people had endorsed my proposal, by a far stretch, all of them were interested, and those conversations on our no-amnesty guest worker program are ongoing.
QUESTION: But, getting off your proposal, how concerned is the president about the delay that the House has put forward in considering immigration legislation? He's really asked for it as soon as possible.
PENCE: He seemed in an awfully good mood about immigration reform in the Oval Office today. I found him to be optimistic, positive. I think he is very confident that the American people want some form of a comprehensive solution. And he showed me nothing today other than a confidence that we would solve this problem in a principled way for the American people. And quite honestly, he expressed, rather repeatedly, his appreciation for my willingness to step forward with a new idea of a way we might be able to move this legislation without amnesty.
QUESTION: Do you think it should be considered before the November election? September, October, at best?
PENCE: I think it should be considered without regard to politics. I think there are, in every generation of America, there is an issue or two that rises above politics. And I believe this is an issue that has captured both the anxiety and the imagination of the American people. And I think it would be a grievous error for the House of Representatives to pass the amnesty bill the Senate adopted, but I also think that millions of Americans will be disappointed if we don't find a principled way to secure our border and to meet the needs of our economy without amnesty in the very near future.
QUESTION: Why is it still amnesty when people have to pay a fine, get back in the line? The point that the White House makes is that it's not amnesty because it's basically a punishment and amnesty is a get-out-of-jail-free card.
PENCE: Well, part of my emphasis today with the president was to try and explain to him -- and the vice president, who was also in the meeting -- how I and other House conservatives, and I think millions of Americans, define amnesty. And it's very simply this: that if you can get right with the law by simply paying a fine or paying back taxes, that's amnesty. If you return home and apply for the legal right to be in the United States of America, that doesn't involve amnesty because you're applying for that visa outside the United States of America. I really believe that most House Republicans and, frankly, most Americans view allowing an individual whose first act in this country was a violation of law to get right with the law without going home is amnesty. But the only reason -- the new idea in the Pence plan is that we can reasonably ask people to make a short trip home because we're creating a whole new system of private placement centers that we call Ellis Island centers that would in an orderly way over a three-year period of time be able to process 10 million to 12 million people and return them to our workforce.
QUESTION: Did the president reject the notion that what he's proposing is amnesty?
PENCE: Well, he wasn't shy about expressing his opinion on anything. But I want to emphasize the meeting was very cordial. He repeatedly said he was intrigued by my proposal. He listened very intently at how I and other House Republicans define amnesty. He defended his definition. But he was -- I found it a very engaging conversation. I found the president -- I found him very intent on listening to new ideas.
QUESTION: Were you expecting the vice president to be there? And what did you make out of the fact that the president brought him in on the conversation?
PENCE: Well, I was not expecting the vice president to be there up until yesterday. The White House informed me that what was to be a meeting with the president in the Oval Office would also include the vice president. And I took it as a great honor, but also as some evidence of the administration's genuine desire to look at every idea that's out there.
QUESTION: But nothing close to an endorsement or support for your idea?
PENCE: No, sir. I want to be very emphatic with all of you: There was no endorsement. The president, though, did say rather repeatedly that he thought my idea was interesting and he found it personally intriguing, the idea of using the private sector to construct a new system of private placement firms outside the United States.
QUESTION: I just want to recall, he initiated this meeting. He reached out to you.
PENCE: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: Said, Let's come over and let's talk about this.
PENCE: The president invited me to the White House.
QUESTION: Just to be clear, you think that not only the Senate bill but what the president is proposing is also amnesty, is that correct?
PENCE: I think the aspect of the president's public remarks that would permit an individual to pay a fine or to pay back taxes and to remain in the United States and get right with the law is amnesty. And that's an honest difference of opinion and semantics. But what I was here to share really was just the view of a House conservative, to say, Here's a guest worker bill that I am prepared to support that is a no-amnesty guest worker bill. And I believe, with some exceptions, that many House Republicans and many House conservatives would be willing to support a comprehensive bill with a guest worker program so long as it required illegal immigrants to return home to make application to participate.
QUESTION: Do you specifically ever support some people for this, what you propose? Do you have like...
PENCE: We do. I was able to share with the president that, while my proposal has its critics, I've been very humbled by the likes of Paul Wyrick and Newt Gingrich, David Keene of the American Conservative Union, John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. Other well- known thought leaders and commentators in the conservative movement have spoken favorably about our bill, seen it as an acceptable compromise. And that's been very encouraging to me. The president, he did say repeatedly, and I want to say he achieved his mission in this, he was rather insistent on hoping that I left the meeting encouraged. He repeatedly thanked me for being willing to come forward. And he reiterated, I hope you're encouraged by this meeting. And having never been in the Oval Office, this grandson of an Irish immigrant was able to tell the president of the United States that I was encouraged.
QUESTION: Have you got (inaudible) on this thing (inaudible)
PENCE: We've gotten a very good response from many colleagues. I haven't yet dropped the bill. I've had a number of colleagues say they're interested in cosponsoring legislation when we move it, but we're not actually in that process yet. We're trying to really float an idea for a no-amnesty guest worker bill that would put border security first and only for the first two years. And the response has been very encouraging. Thank you all.
