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Monday, July 31, 2006
Columnist says Hutchison-Pence Plan could "break the stalemate between competing House and Senate bills"
Here is an excerpt from a column by San Diego Union-Tribune writer Ruben Navarrette Jr.:
"After months of self-serving hysterics and heated rhetoric, congressional Republicans are finally doing something helpful in the area of immigration reform.
"It's a plan by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. The lawmakers see their proposal as a middle-ground approach that could break the stalemate between competing House and Senate bills.
"Here's where the two lawmakers are coming from: They oppose amnesty, which they define as anything that lets illegal immigrants obtain legal residency without having to first return to their home country. And yet, they also seem to agree with President Bush that there are plenty of jobs that Americans won't do – or at least aren't currently doing. Mr. Pence and Ms. Hutchison want to maintain law and order and the integrity of the system, but they also want to help those employers who need workers.
"Sound familiar? It should. The lawmakers' dilemma is the American dilemma. It's the tension between the two signs planted on our southern border – 'Keep Out' and 'Help Wanted.'"
Click here to read the full column.
Pence calls minimum wage increase "excessive," says it will "hurt the poor and those entering the workforce"
Rick Yencer of the Muncie Star-Press authored this article about raising the minimum wage in yesterday's print edition.
Here is an excerpt:
"The House voted 230-180 early Saturday to pass the minimum wage hike that was coupled with permanently cutting the estate tax to gather enough bi-partisan support.
"Depending on Senate action, the hourly minimum wage would go from $5.15 to $7.25 over three years.
"Pence, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said the vote was difficult, given his support for permanent estate tax relief. But raising the minimum wage by an 'irresponsible' 41-percent also would hurt the same people, farmers and small business owners, that the estate tax relief would benefit, the congressman explained.
"'Minimum wage increases raise unemployment among teenagers, minorities and part-time workers,' said Pence. 'The minimum wage violates fundamental free market economics...It costs jobs.'
"The bill also added more mandatory spending to the federal budget, adding nearly $4-billion over the next 10 years. Pence said he could not support any action that also busted the budget."
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Gail Russell Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor provided this account of the vote.
Here is an excerpt:
"For many Republicans, the pairing of estate-tax relief with a hike in the minimum wage is an even higher hurdle.
"Conservatives have long pushed for permanent repeal of the estate tax - they like to call it the 'death tax' - but they don't want it paired with an increase in the minimum wage.
"'I want permanent death tax relief. But I cannot in good conscience vote for a bill that also contains an excessive minimum wage increase that will hurt small businesses and cost American jobs,' said Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, a fiscal hawk."
Friday, July 28, 2006
Hutchison-Pence Plan "a superb package on immigration reform," attracts attention of House leadership
The immigration plan put forth this week by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Pence received considerable praise from The American Spectator executive editor Quin Hillyer today.
Here is an excerpt from his column:
"Fourth, Rep. Pence and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison have put together a superb package on immigration reform. It combines truly tough border security (which must be in place and certified effective for two years before the other parts kick in) with the Pence/Helen Krieble program that will set up a market-based system for guest workers run from centers outside the United States and requiring all currently illegal workers to leave the United States before becoming eligible for the program. Sen. Hutchinson added several other good ideas as well; all told, this bill is both creative and conservative, through and through. That's why a host of leading conservatives already have endorsed it."
######
The Hutchison-Pence Plan also has attracted the attention of leadership within the House.
As Rachel L. Swarns writes in a New York Times article, "House Republicans said they still hoped to finalize immigration legislation this year and pointed to a bill introduced this week by two Republican lawmakers as a possible framework for a compromise. The bill, introduced by Representative Mike Pence of Indiana and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, would require the president to certify that the border was secure before allowing a temporary guest worker plan to be carried out."
Here is another excerpt from an article in today's Houston Chronicle:
"This week Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., floated a potential compromise on immigration that called for a guest worker program, but only after the president had certified that border control measures have been carried out for a two-year period.
"Hastert indicated that such a plan had promise.
"'I'm not endorsing any one plan, but that does start to look at a pathway, that type of a solution, possibly to get this job done,' he said."
Thursday, July 27, 2006
John Fund: Hutchison-Pence Plan will "balance the country's need for labor" with "respect for the rule of law"
 Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund today penned this column about immigration.
Here is an excerpt:
Any new guest-worker program must avoid such shortcomings. But the striking success of the Bracero program ought to stand as an historical signpost in considering our own immigration situation. With only five weeks to go to reconcile vastly different Senate and House bills on immigration reform, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, both Republicans, are proposing a compromise to tighten border security and then offer temporary work visas to illegal immigrants if they first leave the country -- along the lines of the Bracero program.
"It would encourage illegal aliens to self-deport and come back legally," says Mr. Pence. "They would benefit from no longer living in fear and could return home for visits. Employers who hired anyone without such a visa would face stiff fines, so it would be increasingly difficult for those who weren't legal guest workers to get jobs."
The plan would balance the country's need for labor -- there are only 67,000 H2B visas for the entire country per year -- with respect for the rule of law. Even Rep. Tom Tancredo, an anti-immigration firebrand, has previously introduced two guest-worker bills similar to the Pence-Hutchison bill.
Many Republicans oppose passing any immigration bill this year. That could be a tragic political mistake. In 1994, Democrats spent the whole year talking up health care as a major issue only to bicker and fail to even vote on a reform bill.
"Voters punished us in part for not being competent enough to finish the job," the late Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan told me in recalling that year's GOP electoral tsunami.
Mr. Pence is convinced a similar failure to legislate on immigration this year "could cost Republicans our majority."
Mort Kondracke: "Pence-Hutchison Bill Creates Hope on Immigration"
Roll Call Executive Editor Mort Kondracke authored this column about Hutchison-Pence Plan today.
Here are excerpts:
Despite all this, there’s a glimmer of hope. Leaving a press club event Tuesday on a nonimmigration matter — his proposal for a shield law for journalists — conservative Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) ran into two leading advocates of comprehensive reform, Frank Sharry of the National Immigration Forum and Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute.
Trading opinions, they seemed to narrow at least one gap, and Pence indicated that he thinks more convergence is possible.
Earlier in the day, Pence and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) unveiled their new proposal designed to unify House and Senate Republicans. Their idea is to toughen border security and employer sanctions for a two-year period before other measures kick in. Then, illegal immigrant adults from Latin American countries would return home for a brief period, undergo background checks, obtain legal work visas at privately run “Ellis Island Centers” and be eligible to return to the United States for up to six two-year employment periods.
***
But during the conversation in the press club lobby, Pence said he favors a green card expansion and indicated that he thought House GOP leaders and most rank-and-file Republicans would follow their leaders in supporting a phased-in comprehensive bill.
Even though conservative hard-liners have referred to his bill as offering “amnesty,” Pence said that “if you leave the country and get right with the law — if you, in effect, reboot — it’s not amnesty if, 17 years later, you apply to be here permanently.”
He said he thought that, even though Republicans voted 203-17 in December for an enforcement-only immigration bill (one of which made being illegal a felony), only 20 to 30 of his colleagues would resist a properly constructed comprehensive bill.
And he indicated that a leading supposed hard-liner, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), might well support such a bill. As evidence, he cited Sensenbrenner’s decision to lead opposition this month to an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that would have lifted a Voting Rights Act requirement that election ballots be printed in languages other than English.
Pence quoted Sensenbrenner as telling him that “the Republican Party is against illegal immigration and not against legal immigration,” and inferred that Sensenbrenner might support green cards for “rebooted” illegal immigrants.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Hutchison-Pence Plan a "a responsible solution" to illegal immigration problem
 Yesterday Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Pence introduced a joint border security and immigration reform plan.
Sen. Hutchison and Rep. Pence authored this op-ed describing their proposal in today's Washington Times.
Here is an excerpt from an article in the Orange County Register that describes yesterday's press conference.
