House Passes Legislation to Protect Georgians Against Threats from Celebratory Gunfire

The Georgia House of Representatives today (March 28) passed House Resolution 341 by a vote of 139 to 23. Introduced by State Representative Michele Henson (D-Stone Mountain), this legislation serves to increase public awareness of the dangers associated with celebratory gunfire.

“The loss of an innocent human life is always tragic, but it seems even more so when it is caused by a thoughtless random act,” said Rep. Henson. “There are times we all want to celebrate special occasions, but it is never right to celebrate in a way that endangers human life – it is never right to celebrate with random gunfire.”

Celebratory gunfire is the illegal practice of randomly firing a weapon into the air. While the practice may be done with the best of intentions, many fail to realize the dangerous unintended consequences these actions create in the surrounding areas. This incredibly reckless form of celebration most often occurs during holidays like the 4th of July and New Years Eve. During 2009 and 2010, one metro Atlanta county reported over 5,000 calls concerning people discharging firearms on these two holidays.

HR 341 seeks to end the practice of celebratory gunfire by urging governmental and private entities to promote public awareness of the dangers associated with celebratory gunfire. The resolution further urges state and local governments as well as law enforcement agencies to better educate Georgians about the serious threats created by firing a weapon into the air during celebration. Additionally, HR 341 calls for the Georgia House of Representatives to study and adopt tougher criminal sanctions for individuals whose celebratory gunfire results in the injury or death of another person.

HR 341 also calls special attention to Marquel Peters, a DeKalb County four-year-old that died on New Year’s Eve 2010 as a result of celebratory gunfire. As he sat next to his mother, 4-year-old Marquel Peters was struck and killed in church by a bullet believed to have been fired by a New Year’s Eve reveler. The stray bullet came through the roof of the sanctuary and struck Marquel in the top of his head. Though tragic, the loss of this young boy to celebratory gunfire led to the creation of “Marquel’s Pledge.”

Marquel’s Pledge is a community campaign to reduce celebratory gunfire in DeKalb County and throughout Georgia. Individuals who sign the pledge promise to stop celebratory gunfire by encouraging members of their community to refrain from using gunfire to celebrate. Businesses that sign the pledge promise to refrain from or limit the sale of ammunition two days prior to the 4th of July and New Year’s holidays. Additionally, DeKalb County works with citizens, community organizations, churches, and businesses to educate others about the dangers of celebratory gunfire and to encourage citizens to refrain from the dangerous practice.


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Secretary of State Kemp Announces Victory in Long Fight to Secure Georgia’s Voter Rolls

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced that following the State’s June 22, 2010 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the DOJ consented to preclearance of the State’s voter verification process, including verification of U.S. citizenship. After the DOJ consented to the process, the State filed for and received administrative preclearance from the DOJ. The State and the DOJ therefore have now filed a joint request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

“After nearly two years, we can now verify that voter registration applicants are who they say they are and that they are U.S. citizens,” said Secretary Kemp. “When we filed the lawsuit, I was criticized by some because they believed it would be too time-consuming and expensive. However, after waiting for nearly a year and a half for a final administrative decision from the DOJ, I was certain that litigation was the only way to put Georgia in a position to obtain final approval from the federal government of our voter verification procedures. After the litigation was filed, it took less than two months for the DOJ to consent to preclearance of the verification process.”

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Georgia must obtain federal preclearance of any change affecting voting by bringing a declaratory judgment action in federal court or, in the alternative, by submitting the change to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. In October 2008, the Secretary of State’s Office first submitted the verification process to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. After extended administrative review and numerous discussions with representatives of the State, the DOJ denied administrative preclearance of the State’s voter verification process and later refused to withdraw that denial. During the administrative process, the State provided substantial amounts of information about its verification process, sometimes providing the same information several times.