Washington Post: President Bush "intrigued" with Pence Plan
Congressman Pence's Wednesday meeting with President Bush is mentioned in an article about immigration is today's Washington Post:
"Also this week, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) met with Bush and Vice President Cheney to discuss his proposal for a guest worker program that would roll out only after the government certifies that the border is secure.
"'The president listened intently,' Pence told reporters. 'He told me that he was intrigued with my proposal.'"
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson says federal media shield "much-needed"
Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson today penned this op-ed in The Washington Post about the need for a federal media shield.
Here are two excerpts:
"The Senate Judiciary Committee will soon take up a bill entitled the Free Flow of Information Act of 2006, sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators and modeled in large part on the Justice Department guidelines."
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"This legislation is long overdue and should be enacted. It will not, contrary to its opponents' arguments, hamper law enforcement. The 49 states and the District of Columbia that have such protection have experienced no diminution of law enforcement efforts as a result of these shield laws. Nor will it give reporters any special license beyond the type of common-sense protection we already accord to communications between lawyers and clients, penitents and clerics, doctors and patients and among spouses -- where we believe that some degree of confidentiality of communications furthers broad social goals."
Congressman Pence is the House author of the Free Flow of Information Act.
Congressman Pence discusses Pence Plan with President George W. Bush
 Yesterday Congressman Pence met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office to discuss the Pence Plan: No Amnesty Immigration Reform.
As Amy Fagan and Stephen Dinan of The Washington Times write in this article, "Mr. Bush met yesterday with Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, who has proposed his own broad immigration plan that includes a guest-worker program for current illegal aliens and future foreign workers, but only after the Department of Homeland Security certifies that the borders are secure."
Here is another excerpt from the article:
"The Pence plan would not preclude allowing illegal aliens to obtain citizenship eventually, but Mr. Pence said the aliens must be required to go home and apply at privately run 'Ellis Island centers' in order to come back as part of a legal worker program. He said many senators fundamentally misunderstand House Republicans' objections to the Senate bill.
"'They think path to citizenship is how the House defines amnesty, and I've been trying to convey that amnesty for most House members is if you can get right with the law by paying a fine, that's amnesty,' he said. 'The path to citizenship is just an extension of that amnesty.'
"Mr. Pence, the chairman of the influential conservative House Republican Study Committee, said Mr. Bush didn't make any commitments but was 'intrigued' by his plan and asked very specific questions.
"'I haven't been questioned like that since the ... ninth grade,' Mr. Pence said."
Maureen Groppe of the Indy Star also gives an account of the meeting in this article.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Washington Times-- Pence: "Majority of House conservatives would be open to a no-amnesty guest-worker program"
Amy Fagan of the Washington Times provides another update on the immigration issue in this article penned today.
"Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, said it's a 'very big deal' that Mr. Specter is willing to put border security first in the final bill. He also said he has a bill that may bridge the 'amnesty' divide between the two chambers because he thinks many House Republicans could accept a guest-worker program that requires illegal aliens to return to their home country before they can apply for it.
"He has a proposal that would set up a privately run system to do this, and he thinks this 'no-amnesty guest-worker' program could work.
"'I think the majority of House conservatives would be open to a no-amnesty guest-worker program,' he said.
"His bill also would set up a time frame, dedicating two years exclusively to border security before progressing to the rest of the bill.
"Mr. Specter told The Times on Monday that his staff is reviewing Mr. Pence's proposal.
"Mr. Pence said the Senate bill's citizenship approach is a 'non-starter' in the House because it would let illegal aliens remain in the U.S. and eventually become legal, which most Republicans reject as amnesty."
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
NYT's John Tierney: Just Don't Call It Amensty
Today's column by John Tierney in the NY Times contains some interesting information about the immigration debate.
(Tierney's column can be accessed via subscription at www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html)
Here are the take away paragraphs:
Pay more attention to a recent national poll of likely Republican voters conducted by the Tarrance Group for the Manhattan Institute. These Republicans liked the House's seal-the-border approach to immigration less than the comprehensive approach favored by the Senate and President Bush: combine tough enforcement with a chance for the illegal immigrants already here to pay a fine, become legal and eventaully earn citizenship.
You call this amnesty, and nearly 40 percent of the poll's respondents agreed. Yet 75 percent of all the Republicans favored it anyway.
If you're still terrified of the A-word, consider how Republicans defined it in the poll. It made a big difference how an immigrant went about applying for legal status. If he could apply while staying in America, that was considered a form of amnesty by nearly 60 percent of the respondents. But if he had to go back to his native country and apply, then only 22 percent called it amnesty.
To Mike Pence, that poll result is a "window of opportunity." Pence, the Indiana Republican who leads the House conservative caucus, is dead set against the Senate immigration bill, which he considers amnesty. But he thinks there's a deal to be made before the election by giving immigrants an incentive to go to their home countries in order to get a visa.