"Two Republican lawmakers today unveiled an immigration proposal that moves toward the kind of comprehensive reform the Senate passed and President Bush has been pushing, as a new poll says the majority of Americans support such an approach.
"Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., outlined a plan that would strengthen border security and include a guest worker program. Their plan includes the kind of trigger that some lawmakers have been talking about – that the guest-worker program would kick in only after the president certified that the border is secure. And to participate in the guest-worker plans, the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living here would have to go home and apply in their home countries.
"'We believe that this Congress must come together and find a way forward, and we hope this idea can be that way forward,' Pence said at a news conference with Hutchison."
An ABC News online article says "On Tuesday Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) went so far as to propose an entirely new plan -- one that, they said, would combine tough border security measures with a 'no amnesty' temporary worker program."
Radio personality Hugh Hewitt wrote about the Hutchison-Pence Plan today in this blog entry.
The San Diego Union-Tribune also praised the Hutchison-Pence Plan in this editorial.
Pence, Lugar address National Press Club about need for media shield law
 Yesterday Congressman Pence, pictured left with Judith Miller, and Senator Richard Lugar addressed the National Press Club about need for a media shield law.
To read the remarks shared by Rep. Pence and Sen. Lugar, click here.
An article in today's Indianapolis Star says "the bill has received two hearings in the Senate, and a House hearing is scheduled for September."
Here is another excerpt:
"The public's ability to get information it needs in a democracy is hurt by a lack of federal protections for the news media, two Hoosier lawmakers said Tuesday.
"'The press is hobbled in performing the public service of reporting the news,' said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
"Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., described a 'disturbing new trend' of clashes between the media and government authorities. Three journalists have been jailed since 2000 and 88 were subpoenaed by the Justice Department from 1991 to 2001, according to Lugar.
"The pair spoke at the National Press Club about legislation they introduced last year to protect journalists from revealing a source unless the information sought is necessary to prevent 'imminent and actual harm' to national security."
The Indy Star also published this question and answer sheet about a federal media shield.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Hutchison-Pence Plan immigration announcement attracts national attention
This morning Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rep. Mike Pence introduced unveiled a joint border security and immigration reform plan.
Dave Montgomery of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram authored this article which details earlier reaction to the Hutchison-Pence Plan.
Here is an excerpt:
"It’s a contribution to the process," said House Majority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio. "More power to anybody who can come up with a new idea that can knock us off dead center," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., chairman of the Senate’s immigration subcommittee.
The plan would require the millions of illegal immigrants now in the United States to return to their home countries before being eligible to participate in the plan under renewable work visas. Those who remain in the program for 17 years could apply for permanent legal residency and citizenship.
The two Republican lawmakers described their proposal as a desperately needed impetus to jump-start negotiations between the House and Senate over sharply different immigration bills.
The House bill advocates an enforcement-only approach to halt the flow of illegal immigrants while the broader, bipartisan Senate bill proposes a guest-worker program and an automatic path to citizenship for most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants who have entered the United States over the past two decades.
######
Donna Smith of Reuters also filed this article on the press conference.
Here is an excerpt:
Two Republican U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday offered a compromise immigration plan they said would ensure border security and allow some of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States without granting amnesty.
Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence said they hoped their plan would jump start stalled negotiations between the Senate and House of Representatives. The two chambers have passed vastly different immigration bills and it is increasingly unlikely the two sides will bridge differences ahead of the November congressional elections.
"We believe that this Congress must come together and find a way forward, and we hope this idea can be that way forward," Pence said at a news conference with Hutchison.
The plan calls for implementing border-security measures before a guest-worker program backed by President Bush is put into place. Once the borders are determined to be secure, a temporary-worker program and an employment-verification program would go into effect.
The U.S. government would license private employment services to match workers with employers. They would operate out of Canada, Mexico and Central American countries that are part of trade pacts with the United States.
Illegal immigrants from those countries seeking to legalize their status would have to travel home to get a two-year visa, which could be renewed for a total of 12 years. After that time, those seeking to continue in the United States could apply for a visa that would allow them to say for another five years before they could apply for permanent status.
Pence said it was a plan that conservatives could embrace because it gave no amnesty to illegal immigrants. Many House Republicans oppose the bipartisan Senate bill, calling it an amnesty, because it combines border security and workplace enforcement measures with a program giving millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn U.S. citizenship.
Fred Barnes: Hutchison-Pence bill tries to bridge the immigration divide
 Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, penned this column about this morning's announcement of the Hutchison-Pence Border Security Immigration Reform Plan.
Here are key excerpts:
SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON of Texas and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana introduced a compromise immigration bill on Tuesday that amounts to the last serious opportunity for broad--or "comprehensive"--immigration reform this year. The measure is a long shot, but it has the tacit support of President Bush. And key Republicans in the Senate and House appear willing to go along.
***
To break the deadlock, the two Republicans have come up with a measure with significant elements to please both houses and the president. Bush has consistently urged passage of a bill with three main elements: stepped-up border security, a temporary worker program (TWP), and a plan for allowing illegal immigrants to become American citizens. The Hutchison-Pence bill--or Pence-Hutchison--would do all three, but not at once.
It would start with the buildup of law enforcement along America's southern border: more border guards, drug enforcement agents, helicopters, detention facilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, and miles of fence. This enforcement-only beginning is aimed to appeal to House conservatives.
Once a series of specific benchmarks were met and certified by the president--a two-year lag is expected--the guest worker program could start. Illegals in the United States would have to return to their home country to sign up at private "Ellis Island centers." If they had a job in the United States, they would get a tamper-proof ID card and quickly return to the States. After 17 years, they would be eligible to begin the process of gaining American citizenship.
***
The basic framework for the proposal came from Pence, a rising leader of conservatives in the House. He has tirelessly lobbied for his plan, meeting with (and impressing) the president, conferring with Bush adviser Karl Rove, spending an hour with Kennedy, and working with Hutchison to develop a Senate-House compromise bill.
It's not etched in stone. Hutchison says: "What Mike and I are trying to do--we've been meeting for a month--is put something out there and say, 'Let's start.' We're not saying this is perfection. We're not saying this is the end result." In short, they are ready to compromise further.
Rep. Pence, Sen. Hutchison to make immigration announcement this morning
 Mike Allen of Time.com offers an update on Congressman Pence's role in the immigration debate in this article.
Here are key excerpts:
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the chairman of the House's conservative caucus, plan to announce a plan Tuesday that fits the broad parameters of what Bush has proposed — border security plus a temporary worker program, without amnesty. But it includes several constraints aimed at appealing to the hard core of House Republicans who had been insisting on a security-only approach.
A novel element of the plan would encourage holders of the guest visas to return to their home countries by returning their Social Security contributions to them in a lump sum when they left. (Employer contributions would remain in the Social Security system.) Their Medicare contributions would go to a fund to reimburse hospitals for uncompensated emergency medical expenses, which are often cited by people arguing that illegal immigrants are burdening communities. Participants in the guest worker program would be granted what the authors call a "Good Neighbor SAFE Visa," with that acronym standing for "Secure Authorized Foreign Employee."
The first two years of the program would be dedicated to border security. Then, under a mechanism known as a trigger, the President could certify to Congress that the borders were secure and the temporary worker program would begin.
A House Republican leadership aide said members "are looking for a safe landing zone as far as a guest worker program that can't be defined as amnesty," and that the plan appeared to provide just that.
On the Senate side, a Republican leadership aide said that senators "are looking for an alternative" and that the Hutchison-Pence proposal "might be another way to keep the conversation on immigration moving forward." However, he said some senators were contemplating attaching a border-security measure to an appropriations bill, and said that might have a better chance of passing before the midterm elections in November.
***
Hutchison and Pence tried to appeal to all the major factions by declaring in a joint comment accompanying their proposal: "Our plan puts border security first and cracks down on those who knowingly hire illegal workers, but it also recognizes the need for a temporary worker program that operates without amnesty and harnesses the power of the private sector to avoid creating a huge new government bureaucracy."