In June of this year, Secretary Kemp announced that the State of Georgia filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the DOJ to obtain preclearance of the voter verification process. After the lawsuit was filed, the DOJ determined that the verification process did not have a discriminatory effect or purpose and expeditiously consented to the federal approval of the verification procedure. Georgia was previously the only state in the country barred from complying with the federal Help America Vote Act’s voter verification requirement.

Secretary Kemp added, “I am glad the DOJ ultimately recognized the importance of ensuring a secure elections process in Georgia and consented to the Section 5 approval of Georgia’s voter verification process. As Georgia’s Chief Elections Officer, my job is to ensure secure, fair, and accessible elections for every Georgia citizen who is eligible to vote. Every ballot cast by a non-citizen erases a ballot cast by an eligible Georgia voter.”

Under the Help America Vote Act, states are required to verify the information provided by first time voter registration applicants with information currently on file in state or federal databases. In Georgia, the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, driver’s license or identification number, last four digits of his or her Social Security number, and United States citizenship status are verified with the Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration databases to ensure that the information matches.
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Mullis Co-authors Anti-Illegal Immigration Legislation

Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) will co-author legislation that will provide for greater enforcement of federal illegal immigration laws in Georgia.  Mullis will join fellow Georgia Senate GOP colleagues later this summer for the official announcement of the legislation.

“The United States is a land of opportunity for all who want to come here and contribute to our society in a lawful manner.  We welcome anyone who wants to become a legal resident of the United States to achieve the American dream.  The fact remains that those who are reside illegally are breaking the law and utilizing resources that should be for those who obtain legal residency,” said Mullis.  “Businesses, local governments and our university system must comply with federal and state illegal immigration laws to relieve wasteful spending and get legal residents and Georgians back to work.”

“Senator Mullis is one of Georgia’s leading voices on the issue of enforcing immigration law. We stand shoulder to shoulder in supporting enforcement not amnesty,” said Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock).

Facts on Illegal Immigrants in Georgia:

• Georgia had an estimated illegal immigration population of 490,000 in 2008.
• The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) estimates that the annual fiscal burden on Georgia taxpayers from illegal immigration is more than $1.6 billion.
• Georgians spend about $1.37 billion annually on educating the children of illegal immigrants.
• Nearly one in ten K-12 public school students in Georgia is the child of an illegal alien, and this presence has been increasing as the illegal resident population increases.
• State-funded uncompensated outlays for health care provided to Georgia’s illegal alien population amount to an estimated $210 million a year.
• The cost of incarcerating deportable aliens in Georgia’s state and local prisons amounts to about $22.6 million a year.

Federal Statistics:

• The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. roughly doubled, jumping from about 5 million in 1996 to about 11 million today.  (A 2009 report from the Department of Homeland Security reflects that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. stands at around 10.8 million.)
• Federal estimates suggest that over 90 percent of the increase in the foreign-born population in Georgia since 2000 has resulted from illegal immigration.

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Governor Signs Texting Bills

Governor Sonny Perdue today (June 4) signed House Bill 23.  The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Matt Ramsey, makes it illegal for anyone under 18 to use a cell phone while driving.

“We need to do everything possible to focus young drivers on the road ahead,” said Governor Perdue regarding HB 23. “I want to thank Rep. Ramsey for working hard on this bill.”

The Governor also signed Senate Bill 360 sponsored by Sen. Jack Murphy, which makes it illegal for all drivers to text while driving.  Before signing the legislation the Governor expressed his continued concern with some provisions of the bill, but said he agreed to sign with the assurance that the bill sponsors were committed to addressing his concerns in legislation next year.

“Because of the sponsors’ assurances, I have decided to sign SB 360,” said Governor Perdue.  “I hope that we will all commit to driving safely, free of distraction.”

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Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs Cracks Down on Illegal Going-Out-Of-Business Sales

Joe Doyle, Administrator of the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA), has announced that the agency has entered into settlements with three different companies who allegedly held going-out-of-business sales that were not in compliance with Georgia law.