Pence wants to beef up border security immediately, and then, once the measures are in place two years later, open up "Ellis Island centers" in Mexico and Central American countries that would quickly match foreign workers with American companies.
If the worker passed background checks and an American employer promised to hire him, he'd get a high tech ID card and a guest-worker visa. During the first three years of the program, there'd be no cap on the number of visas: workers could get visas as long as they had jobs waiting for them.
Washington Times: Pence, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter discuss Pence Plan
Stephen Dinan authored an article in today's Washington Times on the topic of immigration. The article includes a lengthy interview with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter.
Here is an excerpt:
"Mr. Specter also said he has spoken with Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, whose immigration proposal includes a guest-worker program, and has asked his staff to look at Mr. Pence's plan."
Monday, June 26, 2006
Christian Science Monitor: Three in four likely Republican voters back border security, guest-worker immigration plan
Here is an excerpt from an article in today's Christian Science Monitor:
"Meanwhile, a proposal by Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana adopts border- security measures in the House bill. Instead of the path to citizenship provided in the Senate bill, the Pence plan requires those in the country illegally to apply for a work visa outside the United States. Private companies would issue work visas and conduct background checks of workers, as well as providing biometric identifiers for guest workers.
"Once the new program is in place, there would be tough sanctions against employers who violated it.
"'Very clearly, neither [the Senate nor the House] side is going to win clearly and completely,' says Helen Krieble of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, which is pushing its own guest-worker plan. Border security plus a guest-worker plan 'is the only middle ground there is,' she adds, citing a private poll showing that 3 in 4 likely Republican voters back such a plan."
WSJ: MIT scholar says "There Is No 'Consensus' On Global Warming"
Richard Lindzen writes this editorial about global warming in today's Wall Street Journal.
Here is an excerpt:
"So what, then, is one to make of this alleged debate? I would suggest at least three points.
"First, nonscientists generally do not want to bother with understanding the science. Claims of consensus relieve policy types, environmental advocates and politicians of any need to do so. Such claims also serve to intimidate the public and even scientists -- especially those outside the area of climate dynamics.
"Secondly, given that the question of human attribution largely cannot be resolved, its use in promoting visions of disaster constitutes nothing so much as a bait-and-switch scam. That is an inauspicious beginning to what Mr. Gore claims is not a political issue but a 'moral' crusade.
"Lastly, there is a clear attempt to establish truth not by scientific methods but by perpetual repetition. An earlier attempt at this was accompanied by tragedy. Perhaps Marx was right. This time around we may have farce -- if we're lucky."
Friday, June 23, 2006
Family Security Matters gives Pence immigration plan "two thumbs up"
 Family Security Matters, "a national organization created to give Americans the tools to become involved citizens and powerful defenders of our homes, our families, and our communities," praised Congressman Pence's immigration plan in its weekly update:
Here is an excerpt:
"In a week where Congress appears hardheadedly determined to accomplish anything at all on the illegal immigration/border security front, Rep. Mike Pence offered a welcome alternative. While his colleagues were busy delaying any action until September, when they will be appropriately distracted by campaigning and Washington’s lovely fall weather, Pence presented an appealing plan that combined the best of the House and Senate’s divergent visions of reform. Pence would dedicate massive, no-nonsense resources to securing the border and then – only then – implement a guest worker plan that did not reward illegality and that did not add a new layer to an already unwieldy bureaucracy. Two thumbs up, Rep. Pence!"
Congressman Pence featured in NPR Morning Edition story on estate tax relief
Congressman Pence is featured in NPR Morning Edition's story about estate tax relief.
To listen, click here.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Reuters: Poll reveals GOP voters want immigration reform now
Today the Tarrance Group released a nationwide survey of registered likely Republican voters on the immigration issue. An executive summary of the poll, commissioned by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, is available here.
For more coverage of the poll, please read this Reuters article.
AP: Pence continues push for complete repeal of "onerous death tax"
Today the House voted 269-156 in favor of the Permanent Estate Tax Relief Act.
Here is an excerpt an AP article covering the vote:
"The House bill would replace that temporary law by reducing, but not eliminating, the estate tax. The House's most conservative Republicans said they could accept the proposed compromise but no more.
"'Let me say, having spoken to many of my colleagues who share my belief that we should repeal this onerous death tax outright, that if this is the deal, it's a good deal for the American people,' said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. 'But we say with conviction, this far and no farther.'"
Investor's Business Daily: Pence Plan practical compromise between House and Senate
Congressman Pence's immigration plan is mentioned in an editorial in Investor's Business Daily.
Here is an excerpt:
"Rep. Mike Pence, the influential chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, has already put one such plan on the table, and there may be others. Pence's plan would have illegal workers go across the border to privately run 'Ellis Island' centers to be matched with employers who need their services.
"After that, they could work here legally for three years, with the possibility of renewing their legal status for another three years as long as they've learned English.
"This is not 'amnesty' by any reasonable definition, though some may still see it that way. It would convert most working illegal immigrants to strictly temporary residents and leave the reward of citizenship to others.
