S.Amdt. 4126

SA 4126. Mr. ENSIGN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2611, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Insert in the appropriate place:

Resolved, That it is the Sense of the Senate--

(1) That the national security of the United States depends on an immigration policy, the first step of which, is to secure our borders and to control the flow of illegal immigration;

(2) That our national immigration policy must demand accountability from those who hire illegal workers by creating a national employee verification system that employers would be required to use to verify the legal status of their employees and imposing severe penalties for employers who hire illegal workers;

(3) That Congress must be able to confirm to the American public that the borders are secured and an employment verification system is in place before determining the final status of those persons who are not currently lawfully in the United States;

(4) That any temporary worker program enacted by Congress should contain both positive incentives for preferable conduct and negative consequences for objectionable conduct;

(5) That temporary worker status should be extended to reward continuous employment, English fluency, and private health insurance coverage;

(6) That temporary worker status should not be given to people who are not working full time; who have committed a crime or may present a danger to American citizens or legal immigrants; or who go on, or are likely to go on, public assistance or become dependent on any other government program; and

(7) That America should fully recognize and appreciate that America is a nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws, and that the American people should welcome those who want to enter the country legally, learn English, maintain employment, pay taxes and contribute to our communities.