“What we see occurring,” says Mr. Doyle, “is companies that have no intention of closing up shop holding going-out-of-business sales as a strategy to increase store traffic.” Not only has the agency seen going-out-of-business sales linger on for many months, but some stores have even augmented their inventory during a “liquidation sale”. According to Georgia law, a going-out-of-business sale may not last longer than 90 days, and at the end of that 90-day period the store may no longer conduct business of that nature at that location.

OCA has entered into settlements with the following companies for allegedly holding illegitimate going-out-of-business sales:

Shinco Trading International, Inc. d/b/a Cyrus Fine Rugs operated a retail rug dealership in Atlanta. Before shutting its doors, the company allegedly conducted a “going-out-of-business” sale for nearly 6 months. In settlement of this matter, the company has agreed to cease operating its retail business and to reimburse OCA $25,000 for administrative expenses.

Furniture World of Dallas, Inc.,a retail furniture store in Dallas, Georgia, allegedly ran a going out of business sale for over 4 months. OCA further alleged that the business advertised a “TOTAL LIQUIDATION CLOSEOUT”, while at the same time augmenting its inventory with furniture from an affiliate store. Per the terms of the settlement, the company is required to cease doing business and to reimburse the agency $10,000 for administrative expenses.

Ben Haverty’s Furniture-Xpress, LLC located in Chamblee, Georgia has also been the subject of an OCA investigation. The agency alleges that the company ran a going-out-of-business sale for longer than 90 days; that when investigators put the business on notice, it reopened the store as an “outlet” but continued to use the word “liquidation” on receipts and other literature; and that it conducted deceptive sales price comparisons, including wording such as “Emergency Liquidation Was $___, Now $___”, when the original prices referred to were not the actual former prices. The company has entered into a settlement with the agency, in which it has agreed to modify its sales practices to comply with the Fair Business Practices Act and to reimburse OCA $5,000 for administrative and legal expenses.

“When companies hold illegal going-out-of-business sales, they hurt ethical businesses by drawing away customers who are responding to false promises of price reductions and time-limited bargains, “ says Mr. Doyle. “And consumers are victimized because they end up paying higher prices for merchandise that they believe has been greatly discounted. The Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs will continue to take action against companies who conduct these illegitimate sales.”

To avoid being taken advantage of by illegitimate going-out-of-business sales, the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs recommends that consumers conduct their own price comparisons to be certain that they are, in fact, getting a discounted price. If you notice that a company has been conducting a going-out-of-business sale for more than 90 days, contact the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 404-651-8600 or 800-869-1123.

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Third Atlanta Police Officer Pleads Guilty In Fatal Shooting of Elderly Woman

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department announced October 30, 2008, that former Atlanta Police Department (APD) Officer Arthur Bruce Tesler pleaded guilty in federal district court to conspiring to violate the civil rights of Kathryn Johnston, 92, in connection with her fatal shooting during the execution of an illegal search warrant at her Atlanta home on Nov.21, 2006.

Tesler, of Ackworth, Ga., joins two other former APD officers who pleaded guilty last year to state and federal charges in the case. Gregg Junnier, of Woodstock, Ga., and Jason R. Smith, of Oxford, Ga., pleaded guilty in state court to voluntary manslaughter, violation of oath by a public officer, criminal solicitation and false statements, and in federal court to a civil rights conspiracy violation that resulted in the death of Ms. Johnston. Smith also pleaded guilty in state court to one count of perjury. Junnier and Smith also agreed to cooperate in a broader investigation of APD officer misconduct, which has since been completed.

"When law enforcement officers do not live up to the high ideals they typically uphold, we will not hesitate to take action," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who cross the line and commit such violent criminal acts."

According to the information presented in court, Junnier and Smith, on several occasions while working as APD narcotics officers, made false statements in sworn affidavits to state magistrate judges in order to obtain "no knock" search warrants for residences and other locations where the officers believed illegal drugs would be found.