"Bush ought to find such a plan acceptable, since he has been pushing for a guest-worker program all along. At least a few Senate Democrats would probably make the same decision, if only out of political prudence."
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Pence says passage of Senate immigration bill "would disappoint millions of Americans"
Yesterday House leadership announced plans for a nationwide evalution of Senate-passed immigration legislation this August.
Congressman Pence weighed in on the Senate legislation in two different articles today.
Here is an excerpt from an article in Roll Call: (please note a subscription is required)
"Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who has been pushing his own compromise measure, said that House Members 'would do well to expose the Senate bill for what it is.'
"'I think job one for House Republicans should be to expose and dismantle the amnesty bill proposed by the Senate,' Pence said. 'I still hope we can have a compromise bill with no amnesty.'"
Here is an excerpt from an article in CQ Today: (please note a subscription is required)
"'I just believe the worst thing we can do is pass the Senate bill,' said Mike Pence, R-Ind. 'We would disappoint millions of Americans and Republican voters.'"
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul Weyrich calls Pence Plan "one great start" towards immigration solution
Free Congress Foundation Chairman Paul Weyrich wrote this column today in support of the Pence Plan.
The following are excerpts from the column:
Into this political impasse has stepped the impressive, thoughtful and energetic Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, Representative Mike Pence (R-IN). He has introduced a bill which possibly could serve as a compromise in trying to resolve the immigration issue.
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As to policy the Pence bill would do four things. First, it would secure the border. Pence believes, as do many of his House colleagues, that this is a matter of national security. He wants that done first and in that sense he is close to the House position as indicated in its bill.
Second, he would deny amnesty to anyone who has come to the United States illegally. That is in direct contradiction to the Senate bill which would, in effect, provide amnesty for current and perhaps future illegals.
Third, Pence would put in place a guest-worker program, without amnesty, to assist American employers who need temporary workers. But those who participate in the guest-worker program would be required to legally have entered our country.
Finally, the Pence bill would provide for tough sanctions against employers who hire illegals. Pence calls for a full partnership in this regard between American business and law enforcement to assure that his program works.
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The Pence plan represents the basis for a fair compromise between the House bill and the Senate measure.
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The Pence bill deserves serious consideration. It is perhaps fine emotionally to say we permanently should send home all illegal aliens. Even if we went to the expense of flying them all home, most would find a way to return. We simply do not know who is making it across our border. Pence should be applauded for seeking a reasonable compromise. All bills go through revisions before becoming law. No doubt the Pence bill can be refined. But it is one great start to try to find a solution to the immigration mess even if it has to await consideration until the next Congress.
Monday, June 19, 2006
WIBC radio host Greg Garrison endorses Congressman Pence's no amnesty immigration reform plan
WIBC radio host Greg Garrison, host of The Greg Garrison Show, released a column this weekend supporting Congressman Pence's no amnesty immigration reform plan.
To access the column, click here.
The following are excerpts from the column:
Pence's idea for a time-limited guest worker program paid for by the workers, that requires them to be accountable and to report timely (with immediate revocation being the sanction) is simply not some kind of closet or stealth amnesty as some have charged. If the worker can only stay 2 years and must leave to apply for more time, that leaves INS with the authority to say no if circumstances so dictate. And if they misbehave, it's the end—period.
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Of course the genius in what the Congressman proposes is the infusion into this whole mess of the notion that these people are not somehow entitled to permanent status just because they have managed to stay below the radar (no matter how ineffective that radar has been) for years at a time.
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Spanish signage in the airports and all manner of government buildings, free education, medical care, food stamps and welfare for those who break our laws to get here must end; but what Mike Pence has suggested goes far—and does so with common sense and his signature devotion to the sovereignty of the United States. And it is the only plan on the table that might work.
Novak: Pence part of "coterie" in House voting against pork
Syndicated columnist Robert Novak mentioned Congressman Pence in his column today about wasteful earmark spending.
Here is an excerpt:
"Appropriators stalk the House, taking names of colleagues who dare disrupt logrolling. Every time, however, a coterie in the House votes against pork. Their ranks include conservative reformers Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Mike Pence of Indiana, John Shadegg of Arizona and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin."
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Founder of Minuteman Project comments on the Pence Plan
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.
Washington Times: Pence votes no on supplemental spending bill
 Yesterday the House voted 351-67 in favor of a $94.5 billion emergency spending bill.
The bill is designed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, hurricane recovery on the Gulf Coast, avian flu preparedness and President Bush's border security plan, but contains almost $5 billion, roughly five percent of the entire bill, of spending that has nothing to do with the aforementioned spending objectives.
Here is an excerpt from a Washington Times article covering the vote:
"Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, said nearly $5 billion goes to projects that have nothing to do with hurricane relief or the war effort, the original targets of the bill. 'I cannot support adding nonmilitary spending to an emergency military spending bill,' he said after voting against the measure."
