Immigration. The House has passed the bill, the Senate is gridlocked. This is how the House bill—named after its primary sponsor, Congressman Sensenbrenner—from Wisconsin, is described, “The [Sensenbrenner] bill passed in the House in December. Focused exclusively on security and enforcement, it has sparked protests nationwide. The bill treats an illegal alien’s mere presence in the country - currently only a civil violation - as a felony punishable by a year and a day in jail and establishes mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders. Its sweeping language would make giving even humanitarian assistance to an illegal immigrant a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. Fines for an employer who hires illegal immigrants ... would be increased to $5,000- $25,000. Criminal penalties for repeat offenders could include a minimum of a year in jail up from a maximum of six months. Among the border enhancements: a 700-mile double fence along part of the 2,000-mile frontier with Mexico.”

Congressman Gutierrez, what’s wrong with that?

REP. LUIS GUTIERREZ (D-IL): Well, I think the bill misses the point. We do need enforcement, but we also need compassion. We need a comprehensive bill, one that takes into account that there are 11 million undocumented workers currently in the United States. And those that have come here to work, to contribute, paying their taxes, I think they should be able to earn a legal pathway towards permanent residency and, should they decide, towards citizenship. It’s the right thing to do.

Let me just say that we need to be comprehensive. Enforcement is important and our border is important. And I guess when I look at it, I say to myself, “The Congress of the United States, the federal government, doesn’t have the political will, nor could it ever really commit the requisite resources to deport 11 million people. So therefore, the only sane, sensible, compassionate thing to do is to integrate them fully into the fabric of our society. These undocumented immigrants are our neighbors, our co-workers, their children go to school with our children, they drive on the same expressways, they play in the same play yards as our children do. They’re part of the fabric of our society, and they’re necessary to the economic well-being of our country. So let’s include them. I agree enforcement is key and security is key, but let’s do it comprehensively, let’s do—let’s have a holistic approach to this situation.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Bonilla, you voted for the Sensenbrenner bill, do you really want to cut off humanitarian assistance to illegal immigrants?

REP. HENRY BONILLA (R-TX): Well, we have a crisis along the Mexican border right now, a state of emergency as declared by a bipartisan group of Texas House members just last fall. You know, we’ve had almost 200,000 OTMs—the government categorizes OT “other, other than Mexicans”—along the Mexican border. We have infiltrators coming in from the Mideast, from China, gang members from Central America that are moving into communities across the country. The drug cartels are, are confronting law enforcement along the border. The governors of, of New Mexico and Arizona have declared a state of emergency. Governor Perry, in my opinion, in Texas, the only reason he hasn’t done it is because he’s of the same political party as, as George W. Bush. We have, again, our, our ranchers along the border can no longer go out and even check on their cattle without having armed guards. We have an absolute crisis down there. A lot of us want to support a guest worker plan down the road, but first and foremost we have to secure the border.

MR. RUSSERT: But if an illegal immigrant is working on a farm or a ranch in Texas, and cuts his arm or hand off they should not be given medical assistance, and they would be fined, whoever treated them, for violating the law that you voted for.

REP. BONILLA: The plight of many illegal aliens—and by the way, of course, our hospitals are compassionate and will continue to serve people who need help—but the plight...

MR. RUSSERT: Would that be breaking the—would that be breaking law?

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REP. BONILLA: It probably would be, but the hospitals are not going to be held accountable. But first and foremost, the plight of a lot of these illegal aliens, a lot of people want to—the demonstrators and critics—want to blame our country for their problems. You know, these dysfunctional, oppressive, in many cases, governments where these people flee, flee from are the, the ones that are responsible for the unfortunate situation these people are in, and they’re not doing a darned thing to help their own people.

MR. RUSSERT: Congressman Hayworth, let me bring you into the conversation. Eleven million illegal immigrants. You voted, you voted against this bill saying it wasn’t tough enough. Let’s go to Arizona. A high school kid comes in—comes to your congressional office and says, “My mama and my papa are from Mexico, but I was born here. I’m an illegal—I’m legal, I’m an American citizen. Why do you want to send my mama and papa back to Mexico?”

REP. J.D. HAYWORTH (R-AZ): You know, Tim, I’m so glad you asked that question, because it gives us the chance to clear up one of the common misperceptions, and that is under the law when a deportation hearing goes on the judge has to take into account the sentiments of a legal citizen. And so that student’s comments would be taken into account in a deportation hearing. But moreover, I write about...

MR. RUSSERT: But you’re against birthright citizenship.

CONTINUED

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