Bringing LIBERTY to Capitol Hill -- 2008
OZARKS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Saturday Morning, June 9, 2007, 10:30am

A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning Radio Address

Notes and Summary of the Broadcast

Note: The President also covered the subject of immigration on May 12 and May 19, and there is more discussion of this subject on those pages.

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I am traveling in Europe, where I am meeting with world leaders to discuss ways to address challenges like climate change, to work together to combat diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS and help advance freedom throughout the world.
Back at home, America is engaged in an important discussion about immigration. Most Americans agree that the 1986 immigration law failed. It failed because it did not secure our border, it did not include tough worksite enforcement, it did not help people assimilate, and it encouraged more people to come here illegally. Today, illegal immigration is supported by criminal enterprises dedicated to document forgery, human trafficking, and labor exploitation. This is unacceptable, and we need to fix it in a way that honors our finest traditions.

A Libertarian Response:

Kevin Craig's Platform: Immigration

The 2004 Libertarian Party Platform: Immigration
The 2006 Libertarian Party Platform: Immigration

Recent Blog Posts:

Ann Coulter on Immigration

Immigration and the LP Platform

Welfare and Immigration

Immigration and Gun Control

Greene County Libertarians: Immigration

Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them

Immigration and Health Care

Immigration and the War on [Some] Drugs

The Criminal Culture of Immigrants

The Benefits of 40 Million Illegal Aliens

The Immigration Issue Takes to the Streets

More Detailed Response:

The President's Remarks	A Libertarian Response
Good morning. This week I am traveling in Europe, where I am meeting with world leaders to discuss ways to address challenges like climate change, to work together to combat diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS and help advance freedom throughout the world.	We discussed the G8 meeting last week. Governments like those at the G8 meeting banned the cure for Malaria, and subsidize AIDS, destroying freedom throughout the world. "Liberty Under God" is the best way to unleash the human creativity necessary to "combat diseases" and "advance freedom."
Back at home, America is engaged in an important discussion about immigration. Most Americans agree that the 1986 immigration law failed. It failed because it did not secure our border, it did not include tough worksite enforcement, it did not help people assimilate, and it encouraged more people to come here illegally. Today, illegal immigration is supported by criminal enterprises dedicated to document forgery, human trafficking, and labor exploitation. This is unacceptable, and we need to fix it in a way that honors our finest traditions.	Our border does not have to be "secure." We do not need "tough worksite enforcement." Government does a lousy job of helping people "assimilate." People are here "illegally" because the government makes it "illegal." Document forgery, "trafficking" and labor exploitation are all caused by government restrictions on freedom.
People have strong feelings on this issue. I believe we can express our feelings, disagree on certain elements, and still come together on a solution. We can accomplish that through the bipartisan Senate bill. It is based on months of negotiation. The result is legislation that puts border security first, establishes a temporary worker program to meet the legitimate needs of our growing economy, sets up a mandatory system for verifying employment eligibility, and resolves the status of the estimated 12 million people who are here illegally. If this bill becomes law, America will finally have in place a system that addresses all these problems -- and can be adjusted to address future problems that may arise.	Problems are caused by government "solutions," not by "Liberty Under God." What exactly is the "problem" being addressed by the "bipartisan Senate bill?" "Cheap labor" is no more of a problem than "cheap land," or "cheap raw materials." We all benefit from lower costs. "Assimilation" is an educational problem. It is a spiritual values problem. The federal government has proven itself to be completely incompetent in transmitting to the next generation the values that made America the most prosperous and admire nation on earth. Immigrants will become great Americans if the government will get out of the way.
I understand the skepticism some members of Congress have regarding certain aspects of this legislation. Like any legislation, this bill is not perfect. And like many Senators, I believe the bill will need to be further improved along the way before it becomes law. In the heat of the debate, critics and supporters can sometimes talk past each other. So I want to speak to members about some of the concerns I have heard.
I know some of you doubt that the Federal government will make good on the border security and enforcement commitments in this bill. My Administration is determined to learn from the mistakes of the past decades. And that is why we are now committing more resources than ever before to border security, doubling the number of Border Patrol agents, building hundreds of miles of fencing, and employing advanced technology, from infrared sensors to unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill builds on this progress by requiring that we meet border security objectives before certain other provisions can take effect.	This is a recipe for a total Police State.
This bill also addresses other problems with the 1986 reform. Unlike the 1986 law, this bill includes a temporary worker program to ensure that those who come here to work do so in a legal and orderly way. Unlike the 1986 law, this bill gives honest employers the tools they need to ensure that they are hiring legal workers -- beginning with a tamper-resistant identity card. Businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens will be punished. Workers who come here illegally will be sent home. And unlike the 1986 law, this bill does not grant amnesty for those who are already here.
Amnesty is forgiveness with no penalty for people who have broken our laws to get here. In contrast, this bill requires illegal workers to pay a fine, register with the government, undergo background checks, pay their back taxes, and hold a steady job. And if at the end of eight years they want to apply for a green card, they will have to pay an additional substantial fine, show they have learned English, and return to their home country so they can apply from there. In short, they will have to prove themselves worthy of this great land.	In a recent poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, 62 percent of Republicans said they favored letting illegal immigrants now in the country obtain citizenship IF:    • they have jobs,    • pass background checks and    • pay fines -- when the word "amnesty" was not invoked. But only 47 percent of Republicans said they favored giving amnesty to illegal immigrants if they met those same conditions.
I also want to say a word to those in Congress concerned about family unification. This bill will create a merit-based point system that recognizes the importance of family ties by granting points to some applicants who have family members here legally. More than half of new green cards will go to family members, immigrants will be allowed to bring in their spouses and minor children, and we will clear the backlog for millions of people who have been waiting patiently in line.	Complete freedom of immigration, such as existed 100 years ago, and as described by the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, would preserve and strengthen families.
Securing the border and upholding family values are not partisan concerns. They are important to all Americans. They must be addressed, and this bill is the best way to do it. I urge Senator Reid to act quickly to bring this bill back to the Senate floor for a vote, and I urge Senators from both parties to support it. The immigration debate has divided too many Americans. By coming together, we can build an immigration system worthy of this great Nation -- one that keeps us safe and prosperous, welcomes dreamers and doers from across the globe, and trusts in our country's genius for making us all Americans -- one Nation under God.	Immigration is remarkable in its non-partisan character. Factions within both the Democrat and Republican parties oppose immigrations, while other factions support it. Among Democrats, organized labor opposes freedom because they want the government to suppress competition from those willing to do the same job for lower wages. This opposition hurts consumers. Among Republicans are those who want a stronger federal government to protect American values, forgetting the the greatest opponent of America's values has been the federal government.
Thank you for listening.