Monday, June 12, 2006
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich lauds Pence Plan
 Former House speaker Newt Gingrich made the following comments about Rep. Pence's No Amnesty Immigration Reform Bill in his weekly newsletter released today:
"After we have demonstrated seriousness by securing the border, we need to establish the work-visa program in Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill (Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act) that I wrote about last week. (You can learn more about the Pence plan here.) Pence's bill only allows work visas to be issued outside of the United States. So the simple answer to your question is that if you want to work in the U.S. legally, the rules will require you to go home to apply for the work visa.
"But this gets to why being serious about enforcing the law on employers is so important. If we do not enforce the law, then we can expect that employers will continue to break it. However, if we make it prohibitively difficult and costly for employers to hire a non-citizen illegally, then we can expect employers to comply with the law. When this happens, everyone who is working here illegally will be unable to find work and have no choice but to return home to get a work visa if they wish to work in the United States. We can establish a legal and compassionate way for individuals, especially those with families, to return home to apply.
"This is why the dichotomy nurtured by the pro-amnesty camp between 'mass deportation' and 'amnesty' is a false choice. The real choice is between amnesty and enforcing the law. Amnesty is a disaster, because it cheapens the value of American law. It sends the message that American law can be willfully violated without consequence.
"A work-visa program that is accompanied by total border control, uniform enforcement of existing laws (including draconian penalties on employers who continue to violate employment laws after a work-visa program is established), and the rejection of amnesty will have powerful incentives for individuals working here illegally to comply with the law and return home and apply. This will be especially true once a growing number of work-visa holders follow this path and employers find a growing pool of legal workers whom they can tap.
"The key in all of this is to create a set of incentives for the individual working here illegally to choose to comply with the law. If an individual working here illegally knows that improved border control will make it nearly impossible to cross the border again, that stepped-up law enforcement on the border and prompt removal will dramatically increase the chances of his being picked up and returned to his home country (with the penalty of being barred for a period of time of returning legally), that there is a legal way to work here, and that the work visa program that is established by the Pence bill is efficiently run so that there is a reasonably quick transition period in which to return home to apply and receive a work visa, then we can reasonably expect a swift migration to a dramatically improved and legal immigration system that will save lives and protect the rule of law."
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Pence op-ed in Wall Street Journal: Middle Ground on Immigration
U.S. Congressman Mike Pence penned this column in Saturday's Wall Street Journal about his Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act.
Here is the column as it appeared in Saturday's WSJ:
President Bush has set out his goals on immigration reform to the American people. "There is," he said, "a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation." I agree that a rational middle ground can be found -- but amnesty is not the middle ground.
Instead, I will soon be introducing legislation, the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act. This bill is tough on border security and tough on employers who hire illegal aliens. It will include a guest worker program -- but it will not include an amnesty (nor require a huge new government bureaucracy to administer the program). I believe this legislation is a strong alternative to the amnesty plan passed by the Senate; and I hope that it will serve as an attractive alternative to my colleagues in the House of Representatives.
Since immigration reform must begin by securing our border, my plan incorporates the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act, already passed by the House, in its entirety, with only minor changes. Thus my plan will add port-of-entry inspectors, end the policy of "catch and release," put to use American technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles, require a security fence to be built across our southern border, and require the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that all these border security measures are substantially completed before any new guest worker program would begin.
But my bill does not include a so-called path to citizenship, i.e., an amnesty, for the some 12 million illegal aliens in this country. Instead, it insists that they leave and come back legally if they have a job opportunity in the U.S. They will be allowed to do so under the terms of a guest-worker program that will be implemented by firms in the private sector, not by a new government bureaucracy.
Private worker-placement agencies -- "Ellis Island Centers" -- would be licensed by the federal government to match guest workers with jobs that employers cannot fill with American workers. These agencies will match guest workers with jobs, perform health screening, fingerprint them, and convey the appropriate information to the FBI and Homeland Security so that a background check can be performed. Once this is done, the guest worker would be provided with a visa issued by the State Department. The whole process will take a matter of one week, or less.
My immigration reform plan does not favor illegal immigrants. Anyone may apply for a guest-worker visa at the new Ellis Island Centers; indeed, the plan may actually work to the advantage of applicants who have never violated our immigration laws, since guest-worker visas will be issued only outside the U.S.
There will initially be no cap on the number of visas that can be issued; for the first three years, the market and the needs of U.S. employers will set the limit on the number of guest workers. This is necessary in order to provide the incentive for illegal aliens in this country to self-deport and come back legally. After three years, however, a reasonable limit on the number of these "W" visas will be determined by the Department of Labor, based on employment statistics, employer needs and other research.
Nevertheless, there will be a limit on the amount of time guest workers can spend in this country. They would be allowed to renew their visas, but only for a period of up to six years. And in order to receive their first renewal, they would be required to study English and pass an English proficiency class.
After six years, a guest worker must decide whether to return home or seek citizenship. But he will do so under the normal rules and regulations of our naturalization laws. There is no path to citizenship in my bill.