The new plan includes most of the major provisions of a plan that Pence, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, had proposed in May. That plan, which contemplates privately run worker placement agencies called "Ellis Island Centers," got a major pat on the back on Sunday from House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who said on "Fox News Sunday": "I'm prepared to bring some agreement if we can secure the border first." One change from the earlier Pence plan is that people would only be eligible if they were from countries that were parties to the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Central Americans Free Trade Agreement — Canada. Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
A major difference with Bush's original idea is that applicants would have to return to their home countries to apply for the visas. Critics of this idea say that many illegal immigrants would not take the risk of coming out of the shadows for such a measure. One sticking point between the House and Senate has been whether a guest worker program should provide a path to citizenship. The Hutchison-Pence plan would allow someone to remain permanently and legally after 17 years of steady employment and regular background checks.
######
Jim VandeHei and Charles Babington of The Washington Post also offer an update in this article.
Excerpts follow:
Hutchison and Pence consider it the foundation for a possible compromise between the Senate, which voted for a plan that would provide a new path to citizenship, and the House, which has demanded that Congress focus only on securing borders for now. Former House majority leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.), a critic of the Senate bill, said the new proposal could be "a bridge between the two bodies."
Armey, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie were briefed on the plan in hopes that they would help build pressure on skeptical lawmakers, the aides said. White House officials, including presidential adviser Karl Rove, have been told of the framework but not the details. A Republican close to the White House said President Bush "won't be crazy about it, but I think he would sign it."
***
Hutchison and Pence think they can bridge the divide. They will emphasize that immigration laws will not be changed until the president certifies that the borders are secure, the congressional aides said. The plan includes the most popular security measures that have passed the House and Senate, including new border fences, additional enforcement personnel and bigger detention facilities.
The government would spend about two years instituting the security changes. U.S. companies would open Ellis Island-type centers in many countries to process applications for a new kind of work visa, known as the Good Neighbor SAFE (Secure Authorized Foreign Employee) visa. The government would create tamper-proof identification cards that contain personal information and biometric technology designed to minimize fraud. Illegal immigrants would be required to return to their home countries and apply for the SAFE visa. They would undergo criminal background checks and health screenings and would need to prove that a U.S. job awaits them.
The new visa would be offered only to immigrants from countries that are part of trade pacts covering Canada, Mexico and most of Central America. The SAFE visas would be good for two years and could be renewed five times, for a total stay of 12 years. At any point, the holders could return to their home countries and apply for U.S. citizenship without paying a fine or back taxes. But they would have to wait in line.
Illegal immigrants could extend their stay beyond 12 years by applying for a five-year X-Change visa, which requires a job and a clean record. After 17 years in the system, X-Change visa-holders could go through the citizenship process without leaving the United States.
Monday, July 24, 2006
PENCE AMENDMENT SET TO PASS HOUSE: NEW REPORTING PROTECTIONS FOR CHILDREN IN FILM INDUSTRY
By Congressman Mike Pence
Tomorrow we will consider the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 in the U.S. House. This bill has a lot of good initiatives that will protect our children by improving sex offender registration, stopping child pornography and provide local law enforcement officials with tools needed to track those who prey upon children.
Included in the bill is the Pence Amendment that will crack down on "home pornographers." The Senate passed my amendment as part of the bill.
Check out this Reuters article for more details about the Senate's decision.
Basically my bill ensures that children are not exploited in the production and distribution of pornography. My legislation provides increased protection to victims of child pornography and strengthens the hand of law enforcement in investigating and bringing charges in obscenity and child pornography cases. It also closes a loophole that allows pornographers to exploit children by using them in productions that include simulated sexual activity and then claim that they believed the children to be over age eighteen.
To access a one-page summary of the Pence Amendment, click here.
For more information on the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, click here.
WSJ's John Fund: "Support is building for a rational middle ground on immigration proposed by Rep. Mike Pence"
John Fund of The Wall Street Journal offers an update on the immigration debate in this column:
Here is an excerpt:
"Border agents tell me they could most effectively do their job and contain the spreading corruption within their ranks is if they didn't have to chase down people coming here to work and instead could focus their resources on catching gang members and terrorists. Support is building for a rational middle ground on immigration proposed by Rep. Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Study Committee. It would have the U.S. government contract with private employment agencies such as Kelly Services to establish offices called Ellis Island Centers in countries that today supply the most illegal alien labor.
"'It would encourage illegal aliens to self-deport and come back legally as guest workers,' says Mr. Pence. 'They would benefit from no longer living in fear or in the shadows of life and they could return home for visits. And since employers who hired anyone without such a visa would face stiff fines, it would make it increasingly difficult over time for those who weren't legal guest workers to get jobs.'
"A lot of complications need to be worked out, but the Pence approach recognizes the reality that border enforcement can work only if the pressure is reduced by providing a legal path for workers that recognizes the demands of our economy. It worked a half century ago with the Bracero program. Despite a tripling of resources and personnel on the border over the last decade, advocates of enforcement-only have yet to show that their approach can work in the real world."
Friday, July 21, 2006
Pence op-ed in Muncie Star Press: Pence outlines plan to control illegal immigration
 Congressman Pence penned this op-ed in the Muncie Star Press.
Here are excerpts:
"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 the courage enough to come to this shining city on a hill. But, a nation without borders is not a nation, and across this country, Americans are anxious about the security of our border."
***
"While I agree with the President that a rational middle ground can be found between amnesty and mass deportation, amnesty is not the middle ground. My proposal sets forth a rational middle ground between amnesty and mass deportations. We can control our borders. At the same time, we can find a real rational middle ground for dealing with the illegal immigrants currently in America." ***
"We can control our borders. My proposal mandates that border security be implemented before any new guest worker program begins. It embraces a concept first introduced by Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia that requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to certify that the border security measures in the House bill are substantially completed before any new guest worker visa may be issued."
***
"My plan offers a no amnesty solution to the problem of 12 million illegal aliens living in our country. Instead, we would insist that they leave the country and come back legally if they have a job opportunity in the United States." ***
"By addressing border security first and tackling the issue of the illegal immigrants now in our country through a workable no amnesty guest worker program, we can bridge the stalemate that currently grips Washington, D.C."
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Pence applauds President's veto of embryonic stem cell bill, calls issue "a matter of core moral principle"
 Yesterday afternoon President Bush vetoed a bill that would have expanded federally supported embryonic stem cell research. Congressman Pence applauded the President's move and later voted along with other House conservatives to sustain the veto.
The following are today's articles that cover the issue:
Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times writes that President Bush says the bill "violated his principles on the sanctity of human life by encouraging the destruction of embryos left over from fertilization procedures."
Here is another excerpt:
"'This is a profound moral issue,' said Representative Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana, after the White House ceremony. 'The issue is whether or not it is morally right to use the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans who find this research morally objectionable.'"
######
PBS ran a segment, with audio, on its NewsHour program about the stem cell issue and interviewed members of Congress, including Rep. Pence.
Here is an excerpt:
"REP. MIKE PENCE (R), Indiana: As a pro-life American, like millions of Americans, I believe that it is morally wrong to destroy nascent human life for the purpose of benefiting other human life. And I commend the president for taking a strong, principled, moral stand on this issue."
######
Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times says "conservatives in the House said they relished the chance to uphold this veto."
"'We have campaigned, with some exception, since the days of Ronald Reagan, as the party committed to the sanctity of human life. Today with [his] first-ever presidential veto, this president put feet to that pledge,' said Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican.
"He also dismissed critics who said Mr. Bush was playing politics or playing to his base.
"'It takes about one conversation with the president of the United States, where you see a change in his countenance, a change in the tone of his voice, to know that this is not a policy issue for him, and it's certainly not politics. It's a matter of core moral principle,' Mr. Pence said."
######
This Indy Star article says conservatives "balk at the idea of experimenting upon human embryos."
Here is another excerpt:
"'This is a matter of the heart, a matter of the core principle about human dignity and the limit of science,' said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., chairman of the conservative House Republican Study Committee."
