Patriotic Federalist

Has your “Allow Comments” check box gone away for some reason?  You can go to “screen options” near the top right of the “edit post” or “edit page” page.  There are several options there, but the “discussion” one will bring your check box to allow comments or not.  You can also see in under “All Posts” then “Quick Edit” regardless of the “discussion” box status.

Anti-Amnesty

Did you know there are over 4 million people waiting to enter this country legally? The Amnesty bills in Congress would reward 11.5 million others to cut into that line. Simply put, the amnesty bill is unfair, too costly and encourages more illegal behavior.

There’s a better way to strengthen the immigration system that focuses on the things that are supported by the majority of Americans:

• Fix our slow, broken, lawful immigration system through step-by-step legislation that is simple, clear, and transparent. This creates opportunities for legislative victories that make it hard to hide loopholes or sweetheart deals for special interests.
• Congress should keep the promises they made when they granted amnesty “for only this one time” in 1986.
• Enforce our existing laws by imposing stiff fines on those who hire illegal immigrants.
• Secure our borders – It is a top priority for Americans.

Don’t put up with the costly, bureaucratic, special interest-loving approach to immigration reform. Know what’s really going on in Washington and get information on the better way of fair, firm, and consistent immigration reform.

FREE e-newsletter to stay informed.

Congressional Budget Office Should Forecast Long-Term Cost of Amnesty

With the Congressional Budget Office preparing to release a cost estimate for the Senate’s Gang of Eight bill in the coming days, a key Republican lawmaker yesterday insisted that any projection look beyond the 10-year budget window to fully understand the magnitude of granting amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants.

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), ranking member on the Budget Committee, wrote to CBO Director Doug Elmendorf that it was crucial to have a long-term fiscal and economic analysis given the implementation timetable included in the Gang of Eight amnesty bill.

Not only is a longer forecast period required because the legislation contains phase-in periods that differ by visa classification, but the fiscal and economic effects will likely develop across the lifespan of those immigrants immediately affected by S. 744. I would strongly urge you to consider using your long-term fiscal and economic models. The Global Insight U.S. Macroeconomic Model, which I understand you license, comes in a long-term version with baseline forecasts extending just beyond 2040. I believe you are capable of adapting this model’s baseline to one that incorporates your economic assumptions.

Given the long time period over which the key elements of this bill are implemented, I cannot imagine a circumstance in which a 10-year scoring of S. 744 would be deemed adequate for guiding the policy decisions that Congress will confront. Thus, I would stress in the strongest possible terms that you should produce a fiscal score that extends beyond the current 10-year budget window. Continue reading