Lastly, my immigration bill includes strict employer enforcement. It does so by incorporating the employer-enforcement provisions contained in the House-passed Border Protection bill. Thus, there will be established a nationwide electronic employment-verification system through which employers will confirm the legality of each prospective and current employee. Employers who choose to operate outside the system would face stiff fines. Once the new enforcement system is in place, jobs for illegal aliens will dry up.
As the grandson of an Irish immigrant, I believe in the ideals enshrined on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. America always has been, and always will be, a welcoming nation, welcoming under the law any and all with courage enough to come here. But a nation without borders is not a nation, and across this country Americans are anxious about our borders.
Every night Americans see news images of people crossing the border illegally. They hear of people paying thousands of dollars to "coyotes" to smuggle them into the country; they worry that drugs will make their way into the hands of their children more readily. And they rightly fear that our porous borders make it more likely that terrorists will cross with deadly intentions against our families.
I believe that my Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act is a solution that those opposed to amnesty and those who propose a guest-worker program can both support. It offers a solution that those calling for the humane treatment of illegal immigrants can embrace.
And I believe that this solution is one the American people can embrace. This is the real rational middle ground.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Congressman Pence's grandfather Richard Michael Cawley example of "the American Dream"
 In his speech "Renewing the American Dream: The Real Rational Middle Ground on Immigration Reform," the Congressman refers to his grandfather, Richard Michael Cawley (pictured right):
"I mentioned at the outset that I am the grandson of an Irish immigrant. I take my name, Michael Richard from his. Richard Michael Cawley came to this country on a boat from Ireland and stepped onto Ellis Island, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, in the early 20th century. Like millions who came before and since, that frightened teenage boy had a simple dream, a dream expressed when his mother handed him the one-way ticket and said, 'you have a future there,' a dream we call the American Dream.
"My grandfather grew up in a two room house in farm country east of a small village called Tubbercurry, Ireland. When I saw that home the summer after he died, I better understood a moment we shared just a few weeks before he went home to be with the Lord.
"It was the fall of 1980 and my father had finally given in to my mother’s wish for a bigger house and the two-story, 4,000 square foot home in Columbus, Indiana seemed like a palace to all of us…especially my grandfather. When I walked into the house, I saw grandpa sitting alone in the family room and I noticed his eyes were moist with emotion. When I asked if he was alright, he quietly replied in a gentle Irish brogue, 'I just never thought a child of mine would live in a house like this..'. My grandpa, like my mom and dad, lived the American Dream. He got off that boat an Irish lad, he died an American, and I am an American because of him."
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey lauds Pence immigration reform plan on CNBC
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey made the following comments about Congressman Pence's immigration reform plan on CNBC's Kudlow and Company yesterday:
"I think the fellow who's really got the key to unlock this is Mike Pence from Indiana. And the fact of the matter is our problem begins very largely with a dysfunctional agency called INS. And, as Pence says, introduce the private sector and allow the private sector to process people as they recycle themselves into a legal guest worker status, and I think we can do a great deal to resolve this problem. It's going to take a little bit of work to get the House over the hump of stubbornness over what they passed earlier. But I think if you take the Pence idea, introduce it in the--in the process, I think you can get some place."
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Executive Editor of The American Spectator praises Pence immigration bill
Quin Hillyer, Executive Editor of The American Spectator, penned this column today in support of the Congressman's immigration bill.
Here is an excerpt:
"There are plenty of other details to the Pence plan, but suffice it to say that as conservatives study the plan, they continue to find that just about every question is answered and every base covered, and all according to principles conservatives hold dear. Read it for yourself to see.
"For now, these other details, in no particular order, bear highlighting: First, there would be an established limit to the number of visiting workers. Second, there would be a time limit on their stay. Third, they would have to pass an English proficiency test after two years. Fourth, they would be required to undergo a health screening before coming. Fifth, they must pay taxes just like American citizens. Sixth, they would not be able to be hired until after the employer could show it had made an effort to hire existing Americans.
"And so on, in commonsense provision after commonsense provision.
"In short, the plan is ingenious. Not only should conservatives rally behind it, but so should the White House. It provides the president with a near-perfect escape from the rock-and-hard-place dilemma of trying to please, all at once, Hispanics, big business, and the mainstream Americans who insist that the first requirement of a guest is that the guest abide by our society's laws.
"Such insistence is absolutely the right thing. But it doesn't, by any means, require that Americans fail to exhibit our usual humaneness, nor does it require that we keep necessary jobs unfilled.
"In sum, the Pence bill offers security and prosperity in equal measure. You can't beat that."
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
ACU's Keene on Pence Immigration Plan
American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene writes about immigration in his column in The Hill today and talks about Congressman Pence's proposal:
"Fortunately, there are some seeking solutions to these problems that neither surrender principle nor ignore real problems. Chief among them is Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who has put forth an alternative that could attract support from reasonable men and women on both sides of the debate. There is no more credible conservative in Congress today than Pence. He has proved himself over time as both a serious legislator and a principled conservative capable of resisting the temptations and threats emanating from within his own party.