######
Amy Fagan of the Washington Times writes about opposition to using government money to fund stem cell research.
"'I don't think we've made that case yet -- that this is an issue of federal dollars,' said Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican. 'This is only a debate of whether we want to use the taxpayer dollars of millions of Americans to fund research they find objectionable.'"
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Pence says taxpayer funding of embryonic stem cell research "morally wrong"
 Yesterday the House voted on three bills related to stem cell research.
Congressman Pence commented on embryonic stem cell research in this Indy Star article.
Here is an excerpt:
"But Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., said there are no ethical safeguards to embryonic stem cell research because 'life begins at conception and . . . a human embryo is human life.'
"'It is morally wrong to take the tax dollars of millions of pro-life Americans, who believe that human life is sacred, and use it to fund the destruction of human embryos for research,' Pence said."
Washington Post: Pence praises President Bush's Foreign Policy Decisions
Congressman Pence commented in a Washington Post article about President Bush's foreign policy.
Here is an excerpt:
"Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a leading conservative who has clashed with the White House on spending and immigration, said Bush has 'shown toughness and grit in advancing America's interests in the world.'"
Pence calls vote on Marriage Protection Amendment "a successful failure"
Congressman Pence, pictured above at a press conference held yesterday, joined 226 other House members and voted in favor of the Marriage Protection Amendment Tuesday afternoon.
Here is an excerpt from an Indy Star article covering the vote:
"Forty-five states, including Indiana, have either constitutional amendments banning gay marriage or statutes outlawing same-sex weddings. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the leader of House conservatives, said the vote was a 'successful failure.'
"'We poured a little more concrete in the footings of a building that will be built,' Pence said."
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
David Keene, American Conservative Union Chairman, praises Pence for immigration reform efforts
 American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene, pictured left with the Congressman, authored this column about Congressman Pence's efforts in the immigration debate.
Here is an excerpt:
"At the same time, I recognize, as do most Americans, that we benefit from legal immigration and should continue to serve as a beacon to those seeking a better life because in doing so they can improve our lives as well as their own. The problem is not where immigrants come from but whether we require those seeking citizenship to learn and commit to what it means to be an American and whether we welcome those we need without overwhelming our ability to assimilate or absorb them.
"The vehemence of the recent attack on Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) for trying to come up with a plan that would mandate border security first, impose heavy sanctions on employers who hire illegals and require them to leave the country if they ever hope to work here legally shocked me. Tom Tancredo attacked Pence before he could know what was in the plan, Pat Buchanan says that his disagreement with him and his friends signals the end of Pence’s career, and some of Pence’s colleagues whom he counts among his strongest friends and supporters are looking at him these days as if he’s some sort of traitor.
"Actually, that’s exactly what Buchanan thinks he is; a traitor to the 'cause' and a part of the secret plan to grant amnesty to illegals. Those of us who actually had kind things to say about Pence’s approach were cited in his attack as indicators that 'the fix is in.'
"Pence’s approach is not perfect, and he has been modifying it to answer legitimate substantive criticism. That’s the way things are supposed to work. It’s the way serious public figures go about the business of solving problems and developing sound public policy.
"It’s too early to say whether Pence’s willingness to tackle one of the most serious and politically dangerous policy questions facing the nation from a conservative perspective will lead to an acceptable solution, but, unlike many of his critics, Mike Pence must be counted among Washington’s most serious public figures."
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey touts Pence Plan in immigration reform editorial
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey mentioned Congressman Pence's immigration plan in a San Diego Union-Tribune editorial.
Here is an excerpt:
"One such proposal is the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act, drafted by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. Pence's bill has something to offer both sides – an approach that eases border security concerns by giving law-abiding job seekers a legitimate path to the American workplace, and a guest-worker program that accepts that these workers are necessary and helpful to the economy. And it goes one step further by allowing the free market to shape the guest-worker program businesses need and privatizes the issuance of work permits in the process, easing the burden on taxpayers.
"Instead of government quotas, for the first three years businesses would hire as many guest workers as needed after first showing that they could not find enough American workers for the job. Rather than expanding the federal immigration bureaucracy that has failed to secure our borders, private companies would match willing workers with available jobs, improving efficiency and decreasing costs. This way, those seeking legitimate work would pay for their own visa processing, rather than burdening the taxpayers.
"With the Pence plan, workers would remain in their own country until they qualified for a visa. After clearing a background check, guest workers would receive an identification card with critical information such as where they are employed, as well as biometric information such as a fingerprint. When hiring, businesses would merely swipe this card to see if an individual is in the database and is approved to work. By implementing this system, there would be far fewer incentives to hire illegal workers and even fewer incentives for workers to cross the border illegally.
"This is not an amnesty bill. The guest-worker program is completely separate from the naturalization process. The more efficient, private-sector job-matching process would keep foreign workers from getting impatient and crossing the border in search of a better life before being granted their visas. It also avoids an ineffectual buildup of border agents – as occurred between 1993 and 2000, when the number of agents more than doubled while the number of illegal immigrants in the country increased by 4.5 million people.
"Polling done by FreedomWorks has found that this approach is more widely accepted than either the pro-amnesty or enforcement-only options. It brings together Republican voters, garnering higher approval numbers than either border security or guest-worker proposals do alone. Most important, it would allow us to remain true to President Reagan's vision of America as a 'city upon on a hill,' shining with freedom."
Transcript of Congressman Pence's interview on The Rush Limbaugh Show now available
 Paul W. Smith: This came to my attention from USA Today talking about how many illegal immigrants we have here. If you picture the Rose Bowl, something we like to think about here with University of Michigan football. Michigan State, for that matter, would like to get there too. Everybody has a college team that would like to get to the Rose Bowl. Well there are 93,000 fans there on New Year’s Day, they say. Picture 130 Rose Bowls filled to capacity, and you’re looking at the number of people you have to deal with in the immigration issue. Congressman Mike Pence, the Congressman from Indiana, has put together a compromise between the House and Senate and the White House on immigration reform. We want to hear what he has to say. Congressman, welcome to the Rush Limbaugh program.
Mike Pence: Well Paul, it’s a great honor to be on with you and a special honor to be on the Rush Limbaugh program. I’m a long-time listener, first-time caller.
Smith: Ha-ha. Well, that’s not too shabby! A first-time caller being the featured guest, not too bad, not too bad at all, Congressman.
Pence: That’s very humbling, thank you.
Smith: Tell us how your plan is different from all the other plans that we’ve heard. How is your plan not going to offer amnesty, which a lot of our listeners certainly are absolutely against? How is your plan not going to reward people who have broken the law?
Pence: Well as the headline in that USA Today editorial said, I believe amnesty isn’t the answer. I think we have to come up with legislation that puts border security first and exclusively, and under my proposal we would for the first two years do nothing but border security. At the end of which, Paul, the secretary of Homeland Security would have to verify that the border security measures included in the legislation had been substantially completed and, at that point and only at that point, could we initiate a no amnesty guest worker program that would be operated by private sector firms outside the United States of America. We would ask the 11-12 million illegal immigrants in America to leave the country and apply outside the United States for the legal right to be here, and that’s why I call it a no amnesty guest worker program.
Smith: And a program from what I can tell, the Pence Plan, if you will, embraces the House passed bill and rejects the amnesty that the Senate wanted in every way.
Pence: That’s exactly right. Basically my proposal, which is available at lots of places on the Internet in its entirety, embraces all that we passed out of the House of Representatives last December, with a couple of minor fixes that the House leadership has already agreed to do. We basically do all the tough border security, again exclusively for the first two years, Paul, and then also we embrace all of the very tough employer sanctions that the House of Representatives passed. That’s, to me, the essential piece here, get control of the border first, put tough employer sanctions on the books that will drive people into a process of deporting themselves to go to these privately run, what I call, Paul, Ellis Island centers, outside the United States of America.
