Sensenbrenner Statement on Cost for Reid-Kennedy Immigration Bill

[undeterred]

To: National Desk, Political Reporter

Contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn, 202-225-2492, both of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) today released the following statement after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report estimating the 10-year cost of the Reid-Kennedy immigration bill passed by the Senate at $127 billion:

"We are now just beginning to see a glimpse of the staggering burden on American taxpayers the Reid-Kennedy immigration legislation contains. Twenty-four-and-a-half billion dollars for the earned income and child tax credits. Medicaid costs of $11.7 billion. Social Security costs of $5.2 billion. Medicare costs of $3.7 billion. Food stamps costs of $2.4 billion. The list goes on and on. This new social spending -- in the hundreds of billions of dollars later on -- will all be paid for by U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, this CBO report actually underestimates the Reid-Kennedy costs because the millions of illegal immigrants provided amnesty will not become citizens and thus, eligible for all social benefit programs, until after the 10-year time frame reviewed by CBO.

"Providing a massive amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants -- over half of whom have an educational level of a high school degree or less -- is unfair, unwise and unaffordable. It's unfair to the millions of people playing by the rules, waiting patiently in line, trying to immigrate legally. It's unwise because it sends a message that the U.S. will condone, and in many ways, reward illegal immigration. And, the Reid-Kennedy amnesty is unaffordable because of the hundreds of billions of dollars in costs that will be shouldered by hard-working American taxpayers."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

The cost of this bill, whether one agrees with it as policy or not, is trivial compared to the ongoing cost of perpetual war {and what we are spending on gasoline). How can someone resent taxes spent to help people but not be bothered by billions wasted to kill people? :shrug:

[Selatius]

1. Tax money spent on people is tax money not spent on corporations

Does that answer your question?

[undeterred]

2. So its taking money out of Sensenbrenner's pocket

and he's hard up.

[Chipper Chat]

3. Sicksenbrenner should just crawl back under the rock

he came from. What an ugly waste of human flesh.

[Nutmegger]

4. What about money that is being sucked out of the Treasury thanks to the

Iraq debacle? Huh? What about that?