"Since speaking out at the Heritage Foundation just before the recess, Pence has come under attack from those on both sides willing to accept the status quo unless they get their own way. Those attacks in themselves should force reasonable members of Congress to take a serious look at Pence’s proposal."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich praises Pence immigration reform bill
 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich praises Rep. Pence's Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act in his latest column.
The following is an excerpt:
"One positive addition to the border-security and immigration debate is Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill, the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act. This bill is as close to the right solution as I have seen. It sets up a four-step process starting with what is needed and universally agreed upon -- border security. Second, it does not provide amnesty for people in the United States illegally. It requires them to go home. Next, it sets up a work-visa program using electronic bio-metric security based on conservative market principles.
"After an American employer can, in good faith, show that no American worker will fill a job offer, a work-visa holder may be hired. The key feature is that, in order for people who are here illegally to get a work visa, they must go home, because work visas will only be issued outside of the United States. Fourth, once the program is set up, companies that continue to ignore the law will be sanctioned severely.
"I hope the House will take a serious look at Rep. Pence's thoughtful and pragmatic approach to solving this issue."
Friday, June 02, 2006
Footage of Pence's immigration reform speech now available
Footage of Congressman Pence's May 23 speech at The Heritage Foundation is now available, courtesy of The Heritage Foundation website.
Watch the speech here.
Read the Congressman's speech here.
More Columnists offer support for Pence immigration plan
 Deborah Simmons penned this Washington Times column today in support of Congressman Pence's immigration plan.
Here is an excerpt:
"Mike Pence, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, is seemingly perched on middle ground, proposing a four-step plan that puts border security right where Americans want it -- at the top of the immigration-reform to-do list. His plan also ‘offers a no amnesty solution,’ engages the private sector in the worker-visa process and, like the House bill passed in December, cracks down on employers who hire illegals.
"The Pence plan is a good starting point for House-Senate conferees.
"Why? Because of the bottom line: It is against the law to enter this country without our permission; it is against the law to work in this country without our permission; and it is against the law to stay in this country without our permission."
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Michael Barone also praised Rep. Pence's plan in his recent post on the U.S. News and World Report blog. Here is an excerpt:
"Interestingly, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, who will dominate the House members in conference committee, says he is absolutely against any legalization proposal, but would consider a guest worker plan. This suggests that the Pence/Krieble proposal, or something like it, could emerge from conference committee."
Thursday, June 01, 2006
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF NO AMNESTY IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
“The Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act is a bill that is tough on border security and tough on employers who hire illegal aliens, but recognizes the need for a guest worker program that operates without amnesty and without growing into a huge new government bureaucracy.”
--Congressman Mike Pence
BY MIKE PENCE
The following is an Executive Summary of the Pence Plan: No Amnesty Immigration Reform. The summary is based on excerpts from my remarks delivered at The Heritage Foundation on Tuesday May 23, 2006, entitled "Renewing the American Dream: The Real Rational Middle Ground on Immigration Reform.” The entire speech may be read at: http://www.mikepence.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=44113.
The Four-Step Solution: No Amnesty Immigration Reform
I see the solution as a four-step process:
1. Secure our border.
2. Make the decision, once and for all, to deny amnesty to people whose first act in the United States was a violation of the law.
3. Put in place a guest worker program, without amnesty, that will efficiently provide American employers with willing guest workers who come to America legally.
4. Enforce tough employer sanctions that ensure a full partnership between American business and the American government in the enforcement of our laws on immigration and guest workers.
Step One: Secure the border
A nation without borders is not a nation, and across this country Americans are anxious about the security of our border. In 2005, Customs and Border Patrol stopped 1,189,114 people from illegally crossing the border. Of that number, approximately 165,000 were from countries other than Mexico.
We can control our borders. To that end, the House of Representatives got off to a great start in December 2005 by passing H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee put together a strong bill that will secure our borders. The Pence Plan includes H.R. 4437 in its entirety with only minor changes.
The House-passed bill adds port of entry inspectors, ends catch and release, puts to use American technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and requires the building of a security fence across approximately 700 miles of our Southern border.
Step Two: Say no to amnesty in any form
My bill offers a no amnesty solution to the problem of twelve million illegal aliens living in our country. Some argue that there is no amnesty if these twelve million illegal aliens are required to pay a fine or back taxes. I disagree. That is what the Senate passed. I believe no bill is better than a bad bill that grants amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
Amnesty is not the answer. It only will worsen the problem because it will cause more people to come here illegally with the hope of someday having their status adjusted. Amnesty is allowing people whose first act in America was an illegal act to get right with the law without leaving the country. Allowing twelve million illegal aliens to stay in our country instead of leaving and coming back legally is amnesty, no matter if fines or back taxes are paid, or how it is otherwise dressed-up or spun by its proponents. The only way to deal with these twelve million people is to insist that they leave the country and come back legally if they have a job awaiting them.
Step Three: Enact a no amnesty guest worker program using private-sector firms
Therefore, the solution is to set up a system that will encourage illegal aliens to self-deport and come back legally as guest workers. Private worker placement agencies that we could call “Ellis Island Centers” will be licensed by the federal government to match willing guest workers with jobs in America that employers cannot fill with American workers.