Smith: Well, I want to learn a bit more about that. Representative Mike Pence with us, Republican from Indiana, Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, on this idea that you are going to ask that all 12 million of these illegal immigrants actually leave the country and then come back. How in the world can that be done?
Pence: Well, I think it can be done first and foremost if we use the private sector to do it. You know, I’m not endorsing any companies, but that great Troy, Michigan company called Kelly Services comes to mind.
Smith: Yeah, but that’s been making the rounds on the Internet, the Kelly Services program.
Pence: Well, sorry about that. Kelly Services, great company that puts hundreds of thousand of Americans into jobs every year. Monster.com is another great company.
Smith: It is a great, great company but…
Pence: But the idea here is that you go to people that literally place millions of Americans in jobs every year and say, "Look we want you to bid on the right to run these centers." Now the Department of Homeland Security would still oversee it. The Justice Department would still do all the background checks. The State Department would still issue the visas, but I think it’s a powerful idea. You know Paul, the free enterprise system kind of got us into this mess, and we should look to the free enterprise system to help us get out of it by administering and managing this private placement program outside the United States at these Ellis Island centers.
Smith: And I’m glad that you recognize the fact that we do have to hold the employers responsible. These 12 million people did not just come over here and then find jobs, they came over here for jobs that were looking for them, and we have to be aware of that. We also have to be aware that these are low paying jobs that I’m not so certain that the people who hire these people are going to hold that place for them while they go through a whole process of leaving the country and then petitioning to come back. And what about the, I don’t know how many, 2 or 3 million at least, children of these illegals that were born in American that are now American citizens.
Pence: Right, I think you make a great point on referencing whether or not people would hold jobs, and I want to make it very clear. We just simply are committed to saying we needed a guest worker after we’ve got border security done, Paul. We need to set up a new guest worker program, but we have to do it without amnesty and what we say to employers and to the people who are in this country illegally…
Smith: I want you to hold that thought because I want to hear what you say to employers and to people who hire those people who are here illegally and other people who are here illegally. I want you to be able to say that here with plenty of time and I want our callers to be apart of it.
Smith: Congressman Mike Pence is with us, a Republican from Indiana. He’s talking about his efforts to fashion a compromise between the House and the Senate and the White House on immigration reform. You were about to say something about the companies that have, in fact, hired these illegals, and also the fact that if we send these illegals back if these jobs will be held for them, or exactly how you think this is going to work out.
Pence: The onus really is on the individual in the United States who is here outside the color of the law. What the Pence Plan essentially contemplates, Paul, is that we would say to anyone in our country that, look, the only way that you can be in the United States of America, the only way you can gain access, is legally. And the only way you do that is by applying outside the United States of America for the legal right to be here. And so the onus is on that individual, if they want to get right with the law. We would create a new system so they could leave the country and apply at these privately ran Ellis Island Centers. If they choose not to do that after a certain period of time, as the House-passed bill includes, there are very tough sanctions for their employers, and I expect with these disincentives that these jobs will dry up for illegal immigrants in fairly short order.
Smith: There are those who would argue that the only reason that those jobs don’t pay enough to get Americans to take the jobs is because there are non-Americans who are willing to take the jobs, and if the jobs became available, they would have to pay more, and they will hire more Americans for the jobs. On the other side, the agriculture folks, the farming folks, and everybody who would use illegal immigrants often times say that they would be in trouble because they couldn’t afford to pay a better wage. It goes back and forth, but I do want to get to the callers at 1-800-282-2882 on the Rush Limaugh Show. But Congressman, what about the three million, or so, U.S.-born children born to these illegal immigrants who are not U.S. citizens. We can’t possibly ask them to abandon their children, and I'm not so sure that it’s easy for them to take them back. Remember how many of these people got here. Many of them got here by cover of night, going running through fields, paying smugglers, risking their lives to come to these United States.
Pence: Well, that’s exactly right and those American-born children are in a sense, the American Supreme Court in 1898, as you know, Paul. Those American-born children are Americans.
Smith: Right!
Pence: There would be no legal basis.
Smith: We don’t want to do this to fellow Americans
Pence: Right. And here’s the point, one of the appealing things about having private sector firms that can do the confirming employment, do a background check, get a health screening done. My proposal contemplates that from the time an applicant walks in an Ellis Island Center outside the United States, to when they could be cleared for a guest worker visa, would take, you know, about three to five days. So instead of asking an individual to leave behind a job and maybe dependents in the United States for a year, or two years, it could be for a matter of a week, or so, that they would have to leave the country to apply through this privately run system of Ellis Island Centers. It doesn’t, to me, seem to be too much to ask an individual whose first act in this country was a violation of the law. It’s not too much to ask them to leave this country and apply outside our country and to ask them to apply for the legal right to be here.
Smith: And then eventually, one would presume, applying for citizenship or permanent residency, would you, under your plan, the Pence Plan, increase the quota?
Pence: Well, what I would say... certainly we have a backlog in a couple of different areas of…
Smith: And only about 5,000 spots, I think for unskilled workers a year with…
Pence: Visas, and green cards, and the rest. Let me say emphatically, that there is no path to citizenship in the Pence Plan. And I see the Senate bill as an amnesty bill, first because they allow people to pay a fine and get right with the law, but second, they contemplate that if you become a guest worker in the Senate bill, you’re on an automatic path to citizenship. My view is that once people leave the country and apply for the legal right to be here, that they ought to have, just like anybody else, have the opportunity to apply for permanent status or citizenship. But we shouldn’t make that automatic, Paul.
Smith: Alright
Pence: I think there’s real evidence that an awful lot of people, nearly half of the population that live and work near our border states do just want to be guests here, and if we gave them a legitimate way to come and go, to contribute to the economy, to earn a living, but to go back home, they would do just that. So, no automatic path to citizenship, but no barrier to people who want to get right with the law by applying outside the country to apply just like anybody else.
Smith: Good, let’s see what or fellow students of the Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies have on their minds. 1-800-282-2882, 1-800-282-2882, the Rush Limbaugh program with Congressman Mike Pence. I’m Paul W. Smith. And it is Jim’s turn, from Lincoln, Nebraska. Jim, welcome to the Rush Limbaugh program.
Caller: And thank you very much. I’ve got two things: first, is how are you proposing to close the borders? I understand that 30% of the people who are incarcerated in the United States are illegal aliens. What are we going to do with them? But I don’t want to send them back, unless our borders are secure.
Pence: Let me respond that under my proposal we embrace all of the security measures that were passed by the House of Representatives in December in the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism Immigration Control Act. That’s port of entry inspectors, ending the policy of catch and release, using American technology for unmanned aerial control vehicles, and of course, 700 miles of a security fence along our southern border. What we added in though, Jim, is we said, look, under my proposal, Congress would say to the administration, you would have to spend two years implementing, specifically, all the measures of the border security plan, and then at the end of those two years, you have to certify to Congress that these border security measures have been substantially completed, as Congress designated, before the first Ellis Island Center outside the United States is opened, before the first no-amnesty guest worker visa is issued. So that is the criteria. You could look at our proposal and know that all the border protection and security measures are met in our bill.
Smith: That’s a very important point. It’s point number one in your plan, the Pence Plan. Border security, getting that fixed. And let’s face it, the problem in 1986, part of it is that Congress didn’t create a fund and didn’t come up with a viable enforcement system, and that’s what we need first before we do anything else.
Pence: Well, there’s no question, Paul. 1986, with granting amnesty to three million illegal immigrants, is kind of what got us here today. But, I think it was about two weeks ago, I spent nearly an hour in the Oval Office with the President and Vice-President Cheney, and the point that I made to them was that, from my perspective, as a conservative in the Congress of the United States, a Hoosier serving in Washington, D.C., is that we have to put border security first and that we have to certify to the American people that we have completed the border security measures before the very first no-amnesty guest worker visas can be issued. And I also made the point that, in my thinking, if you can get right with the law, if you’re an illegal immigrant, and you can get right with the law without having to leave the United States, that’s amnesty. But, if you leave the country and apply outside of the United States, apply at one of these Ellis Island Centers for the legal right to work in our country for a two year period of time, from my perspective, that doesn’t include amnesty. And I made both of the points to the President and Vice-President in the Oval Office.
