Behind The Headlines

We asked Rep. Dana Rohrabacher via e-mail about his thoughts on the recently proposed immigration reform bill, presidential politics and the Iraq War.

Question: Sen. John McCain, one of the main sponsors of the immigration reform bill, said the proposed legislation's critics ought to quit carping and should offer alternatives. Taking him up on the challenge, if you could write an immigration reform bill what would be its main planks?

Answer: The House already passed an alternative bill to the one being debated by the Senate during the last Congress, when Republicans were still in control. It focused on real border-enforcement measures and tougher, more enforceable employer sanctions, unlike the smoke and mirrors of the current Senate bill. If I had the opportunity to add a provision, it would be to insist all those who provide taxpayer-funded benefits, such as healthcare and education, verify the legal status of all recipients in order to ensure that American citizens are the beneficiaries of these services.

Q: On Wednesday the Senate voted to slash the guest-worker permits from 400,000 to 200,000 in the bill. Since the senators behind the so-called "grand bargain" have said any alteration may doom the entire bill, do you see this as the first step in the inevitable downfall of the proposal? How likely do you think it is that President Bush will get a chance to sign it?

A: The number of people permitted to enter the country as part of the guest-worker program will probably fluctuate through the debate process of the bill. However, the purpose of the bill is to grant amnesty to 12 million to 20 million illegals already here. Period. Those pushing for this mass legalization are doing so because they know it will bring millions more illegals here for cheap labor and increased profits, as well as securing a political power bloc. This Senate bill is not aimed at stopping the out-of-control influx but rather to accelerate it. The president more than likely will not get a bill to sign this year. He is clearly for amnesty, and the backlash of the American people is becoming more evident. The American people are screaming for border security and to put an end to the influx, not exacerbate it.

Q: The Orange County Grand Jury recommended that the county's larger cities, such as Huntington Beach and Santa Ana, check the immigration status of everyone booked in the jails the way Costa Mesa does. Is there something you can do on your end to help make that happen?