Shelby says immigration bill is "mother of all amnesties"

Above: Senator Richard Shelby delivers remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate regarding the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill.

In a wide-ranging floor speech that touched on the history of U.S. immigration reform, laid out the negative economic impacts of the current immigration proposal, and even quoted Mark Twain, Senator Richard Shelby gave one of the most stinging indictments yet of the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill.

Shelby began his remarks by praising fellow Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions for his efforts to defeat the legislation.

“I would like to acknowledge the diligence and leadership of my colleague from Alabama, Senator Sessions, on this issue,” Shelby said. “I commend his relentless effort to bring to light the many problems and questions surrounding the legislation before us.”

As a member of the House of Representatives in 1986, Sen. Shelby opposed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, which granted amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. The bill ultimately passed and was signed into law by then-President Ronald Reagan. Reagan later called it the biggest mistake of his presidency.

Senator Shelby said Wednesday that many of the ideas and provisions contained in the current proposal were birthed 27 years ago in the Simpson-Mazzoli bill.

“The child of Simpson-Mazzoli will become the mother of all amnesties,” Shelby said.

“During consideration of Simpson-Mazzoli in 1986, my former Senate colleague and co-author of that legislation stated the following: ‘The American people, in my mind, will never accept a legalization program unless they can be assured this is a one-shot deal,’” he recalled. “The assurances to which he referred were border security and tough enforcement of immigration laws.”

Shelby went on to bemoan the inaccurate depiction of the current immigration proposal, which advocates say does not offer amnesty and will secure the border before addressing immigrants currently residing in the country illegally. “Neither claim holds water, in my judgment,” Shelby quipped.

Alabama’s senior senator then detailed the negative impact he believes the legislation would have on America’s economy, including increased unemployment, lower wages and an increased budget deficit.

“In short, this legislation is projected to increase Americans’ difficulty in finding a job, and then reduce their paycheck when they get one,” Shelby said. “In my judgment, that’s reason enough to oppose any legislation.”

In closing, Shelby said he sees many similarities between the current bill and the Simpson-Mazzoli Act from 1986, but believes the Gang of Eight’s bill is even worse.

“Mark Twain once cleverly observed, ‘History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.’ In the context of immigration reform, the promises we hear today sound a lot like those we heard in 1986. But this time, the amnesty will be exponentially bigger.”

“I believe that my fundamental responsibility as a lawmaker is to support policies that foster the conditions for job creation and economic prosperity. America must remain a welcoming nation, but we must always put Americans first.

“In my judgment, this legislation fails that test. Accordingly, I will respectfully but firmly oppose it.”

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