U.S. employers will engage the private agencies and request guest workers. In a matter of days, the private agencies will match guest workers with jobs, perform health screenings, fingerprinting, provide the appropriate information to the FBI and Homeland Security so that a background check can be performed and provide the guest worker with a visa granted by the State Department. The visa will be issued only outside of the United States.
The process that I just described to you will only take a matter of one week, or less. That is the beauty of the program. Speed is so important. No employer in America wants to lose employees for an extended amount of time. No worker who is earning money to feed and clothe a family can afford to be off the job for long.
But, an employer faced with a looming requirement to verify the legality of its employees and stiff fines for employing illegal aliens will be willing to use a quick system to obtain legal employees. And, an illegal alien currently employed in America will be willing to take a quick trip across the border to come back outside of the shadows and into a job where he does not fear a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Imagine for a moment asking millions of people to line up at the U.S. Consulate in Mexico City to obtain a visa to come to America and work as a guest worker. It would be a disaster. Now, imagine private companies competing against each other to process guest worker applicants and match the applicants with open jobs. Imagine the application of American business ingenuity to this process. That, my friends, is why this program will work.
-Limited number of guest worker visas
The number of guest workers will be limited. After the program is up and running, there will be a period of three years when the market and the needs of U.S. employers will set the limit on the number of guest workers. Not letting the market and the needs of employers govern the number of guest workers initially will prevent illegal aliens from being willing to self-deport. After three years of the program, a reasonable limit on the number of W Visas will be determined by the Department of Labor based on employment statistics, employer needs and other research. After the three-year window has closed, this limit will be strictly enforced.
-Limited time to be a guest worker in America
There also will be a limit on the amount of time a guest worker can spend in America. Guest workers will be allowed to renew their W Visas, but only for a period of up to six years. At that point, the guest should decide whether to return home or enter the separate process of seeking citizenship. We cannot have people coming to America as permanent guest workers. That is why having a six-year limit is important. It keeps the meaning of the word “guest” in guest worker.
-English proficiency required for first renewal
In order to receive their first renewal, guest workers will be required to study English and pass an English proficiency class. If America is willing to invite you to come and work, I believe that after two years of working here, the guest worker should be willing and able to speak basic English. They also will be required to pass an updated background check. We are not going to allow criminals to come and work in America.
-Secure identification cards
The W Visas themselves will be issued in the form of secure wallet-sized cards, similar to the cards described and endorsed by the President. Employers will swipe them to verify the guest worker’s eligibility. Border patrol agents will swipe the cards to confirm the guest worker is allowed to enter the country. The card will contain information about the job the guest worker is coming to perform, and it will contain personal and biometric information so that the guest worker can be tracked. If a guest worker is fired, convicted of a crime, or just disappears, the card will be cancelled, preventing another employer from hiring the person.
-U.S. employers must attempt to hire American workers
Before going to a placement agency with a job, U.S. employers must try to hire American workers. They will have to attest their efforts to the agency. Believe me, this is a tough requirement that will protect the American worker because people will be watching and checking-out employers.
Step Four: Strict employer enforcement
With a guest worker program in place, there is no reason why an employer ever should hire or continue to employ an illegal alien. Employers who choose to operate outside of the system, however, must face tough fines in order to be made to comply. That is what the enforcement system and the new fine structure will do.
The strict employer enforcement contained in the House-passed bill is contained in my bill. It sets forth a nationwide electronic employment verification system through which employers will verify the legality of each prospective and current employee. As a final incentive, my bill requires that in order to hire a guest worker, the employer must be a participant in the employment verification system.
Conclusion: We can do this
I believe the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act is a solution that conservatives can embrace. I believe this legislation is a solution that those opposing amnesty can embrace. I believe this proposal offers a solution that those calling for humane treatment of the illegal aliens in our midst can embrace. And, I believe that this solution is one the American people can embrace. This is the real rational middle ground.
Columnist declares Pence's immigration plan a "breath of fresh air"
 Gary Bauer authored this column in today's Washington Times in praise of Congressman Pence's recent immigration proposal.
Here is an excerpt:
"As an alternative to amnesty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence recently presented the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act, which would require all illegal citizens to leave the country, obtain a visa and re-enter legally. Essentially, the bill includes all of the important border security measures of the House bill passed last year, and adds a provision — allowing illegals to obtain guest worker visas for a duration of two years. Mr. Pence's plan would also create private worker placement agencies to link specific workers to specific jobs for specified time periods in the United States.
"Mr. Pence's 'rational middle ground approach' is a breath of fresh air in the immigration debate, because it recognizes the economic need for additional workers while also addressing the security issues at stake. This non-amnesty solution would be acceptable not only to conservatives, but also to American Hispanics who oppose illegal immigration and 'reform' proposals that reward delinquency. After all, many Hispanic Americans did things the right way — enduring a long legal process to enter the country and pursue citizenship. For these immigrants, calls for amnesty by their former compatriots mock the laws and values that made America so appealing in the first place."
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