Smith: Let’s check in quickly with Bob in Roswell, Georgia. Bob, you’re on the Rush Limbaugh program, I’m Paul W. Smith, and you’re with Congressman Mike Pence. Bob, go ahead.
Caller: Hello. Thanks for taking my call. I was one of the lucky ones who got through. But let me tell you what twenty million Rush Limbaugh listeners are screaming at their radios right now. They’re screaming it’s not going to happen! Those 11 million aren’t going to leave this country and if we can’t deport them now and if we cant find them and can’t round them up now, what are we going to do two years from now when we suddenly decide they didn’t go?
Smith: Well I’m on the edge of my seat for the answer, and we’re going to get it up next from Congressman Mike Pence, right here on the Rush Limbaugh program. I’m Paul W. Smith.
Smith: Congressman Mike Pence is here and on the hot seat right now, and Bob is calling from Roswell, Georgia saying he’s representing about 40 million Rush Limbaugh listeners who are screaming at their radios, "Congressman, wait a minute, wait a minute. It isn’t going to happen. Twelve million illegals are not all of the sudden going to become law abiding citizens and decide to follow the letter of the law and leave to come back. We’re not going to get them." What then?
Pence: Well let me say, with great respect to Bob, I think it is going to happen. I think if we spend the first two years doing exclusively border security and setting up private placement offices we’ll call Ellis Island centers run by the private sector, and we educate people about the opportunity to go home and apply outside the country for the legal right to be here, and we also educate employers about the huge sanctions and fines that they will be facing if they have anyone in their employment after a certain period of time that doesn’t hold one of these no-amnesty guest worker visas, I think you’ve got a chemistry there. And over time you would see people make appointments to go home, take a week or so to go through the process of a background check, a health screening and have their employment confirmed. And can I say one other thing about that too Paul? I really do believe there are certainly some bad apples in every ethnic group in the country, but let me say this: I really do believe that the overwhelming majority of the people that we’re talking about described as illegal immigrants, other than their violation of our immigration laws, are good, decent, hard-working, God-fearing people who would jump at the chance to get right with the law. They just look at a failed bureaucracy today. They look at the American economy with the opportunities you described so eloquently earlier, and they don’t see a coherent way to be a part of it even now to get right with the law. I think as we close the border first, we genuinely have a moral obligation to create a new system where people without amnesty could return home and apply for the legal right to be here. I believe that with all my heart, as a grandson of one of those unskilled laborers who stepped on the real Ellis Island back in 1923. I believe with all my heart that millions of people would jump at the chance to take a trip home to get right with the law.
Smith: 1-800-282-2882. 1-800-282-2882. And its Susie’s turn from Springfield, Missouri, on the Rush Limbaugh program. Paul W. Smith, along with Congressman Mike Pence, Susie.
Caller: Yes, thank you for taking my call. And I’m glad to be able to ask you a couple of questions. The first one is about the Ellis Island centers. I know that the American taxpayers are paying billions of dollars a year to support these illegal aliens, and we don’t even want them here, suspense is taking over our country.
Smith: Wait, wait, wait. Susie, somebody does want them here, and we have to recognize that fact. Somebody is putting them to work. I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just telling you that the reality is there are 12 million jobs that they’re taking.
Caller: Ok, but they’re living on my tax money, and we could be using that for border patrol or for our troops or for other things for the benefit of American citizens. That’s what I’m saying. That’s what I believe. Ok. I’d like to know about Ellis Island. These Ellis areas. What is going to be, how that’s going to be, and who’s going to be supporting them during this time? And also…
Smith: Let me sum it up. The Pence Plan calls for it to be handled by the private sector, not a failed government bureaucracy, and I guess that is a good question, Suzy, that you’re asking there, among others. How’s this going to get funded? Who’s going to pay for this? How do those private sector companies, who should only be doing this to make money, make money?
Caller: And I want to ask him, to the ones who are made legal here in the United States, we have a system where we allow all the family members to come over the border to and become citizens if they have a relative who is a citizen a legal citizen here. Are we going to stop that law so that we aren’t just flooded with Mexicans and become a Mexican country?
Smith: Well come on now. Let’s let the Congressman answer this because we’ve got a lot of questions and not a lot of time.
Pence: Yup. Susie raises a great question about the cost of this. Its one of the really great ideas behind this proposal which has its origins in a Coloradoan by the name of Helen Krieble, who first came up with it Paul, and that is that the employees or the prospective employees, instead of paying a $1500 fine as the Senate bill contemplates to the federal government for amnesty, they would pay a fee to these private placement firms to confirm or to place them in a job. To process a background check and to engage in a health screening and otherwise administer the monitoring of their employment. Bottom line is the administration of this system is born by the employee or even the employer, it’s not born by the American taxpayer. I also picked up a thought there that Susie had that I think is a profound point and that is what sometimes gets called the external or welfare cost associated with illegal immigration. They are enormous. One part of the proposal that is included in this no-amnesty guest worker idea is that the people who possess these cards would in effect be barred from participating in public welfare programs Paul. They would not be able to come here and essentially live off of the welfare state. And, in fact there would also be, and this is an idea that emerged in a good bill in the Senate, I would like to see us take a portion of their payroll taxes to offset the emergency room costs at hospitals in the…I think there are 23 counties directly on the border and major cities that have huge emergency costs related to this. We need to focus the energy in those 12 million working people in supporting them and supporting the public systems that support them and otherwise make sure through this no-amnesty guest worker program that they don’t become welfare dependent and live off of a country of which they are not legally a part.
Smith: Final comments from Congressman Mike Pence. It’s the Pence Plan, no amnesty immigration reform here on the Rush Limbaugh program. The Pence Plan includes all the tough border security and employer sanctions passed by the House of Representatives. Does not grant a path to citizenship of any kind. Does not include any form of amnesty. Requires that illegal immigrants leave the country. Does not favor illegal immigrants over people who have not broken our immigration laws. And you feel it will work because you it relies on the private sector not a failed government bureaucracy. Did I sum it up?
Pence: You summed it up brilliantly Paul. No surprise there. What I could add is that the likes of Newt Gingrich, Gary Bauer, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation and even Chuck Colson have endorsed our proposal. I really believe it is a proposal that conservatives ought to take a hard look at. We need to get control of our border. We need to put border security first. But I think we also need to set up a new guest worker program without amnesty by harnessing the power of the private sector to manage a new program outside the United States. Tough employer sanctions, tough border security with a no-amnesty guest worker program in the middle, I believe is an idea whose time has come.
Smith: Congressman, a pleasure meeting you and talking with you. Good luck to you.
Pence: Honor to be with you, Paul.
Smith: Congressman Mike Pence here on the Rush Limbaugh program.
Monday, July 17, 2006
IT IS WRONG TO DESTROY ONE LIFE TO SAVE ANOTHER
 By Rep. Mike Pence
President Bush should veto H.R. 810, the bill passed by the U.S. Senate that increases federal funding for research that uses stem cells from human embryos and I look forward to helping the U.S. House sustain his veto this week.
The bill in question would require the federal government to support research using stem cells from excess embryos created as part of fertility treatments and that were due to otherwise be discarded.
It should be noted that I, along with many of my pro-life Republican colleagues, do not oppose stem cell research. In fact, we support NIH funding for such research every year as a part of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. My desire for a Presidential veto derives from an objection to the destructive use of embryonic stem cells.
Creating and destroying human life in the laboratory for medical research is morally wrong. While the goal is noble, we must never allow ourselves to fall into the trap of believing that the hope of disease relieved justifies research that causes death.
Sacrificing the lives of our young, at whatever stage of development, is reminiscent of barbaric civilizations we dare not follow. Stem cell research is promising and holds the potential for great medical breakthroughs.