Congress is not going to close the borders, like the anti-immigrationists want.

The leadership of both Democrats and Republicans is working to abolish all borders in North America, in a plan modeled after the European Union. Nobody heard the term "European Union" 20 years ago, but the architects of the EU recently threw themselves a 50th Birthday Party. In their minds, the European Union began 50 years ago with an innocuous trade agreement creating the "European Coal and Steel Community." Today the EU represents the abolition of sovereign nations and creation of a regional central state.

President Bush entered into an agreement with Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin which is for North America what that trade agreement 50 years ago was for Europe. It is the abolition of the United States as a sovereign nation.

There will be no immigration problem between the U.S. and Mexico under this agreement, because the border between the U.S. and Mexico will be as superfluous as the border between Missouri and Arkansas.

This means all talk about "reforming" our immigration laws is disingenuous. It is political talk designed for upcoming elections.

A National ID Bill Masquerading as Immigration Reform by Rep. Ron Paul

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DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, 4 July 1776: -- He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

U.S. Constitution: Article I, Section 8, Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

Background on this Clause of the Constitution

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The Democrat Party Radio Address: 

• Opposed to 50-year occupation of Iraq, like in South Korea

A Libertarian Response to Democrats:

• Democrats have consistent voted to perpetuate Truman's occupation of South Korea. On what grounds can they oppose a similar occupation of Iraq? Democrats voted to send troops to Iraq. If there were a Democrat in the White House, there would be no calls for an "exit strategy." A victory for Democrats in 2008 will not demonstrably change U.S. foreign policy.
• Some libertarians support U.S. occupation of Iraq, but the consistent libertarian position is consistent with the views of America's Founding Fathers:

The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible."
— Washington, Farewell Address (1796) [Washington’s emphasis]

I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government, and consequently [one] which ought to shape its administration,…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.
— Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (1801) 

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