On the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2006, Smith, Junnier and Tesler executed such a warrant at Johnston's home, knowing that the warrant had been obtained on the basis of false information that Smith had presented to a magistrate judge. The victim, who was the only occupant of the house, fired through the door a single .38 caliber shot, which hit no one. Junnier, Smith and four other officers returned fire, hitting the victim with five or six shots, one of which was fatal.

Officers searched the home after the shooting, but found no drugs. Smith then planted in the basement of the house three bags of marijuana that the officers had seized elsewhere earlier that day. Tesler then filed a false APD incident report stating that a purchase of crack had been made at Johnston's home earlier that day and Smith submitted two bags containing crack that falsely indicated the drugs were bought by an informant at 933 Neal Street, the home of the victim. The defendants also met to fabricate a story, which they later recounted to APD homicide investigators, falsely justifying the events leading to the shooting of Kathryn Johnston.

Under Tesler's plea agreement, the parties agreed that the appropriate sentence under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines is 121 months. The federal sentence will run concurrently with Tesler's 54 month state sentence arising from the same criminal conduct. Junnier also faces a guidelines sentence of 121 months, and Smith faces a guidelines sentence of 151 months; those two defendants may, however, receive reductions based on their cooperation with the Government's investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon-Peter Kelly, U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias, and Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Special Litigation Counsel Paige M. Fitzgerald are prosecuting the case.


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Ivory Auctions Condemned

The Humane Society of the United States and its global arm, Humane Society International, condemn auctions of African elephant ivory by four southern African nations to buyers from China and Japan. The first of four auctions started October 28.

The auctions, part of an agreement reached in 2007 by the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), began in Namibia October 28, to be followed by one in Botswana on Oct. 31, in Zimbabwe on Nov. 3 and in South Africa on Nov. 6.

Each country is permitted by CITES to auction a specified amount of stockpiled ivory totaling 107,769.94 kilograms, equivalent to the tusks of an estimated 14,642 African elephants. The stockpiled ivory originated from a variety of sources including seizures, natural mortality and government culls, or killing, of elephant herds. The 2007 CITES agreement also included a component that will stop further ivory trade from these four countries for at least nine years after the sale of this stockpile of ivory occurs.

African elephants are a threatened species with fewer than 600,000 remaining in the wild. CITES banned the international commercial trade in African elephant ivory in 1989—the trade in Asian elephant ivory had been banned earlier.

Between 1979 and 1989, the number of African elephants was decreased by half due to poaching to supply the then-legal international trade in ivory. CITES tried but failed to regulate the ivory trade during the decade preceding the ban. Ivory from poached elephants was funneled into the legal ivory trade, which provided cover for the illegal ivory trade. Some estimated that more than 90 percent of the ivory on sale in 1989 was from poached elephants.

Since then, CITES has allowed only one other such sale of ivory, which was in 1999, from three southern African countries to Japan. A surge in illegal ivory trade followed that sale, indicating renewed demand. Between 20,000 and 23,000 African elephants are poached every year to supply the illegal ivory trade.

"We are deeply concerned that the influx of ivory into Japan and China will only serve to stimulate demand," said Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D., policy director for Humane Society International. "The sales will only fuel poaching of elephants to supply the bloody ivory trade, just like the last time. No one needs ivory trinkets," said Telecky. "We ask consumers to think about the elephant who died a horrible death to create an ivory bracelet."

Facts:

Ivory objects in trade are most commonly made from the tusks of African or Asian elephants, but the term can also be used to describe the teeth of other animals including walrus, hippos and whales.

