ILW.COM -Rep. Foley Opposes Amnesty

[Congressional Record: November 1, 2000 (House)] [Page H11752-H11753] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:cr01no00-93] IT IS TIME TO PUT PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, just a few minutes ago I asked a question on the House floor as to the schedule because it seems to me that there is some confusion. We have been asked now vis-a-vis the Senate to have a potential 14-day CR. Now, to refresh the memory of those listening, we were asked by the President to stay and work day in and day out 24-hour CRs until we get our work done, and we have done that. We have tried to work. We have tried to negotiate. Now it appears that sometime within the last 12 hours, Mr. Daschle, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), and Mr. Podesta, the President's chief of staff, had a meeting and decided to take a 14-day CR over to the Senate and place it on Trent Lott's desk and ask for unanimous consent, and apparently the Senate has taken them up on their offer for a 14-day CR because the politics of confusion is not working for them. Many of the Members on my side of the aisle, including one of our most vulnerable members, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rogan), remained in Washington, D.C. to do the people's business because he believes more in the sanctity of the voting process here than going home to protect his reelection. The courage that he has displayed will ensure his reelection, because he truly represents his district. Unlike some of the Democratic House leaders featured today in the Hill Magazine, Wednesday, November 1 edition, and let me read the headline because it is telling. Last night I heard the chants, work, work, work from the minority side of the aisle; gets everybody festered up, ready to do the people's business. Let me read this because it is telling. Democratic House leaders miss weekend votes. Despite President Clinton's pledge to stay here with you and fight for the legislative priorities, not one House Democratic leader was present last weekend for all 7 votes taken on session-ending procedural matters. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), all missed votes while we worked trying to solve some very, very difficult issues. Some are on immigration. We have heard a blanket amnesty requested by the President, and I am all for letting people stay in America that have been tortured and oppressed from their homelands, but let us get the record straight. We do not want to just give everybody amnesty until we figure out who they are, why they are here, what their backgrounds are, do they have criminal records. Every time they talk about blanket amnesty, people in Haiti and Cuba and other places decide maybe it is worth risking their life to come on a raft to the United States, because if they just reach our shores they will be allowed to stay because some day a future Congress will blanket amnesty them as well. So those that go legitimately to the INS process 2 and 3 years at a time, waiting for some response that they may be citizens, are basically shunned and turned away because they do not and are not covered by blanket amnesty. Now the Republican majority has proven itself capable of staying here in town working until the job is done. We were blamed for the shutdown of government. I remembered some on the other side howling about shutting down the government; it is the Republicans' fault. The Chamber is empty today and the Republicans are talking, I being one, and am prepared to stay through Tuesday, election day, to make certain we deliver a budget that is good for America, good for kids and schools, good for Medicare recipients, good for hospitals. We have delivered that bill and we have delivered tax relief, and we have done so in a prudent, sensible, cost-effective manner; but we are tied up on a couple of issues and they are refusing to budge. The President is in California, Kentucky, New York, except, excuse me, let me flash back, stay here with you, said the President, until our job is done. Well, he is in New York with his wife campaigning. He will not sign a bill helping women with cervical and breast cancer. He will not do a White House ceremony because it may involve the gentleman from New York [[Page H11753]] (Mr. Lazio) and that would give him unfair publicity in a very tough Senatorial contest. Seemed like the White House had no problems finding a picture of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) and Mr. Arafat at a common reception when a delegation went to visit Israel and Palestine and areas of that nature in order to talk to the people to bring about peace. They can find a photo, but they cannot make time for a bill signing. Mr. Speaker, one other critical matter coming before the Congress, and I can assure you it will get done, and that is the Everglades. Thanks to the Speaker today and others who have urged our leadership to move forward on the Everglades, we are going to see a bill before this session of Congress ends, not in lame duck but in this session, before Friday. If the other Members of the minority think it is too important to go home and campaign, well how about it, because you are missing anyway. We are going to stay here and make certain the principles of the democracy are upheld, that we fight the good fight on behalf of our constituents. Our constituents are as important as theirs are, but I urge every Member to stop the rhetoric and nastiness and aspersions and start focusing on why we are here. I think we have made some tremendous successes, and I compliment the other side of the aisle on a number of them but I suggest that in this day and era we need goodwill, not a poisonous atmosphere. It is time to put people before politics. ____________________

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