Response From Frank Lautenberg

The letter below on Amnesty was also sent to my state senators. Here is the response I just received from Senator Frank Lautenberg (Dem, NJ):

Dear Mr. Rosey:

Thank you for contacting me about immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As you know, our immigration system is badly broken. We need reform that is tough, practical, and fair. Border security is essential. We must know who is crossing our borders and living in our country. In addition, we must enforce our immigration laws and crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. I do not support offering blanket amnesty for undocumented workers. Rather, realistic reform should allow undocumented workers to come out of the shadows if they pay stiff fines, work for a number of years, undergo a rigorous background and security check, learn English, and go to the end of the line.

I had concerns about the recent immigration bill (S. 1639) and I supported amendments to change it. I voted for amendments by Senator Byron Dorgan ( D-ND ) to remove the bill's guestworker program out of concern that it would undercut American wages and encourage guest workers to overstay their visas. While those amendments failed, an amendment by Senator Jeff Bingaman ( D-NM ) cutting the annual number of guestworker visas in half passed with my support.

I thought the Senate should fully debate the best way to enact tough, practical, and fair immigration reform. As such, I voted to continue work on th is immigration bill . However, please know that I continued t o have serious concerns about this legislation, and be assured that I will keep your views in mind when the full Senate again considers immigration issues.

Thank you again for contacting me.