The auctions are scheduled to occur as follows:
o Namibia: Oct. 28 (9,209.68 kg)

o Botswana: Oct. 31 (43,682.91 kg)

o Zimbabwe: Nov. 3 (3,755.55 kg)

o South Africa: Nov. 6 (51,121.8 kg)

Asian elephants are an endangered species with fewer than 32,000 remaining in the wild. African elephants are threatened species with fewer than 600,000 remaining in the wild.
An investigation conducted by Care for the Wild and cosponsored by The HSUS and HSI reported that the United States is the world's second largest ivory marketplace. The investigators found thousands of ivory retail markets in 16 American cities that they visited in 2006 and 2007. More than 24,000 ivory objects were found for sale, almost half of them in New York City alone; other top cities included Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Most ivory objects for sale were jewelry or small carved figures, an estimated one-third of which were carved and imported illegally from China in the past 18 years, during which the international trade in elephant ivory was banned by CITES. The objects were often mislabeled as "antiques" or "mammoth ivory." Sale of such ivory, if genuine, is allowed by U.S. law. This confirms the findings of a 2002 HSUS report which examined the U.S. ivory trade and demonstrated that ivory marketers use false labeling to take advantage of loopholes in U.S. laws and regulations. Ivory is sold in the United States at flea markets, on the Internet, at craft exhibits and at stores.

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Illegal Immigration Costs Georgia $1.6 Billion Annually, Finds New Report by FAIR

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) demonstrates why Georgia has taken a lead in adopting state-based policies to control the costs of illegal immigration. According to the new study, The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians, the state currently spends about $1.6 billion a year to provide three basic services to illegal aliens and their dependents -- K-12 education, public health care, and incarceration of criminals. These costs associated with the estimated 495,000 illegal aliens residing in the state amount to a $523 a year burden for every Georgia household headed by a native-born American.

K-12 education for the children of illegal aliens constitutes the largest share of the Georgia's cost burden, finds the report. The annual price tag for schooling an estimated 64,100 children who are themselves illegal aliens, and an estimated 89,700 U.S.-born children of illegal aliens, runs to about $1.38 billion. Unreimbursed health care costs add an additional $210 million to the taxpayers' tab, while another $22.6 million is spent incarcerating illegal aliens who have committed other crimes in Georgia. All of these costs compound an already difficult fiscal situation, as state officials estimate a current budget shortfall of about $2 billion.

"At a time when governments at every level are struggling with huge deficits, slashing vital programs and services, and US-workers are losing their jobs, we see repeated examples of how illegal immigration is adding to already significant fiscal worries," said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "As Georgia businesses have padded their profit margins in recent years by using illegal aliens to undercut American workers, the true costs for this low wage labor force have been passed along to the taxpayers."

In response to the spiraling costs associated with illegal immigration, Georgia adopted workable state-based enforcement policies in 2007, which have begun to have a positive impact. "Georgia provides a case study in how a state can respond effectively to crushing cost burdens associated with illegal immigration, and provides a model for other state governments," said Stein.

The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians is the latest in a series of studies FAIR has produced examining the impact of illegal immigration on state governments and local taxpayers. "Until fairly recently, regions like the South had been largely unaffected by the phenomenon of mass illegal immigration. The findings of this report, that illegal immigration now costs Georgia $1.6 billion a year, is evidence that mass illegal immigration is truly a national problem that demands real enforcement solutions at the federal, state and local level," concluded Stein.

The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Georgians is available on FAIR's website, www.fairus.org.

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Isakson, Chambliss Praise Senate’s Rejection of Amnesty Provision in Emergency War Supplemental Bill

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today praised the Senate’s refusal to include an amnesty provision in the emergency war supplemental bill. Language that would have granted legal status to over 1 million illegal agriculture workers and their families was stripped Tuesday night from the spending bill for troops.

Isakson and Chambliss earlier this week had urged the Democratic leader to remove the amnesty provision from the bill.

“There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than illegal immigration, and I am pleased the Senate rejected this attempt to grant amnesty on a bill designed to give our soldiers the resources they need in the War on Terror,” Isakson said. “The war supplemental was the wrong vehicle to deal with this issue and this was the absolutely wrong approach to handling illegal agricultural workers. Congress can make immigration reform a reality by first delivering common-sense solutions to secure our porous borders and stop the flow of illegal immigrants.”

