As Thompson readies his immigration enforcement proposal, Rudy Giuliani’s campaign is going into the Senate archives to point out his less-than-robust efforts on immigration enforcement in the past:
Thompson Voted Against Establishing Office Within INS To Enforce Employer Sanctions Against Businesses That Employ Illegals. (S. 1664, CQ Vote #99: Rejected 26-74: R 2-51; D 24-23; I 0-0, 5/1/96, Thompson Voted Nay)
Thompson Voted Against Requiring Development Of National Employment Verification System. (S. 1664, CQ Vote #101: Motion agreed to 54-46: R 20-33; D 34-13; I 0-0, 5/1/96, Thompson Voted Nay)
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Thompson Opposed Employment Verification Program Because He Did Not Believe Employer Sanctions Worked To Hiring Illegals. “However, there are some aspects of the legislation which I hope are removed in a Senate House conference. Creation of a pilot program to verify employment status is one. Employer sanctions have never fully prevented the hiring of illegal aliens. I am concerned about the accuracy of any databank created to determine whether a worker is in the country legal by.” (Sen. Fred Thompson, “Proposed Law Would Help Stem Illegal Immigration,” Press Release, 5/6/96)
On that first one, I notice that only two Republicans voted yes. I wonder why – were only Democrats worried about employers hiring illegal immigrants in the mid-nineties?
Thompson Voted Against Amendment That Would Provide $1 Billion To Combat Illegal Immigration. (S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #204: Rejected 31-68: R 1-53; D 30-15, 05/25/95, Thompson Voted Nay)
Thompson Missed Vote On Motion To Invoke Cloture On Amendment That Would Curb Illegal Immigration By Increased Border Patrols, Preventing Illegal Aliens From Finding Jobs And Restrict Benefits For Legal And Illegal Aliens. (S. 1664, CQ Vote #90: Motion Agreed To 91-0: R 46-0; D 45-0, 04/29/96)
Thompson Voted To Give Illegal Immigrants More Access Than Legal Immigrants To Emergency Medical Care, Prenatal And Postpartum Services And Immunization Assistance. (S. 1664, CQ Vote #106: Rejected 40-60: R 7-46; D 33-14; I 0-0, 5/2/96, Thompson Voted Nay; U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Illegal Immigration/Deeming And Legal-Illegal Aliens,” 5/2/96)
I have to weigh in a bit in this spat between two candidates I like. First, hitting Thompson on voting to approve emergency medical care? I’m not going to hold that one against him, you can’t let anybody, even an illegal immigrant, bleed out in the street. And prenatal and postpartum services? I wouldn’t vote against those if I were a pro-lifer. (“You have a right to life, unless your mother crossed the border illegally”?)
And immunizations aren’t the first place I’d crack down on public services for illegal immigrants. Driver’s licenses, like Governor Eliot Spitzer wants to hand out? That gets my blood stirred. Vaccinating people for Hepatitus, Polio, Influenza, German Measles? Okay, I admit, I’m a squish on that.
And didn’t New York City offer all the same services?