However, to focus on the human embryo as the source, requires that we kill in order to heal. Although embryonic stem cell research is legal, it is simply a bridge too far to expect millions of Americans to pay for it.
The most important difference to be drawn in this debate is that adult stem cells do not simply offer the promise of curing patients, but they have actually cured thousands of Americans. Conversely, embryonic stem cells have never been used to treat any human being for any disease.
Adult stem cells are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and leukemia, restore vision to the legally blind, and relieve arthritis. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration approved in April the first clinical trial of treating heart failure with adult stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, have never successfully treated any human condition. The idea that they could potentially treat Alzheimer’s Disease is highly unlikely. Many experts point to early detection and medication to prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s, not stem cell therapy.
Finally, it is also important to note that the hype surrounding embryonic stem cells can be largely traced to an age-old source – money. Adult stem cell treatments, for the most part, cannot be patented, particularly when it relates to actual patient therapies, thus there is a limited incentive for investment in this research.
On the other hand, anyone who can develop an embryonic stem cell line that can be used in laboratories for conducting basic research experiments will have a biological product that will be patentable. The holder of a patent stands to realize a sizable fortune. Conversely, while adult stem cells may prove to cure some of these same illnesses, there is not a profit motive for these cures since they cannot be patented.
Two summers ago, the death of President Ronald Reagan re-ignited the national discussion about the ethics of stem-cell research. In his essay, Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation, Reagan wrote, “We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life – the unborn – without diminishing the value of all human life.”
President Bush would be wise to heed Reagan’s advice and veto this bill. The federal government should support adult stem cell research, but never encourage or fund the unethical destruction of human embryos.
Friday, July 14, 2006
WSJ editorial: "Consensus" still lacking on global warming
The editorial staff of the Wall Street Journal published this editorial about global warming in today's edition.
Here is an excerpt:
"It is routine these days to read in newspapers or hear -- almost anywhere the subject of climate change comes up -- that the 1990s were the 'warmest decade in a millennium' and that 1998 was the warmest year in the last 1,000.
"This assertion has become so accepted that it is often recited without qualification, and even without giving a source for the 'fact.' But a report soon to be released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee by three independent statisticians underlines yet again just how shaky this 'consensus' view is, and how recent its vintage."
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Chuck Colson lauds Pence immigration reform plan in BreakPoint commentary
Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson talks about Congressman Pence's immigration reform plan in his BreakPoint commentary today.
To listen to Colson's commentary, click here: http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=2605.
An Immigration Compromise
By Chuck Colson
7/13/2006
Showing Compassion, Upholding the Law
By the looks of things, it seems that compromise on the contentious issue of immigration is unlikely, if not impossible. The House's position has been hard-line: We have to stop illegal immigration before we even consider ways we could process illegal immigrants into America properly. Some members have even demanded the wholesale deportation of all illegal immigrants, which would virtually stop the American economy in its tracks.
The Senate has taken what's regarded as a more moderate approach: securing the borders and establishing a guest-worker program so that people who have been here for a while can establish their residence. President Bush's position on the debate has been, in my opinion, comprehensive and responsible.
Yet here we are in July, and instead of ironing out their differences, the House and the Senate are holding dueling hearings across the country.
While getting agreement is hard to imagine, the basis for a good compromise exists. It addresses the important issue of border security while also offering a humane way of dealing with illegal immigrants already living in the United States. It even has a role for Christians who, after all, are commanded to care for the strangers in our midst.
The author of this compromise is Representative Mike Pence (R) of Indiana. I have known Pence for several years and regard him as one of the brightest young stars in the House. He is a serious Christian who is committed to integrating faith and public service.
What Pence is proposing is a two-step process. The first step is to secure the borders. His proposal would include the enforcement measures passed by the House last December.
Once the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the borders have been secured, illegal aliens will become eligible to apply for guest-worker visas. Pence's proposal requires them to leave the country and apply for these visas at what he calls "Ellis Island Centers."
These visas entitle them to work in the United States for six years. After the six years, the 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."
Pence wants Christians involved in the process and is proposing some faith-based programs so the churches can help people with their paperwork, can teach them English, and integrate them into the communities.
I think that his plan, which has gained interest in the White House and support on both sides of the Capitol, provides the basis of a good compromise. I would modify his requirement that people leave the country to apply for guest-worker visas-I think that could be done in federal facilities around the country and save money and time. And the criteria for certifying border security must be objective and reasonable. But these things can be accomplished.
The point is that this is a good proposal that gets us out of the deadlock and promotes security and respect for the law in a humane and workable fashion. And it addresses the issues of workers without demonizing them.
I hope you will get behind Pence's proposal and call your senators and congressman. Given the contentious quality of the immigration debate, what is needed is support for people like Mike Pence, for whom faith and public service go hand-in-hand.
Congressman Pence's immigration reform plan continues to draw national editorial attention, supporters
 Krieble Foundation President Helen Krieble, pictured right with Rep. Pence, wrote this column in support of the Congressman's immigration plan in today's Washington Times.
Here is an excerpt:
"Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, has introduced legislation that would provide a comprehensive solution to these issues without any form of amnesty. It would actually combine the House-passed border security and employer enforcement measures with a temporary work program based on our private-sector plan. It would require people who broke our laws to go home and apply legally, and give them strong incentives to do so. It would effectively dry up the illegal labor market, make sure all the workers in this country are legally registered, working productive jobs and paying taxes.
"This legislation would accomplish these things without any new federal bureaucracy, and without any new immigrants. It is not a compromise between two failed approaches, but a third choice -- a way to end the rhetoric and get the problem solved. It deserves a careful look as a way to break the deadlock and get something through Congress this year.
"The public wants a solution, not more election-year slogans."
######
The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial staff strongly supported the Congressman's plan in this July 10 editorial.
Here is an excerpt:
"If you're still with us, you should take a look at a bill proposed by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., one of the most solidly conservative members of Congress and an opponent of amnesty. The Pence plan, called the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act, would require illegal immigrants to visit Ellis Island-type centers in Mexico to fill out paperwork before re-entering this country legally as guest workers. The measure would do this by privatizing the issuance of work permits and letting private companies match willing workers with available jobs, with the cost going to those seeking work as opposed to being picked up by taxpayers. After a background check, guest workers would receive a tamper-proof ID card to make it easier for businesses to hire only those who are legally able to work.
"This should satisfy House Republican leaders, who have refused to accept any plan that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the United States without first returning to their home countries. The idea apparently intrigues President Bush who, according to White House Press Secretary Tony Show, called the Pence plan 'interesting.' Like a lone but sane voice in the wilderness, Bush continues to say that it's impractical to deport 12 million people."
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
ABCNews' George Stephanopoulos: Is Pence the powerbroker on immigration?
 ABCNews' George Stephanopoulos recently filed this blog entry about the Congressman's meeting with President Bush.
Here are key excerpts:
The NY Times caused quite a stir here in the Capitol this morning with a front page story headlined BUSH SIGNALING SHIFT IN STANCE ON IMMIGRATION, but the star of the piece is not the President but an up-and-coming conservative Congressman from Indiana named Mike Pence. Pence runs a caucus of die-hard House conservatives and he's drafted an immigration bill designed to bridge the gap between his colleagues and President.
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It would combine enforcement and border security provisions passed by the House with a new guest worker program if 3 conditions are met: 1.) the guest worker program would be delayed for at least 2 years; 2.) it wouldn't take effect until the President certified that the borders are secure; 3.) anyone now in the country illegally would have to leave the country before being allowed in as a guest worker.
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With that piece, Pence made his bill more prominent than ever, and the President got a headline showing that he hasn't given up hope on legislation that had been on life support.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Transcript of Congressman Pence's NPR interview on immigration reform now available
 Congressman Pence had an opportunity to discuss his plan in a lengthy interview with National Public Radio's Lynn Neary last Friday.
To access an audio file of the interview, click here.