“I’m pleased the Senate recognized that removing this bad provision was the right thing to do,” said Chambliss. “We need to ensure that funding for our troops is approved and delivered as quickly as possible without getting bogged down in an unrelated immigration debate.”

On May 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to the emergency war supplemental spending bill that would give a five-year visa to 1.35 million workers plus their spouses and dependent children to live and work in the United States. For almost all legal purposes, the amendment requires that the illegal aliens who qualify for the proposed visa be treated as lawful permanent residents.

Adding the amendment to the appropriations bill violated Senate rules because it legislates on an appropriations bill. Last night, Democrats invoked Senate Rule 16 on the floor, which requires that provisions in amendments to appropriations bills be relevant to the underlying legislation. Among the provisions dropped was the proposal to grant visas allowing illegal aliens to hold agricultural jobs for up to five years.

On May 20, Isakson and Chambliss, along with eight other Republican senators, sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urging the removal of the language. The text of the letter to Senator Reid is below. The letter was also signed by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., David Vitter, R-La., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., James Inhofe, R-Okla., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Jim Bunning, R-Ky.

May 20, 2008

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

We write to express disappointment that the Senate Appropriations Committee chose to include in the War Supplemental more than 100 pages of immigration language that would grant legal status to more than one million illegal alien agriculture workers and their families. We urge you to remove these controversial provisions from the bill so we can enact essential funding for our troops without delay. If these provisions remain in the bill, you can expect a vigorous debate on immigration policy.

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Chambliss, Isakson Urge Democratic Leader to Strip Agricultural Worker Provisions from Emergency War Supplemental Bill

U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today, along with eight other Republican senators, sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urging the removal of language that would grant legal status to over 1 million illegal agriculture workers and their families in the emergency war supplemental spending bill.

“A bill to provide funding for our servicemen and women should not be bogged down by a debate over immigration policy,” said Chambliss. “I strongly disagree that this amendment would serve to provide stability in the agricultural industry and would in fact harm U.S. farmers and ranchers and U.S. workers. Nobody is more interested in the well-being of American agriculture than me, and this proposal is simply the wrong policy at the wrong time.”

“There’s no greater domestic issue in this country than illegal immigration, and the American people will not stand for this attempt to grant amnesty on a bill designed to give our soldiers the resources they need in the War on Terror,” Isakson said. “The war supplemental is not only the wrong vehicle to deal with this issue but I firmly believe this is absolutely the wrong approach in regards to agricultural workers.”

On May 15, the Senate Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to the emergency war supplemental spending bill that would give a five-year visa to 1.35 million workers plus their spouses and dependent children to live and work in the United States. For almost all legal purposes, the amendment requires that the illegal aliens who qualify for the proposed visa be treated as lawful permanent residents. Illegal aliens would qualify for the proposed five-year visa by proving they have performed agricultural employment for 863 hours or 150 work days or earned $7,000 from agricultural employment over the course of a four-year period. Once granted the proposed five-year visa, the illegal aliens would be authorized to work in any job other than agriculture-related jobs for the rest of the year and would be treated as U.S. workers for hiring purposes.

Adding the amendment to the appropriations bill also violates Senate rules because it legislates on an appropriations bill. As such, it will be subject to a point of order on the floor and 60 votes will be needed to keep this language in the bill. Chambliss and Isakson strongly oppose the amendment and will vote against it.

The text of the letter to Senator Reid is below. The letter was also signed by Senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, David Vitter, R-Louisiana, Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, and Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky.

May 20, 2008

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

We write to express disappointment that the Senate Appropriations Committee chose to include in the War Supplemental more than 100 pages of immigration language that would grant legal status to more than one million illegal alien agriculture workers and their families. We urge you to remove these controversial provisions from the bill so we can enact essential funding for our troops without delay. If these provisions remain in the bill, you can expect a vigorous debate on immigration policy.