Following is the transcript of the interview:
LYNN NEARY, host: Members of a House subcommittee hold hearings today in Laredo, Texas to discuss the need for overhauling immigration. Here in Washington, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the White House, are struggling to find a plan everyone can agree on.
Indiana Republican Congressman Mike Pence is offering the newest idea. Congressman Pence's plan has gotten the attention of President Bush. The Congressman joined us on the line from his home in Indiana and laid out his proposal for us.
REP. MIKE PENCE: My proposal is - I refer to as a no-amnesty immigration reform proposal. It puts border security first for two years, at the end of which the secretary of Homeland Security must certify to the Congress and the White House that the border security measures have been substantially completed. And at that time, we would initiate a new series of what I call Ellis Island centers outside the United States of America that could process the 10-12 million illegal immigrants in this country by asking them to leave the country and apply for the legal right to be here under a two- year work visa.
NEARY: First of all, is it really possible to get 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants to self-deport?
REP. PENCE: I believe it is. The proposal that I'm advancing includes all of the tough employer sanctions and fines that were included in the House-passed bill from last December, and I believe that when we put those tough fines in place after two years and after six years, and we give an opportunity for people who are in this country illegally to make a quick trip home to get right with the law, that both the carrot of the opportunity to take a one-week trip home and get a new worker visa, and the stick of the new employer sanctions, will work to bring millions of people under the color of the law.
NEARY: You said it would take one week. That seems fantastic to me that it would only take one week.
REP. PENCE: Well, it would be one week from the time that an illegal immigrant arrived on the doorstep of an Ellis Island center. We would contract these centers out to American firms that do this for a living and they would have to certify that from the time an applicant arrived on their doorstep for a background check, a health screening, and to confirm employment, that they could process them and make a recommendation for a new guest-worker visa within three to five days.
NEARY: Now, as I understand it, after six years, these guest workers, who are now legal, would have the right to apply for citizenship. Is that correct?
REP. PENCE: That's right, but it would not be an automatic path to citizenship. Under the Senate legislation, as I understand it, Lynn, once a person enrolls in the guest-worker program, they are set on an inextricable path to become an American citizen. I can't support that. I don't create an automatic path to citizenship, but I don't create any barriers to people in this program applying like anybody else to join the American family.
NEARY: And since this program could last for six years, since someone could be in this country legally under this proposal for six years as a guest worker, it's possible that children might be born. What about the children of guest workers?
REP. PENCE: Well, I think it's a very real issue and I'd like people on these guest-worker visas to be able to have their families with them, but I think it would be prudent for us to look at - although it's not in my proposal yet - addressing the issue of birthright citizenship in this guest-worker visa.
It seems to me that this new guest-worker visa would be a great place for us to revisit the issue of birthright citizenship, to ask if people want to come to our country as guest workers and bring their families, to ask that their families, including future-born children, would also have the status of being guests.
Now, I assume that would be tested in the courts, but it would be a very good place for us, I think, to have that national debate and discussion.
NEARY: Republican Congressman Mike Pence from Indiana.
Pence op-ed in USA Today: Amnesty isn't the answer
Congressman Mike Pence penned this column in today's USA Today about his Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act.
Here is the column as it appeared in today's USA Today:
My four-part plan is tough on border security and tough on employers who hire illegal aliens, but it recognizes the need for a guest-worker program that operates without amnesty and without growing into a huge new government bureaucracy.
•Border security.
Before any new guest-worker program can begin, the Pence plan requires the secretary of Homeland Security to certify that all border security measures are substantially completed. The Pence plan embraces the House-passed bill, which adds port-of-entry inspectors, ends catch and release, uses American technology such as unmanned aerial vehicles and requires the building of a security fence across approximately 700 miles of our southern border.
•Reject amnesty.
The Senate passed a bill that would provide amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Allowing people to get right with the law without leaving the United States, when their first act here was a violation of the law, is amnesty. The Pence plan offers a no-amnesty solution to the problem of 12 million illegal aliens living in our country by insisting that they leave the country and come back legally if they have a job opportunity in the United States.
•Enact a no-amnesty guest-worker program using American private sector firms.
The Pence plan would set up a system of private worker placement agencies, licensed by the federal government, to match willing guest workers with jobs in America that employers cannot fill with American workers. The private agencies also would perform a health screening, fingerprint the guest workers and provide that information for a federal background check. The process would take a week or less. After six years, the guest must decide whether to return home or enter the separate process of seeking citizenship.
•Strict employer enforcement.
All the employer enforcement contained in the House-passed bill is contained in the Pence plan. It sets forth a nationwide electronic employment verification system through which employers confirm the legality of each employee. Employers who operate outside of the system would face tough fines.
Some argue that putting border security first and asking millions of illegal immigrants to leave the country is unrealistic. I submit that it is unrealistic to assume that another round of amnesty will not result in another wave of illegal immigration in the years ahead. We must address illegal immigration, but we must do so in a way that reasserts the principle that the only way to enter the United States is under the law.
The Republic: White House meeting demonstrates respect Pence has gained among Washington power-brokers
Congressman Pence's hometown newspaper, The Republic, published this editorial praising the Congressman's efforts in the immigration debate. (Please note a subscription is required to view this article.)
Here are two excerpts:
"Still, the importance of the session can’t be overstated, especially in an assessment of the rising-star status of the young congressman.
"His position on the troubling immigration issue — parts of which have been deemed unrealistic by some critics — has put him in the forefront of the national debate and established his already solid credentials as a leader among congressional conservatives.
"That he would be asked to discuss his opinions with the top men in the Bush administration (the 20 minutes originally scheduled were expanded to 40) is a clear indication of just how far he has come on the national stage.
"Moreover, the adherence to his original position in the face of a counter opinion by the president of the United States demonstrated a respect few in Washington can achieve."
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"Pence proposes centers outside the country where potential immigrants can apply for entry as guest workers.
"He would also require that anyone here illegally would have to leave the country before applying for the program.
"That’s the part critics contend is unrealistic, suggesting that few would put themselves in such a position.
"In most cases the president’s will would prevail, but Pence’s plan and the respect in which he is held suggest that a compromise closer to his position could be worked out.
"Not bad for a kid from Columbus."
Monday, July 10, 2006
Pence immigration reform plan draws national editorial attention over the weekend
 Congressman's Pence's immigration reform proposal earned recognition on the editorial pages of several national newspapers this weekend.
The Houston Chronicle published this editorial praising the Congressman for his efforts at bridging the gap between the House and Senate.
Here are key excerpts:
"Intense as the recent immigration hearings have been, Americans might not guess that prospects for reform this year are quite dire. That's why a recent proposal by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., deserves credit."
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"Pence's idea, which he outlined in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, calls for securing the border first - then phasing in guest worker programs and a path to legal residence and citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
"Before any program for temporary workers could begin, Pence's plan would '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.
"After these measures were in place, undocumented immigrants would have to leave. Many of the 11 million to 12 million here now could return legally if they could prove they had jobs waiting for them."
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"Any such compromise, of course, would take more talking. Above all, that is the appeal of Pence's effort. He has spoken at length to President Bush, who has declared his plan 'intriguing,' and with key senators.
"If only Pence's colleagues in the House would be similarly open to discussion. Public hearings are well and good. But constituents consistently have told their leaders that they want new, comprehensive immigration law. House members owe it to them to go back to Washington and keep searching for an answer."
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This Honolulu Star-Bulletin editorial explains how Congressman Pence's meeting with President Bush fits into the immigration debate.
Here is an excerpt:
"Bush sought to create common ground. He reportedly told Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., that he was intrigued by Pence's proposal that would allow the guest worker program to begin only after borders are made secure, estimated to take two years.
"Pence's proposal then would require illegal immigrants to leave the country briefly, be allowed to return with proper documentation to take part in a guest worker system and, after six years, be allowed to apply for citizenship. The Senate bill would require the returnees to pay fines and learn to speak English."
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The Indy Star published WIBC radio personality Greg Garrison's editorial about Congressman Pence's plan.
Here is an excerpt:
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