{"id":3439,"date":"2013-05-10T14:31:09","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T18:31:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=3439"},"modified":"2018-12-28T16:03:35","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T21:03:35","slug":"senate-judiciary-committee-begins-gang-of-eight-immigration-bill-mark-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2013\/05\/10\/senate-judiciary-committee-begins-gang-of-eight-immigration-bill-mark-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Judiciary Committee Begins \u2018Gang of Eight\u2019 Immigration Bill Mark-Up"},"content":{"rendered":"
Yesterday, the 18 members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee began the process of reviewing and considering amendments to the Gang of Eight immigration bill (S. 744). Presided by Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), the members presented a total of 300 amendments. By the end of the day, all of the amendments to Title I of the bill pertaining to border security had been considered and the Committee will regroup on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. to pick up where they left off. Below is a general summary of the amendments that were considered, provided by FAIR\u2019s Government Relations team.<\/p>\n
\nSenate Judiciary Committee Markup<\/strong>
\n May 9, 2013<\/strong>
\n S. 744\u2014Title I<\/strong><\/p>\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Manager\u2019s Amendment<\/a> (note: all subsequent amendments herein are made to this revised version of S. 744)<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted 14-4<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Prohibits border crossing fees for pedestrians or passenger vehicles at land ports of entry along both Northern and Southern borders. Prohibits the government from conducting any study relating to the imposition of such fee.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) (Amdt. #1<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires DHS Secretary to adhere to certain congressional reporting requirements, including submitting to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees the initial \u201cComprehensive Southern Border Security Strategy\u201d and all subsequent reports on such;\u00a0 <\/span>and, reports on border effectiveness rates, surveillance, port of entry wait times, and allocations at ports of entry.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) (Amdt. #2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires the DHS Chief Financial Officer and Inspector General to conduct annual audits of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trust Fund.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) (Amdt. #5<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Expands the functions of the DHS Immigration Ombudsman to include providing assistance to individuals and families who have been the victims of crimes committed by aliens or violence near the border.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) (Amdt. #36<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires DHS Secretary to submit the \u201cComprehensive Southern Border Security Strategy\u201d to the U.S. Comptroller General, and requires the Comptroller General to review annually the Secretary\u2019s semiannual reports on such, as well as to submit an assessment of the status and progress of the Secretary\u2019s Border Security Strategy.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (Amdt. #2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Increases the number of members on the DHS Border Oversight Task Force from 26 to 29 members by adding 1 private land owner representative from the Northern border region and 2 private land owner representatives from the Southern border region.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) (Amdt. #1<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires that grants to law enforcement agencies for Operation Stonegarden be allocated through a competitive grant process.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (Amdt. #7<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Designates human trafficking a form of slavery and adds severe forms of such to the definition of \u201cpart 1 violent crimes\u201d for purposes of Byrne grant funding.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) (Amdt. #6<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
10.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires CBP to acquire and deploy watercraft to provide support for border-related maritime anti-crime activities.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (Amdt. #8<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
11.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Creates new DHS Ombudsman for Immigration Related Concerns to, among other things, receive and resolve complaints from individuals and employers over immigration matters involving the Department, to conduct inspections of detention facilities, and to determine whether an individual or employer is suffering or about to suffer an immediate threat of adverse action related to the administration of immigration laws. The Ombudsman also must also annually report objectives to Congress, and has the authority to request Inspector General inspections, investigations, and audits of DHS.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) (Amdt. #24<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
12.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Requires DHS Secretary to establish standards to provide children in the custody of CBP medical and mental health care, food, climate-appropriate clothing, personal hygiene products, and the ability to make supervised phone calls to family members.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (Amdt. #6<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
13.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires DHS Secretary to submit to Congress certification that the Southern border has been under \u201ceffective control\u201d for at least 6 months before the Secretary can begin processing applications for amnesty (\u201cregistered provisional immigrant\u201d status). Requires the 90% apprehension rate goal be met in all border sectors, not just those deemed \u201chigh risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) (Amdt. #4<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Denied 6-12<\/p>\n
14.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Increases overall funding for the bill, including the initial amount for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trust Fund from $6.5 billion to $8.3 billion.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (Amdt. #2<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted 14-4<\/p>\n
15.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires the House of Representatives to vote to determine whether the DHS Secretary has achieved the goals in the Secretary\u2019s border security and fencing plans before the Secretary can process applications for illegal aliens to gain amnesty (\u201cregistered provisional immigrant\u201d status) or a subsequent green card.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) (Amdt. #4<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Denied 6-12<\/p>\n
16.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires the bill\u2019s goal of apprehending 90% of unlawful border crossers to apply to all border sectors, opposed to only \u201chigh risk\u201d sectors.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) (Amdt. #1<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
17.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires the Inspector General for certain grant-receiving agencies to conduct annual audits and other accountability measures such as limiting conference expenses and prohibiting funds from going to nonprofits who maintain funds in offshore accounts to avoid taxes.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) (Amdt. #24<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
18.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Requires the federal government to reimburse state and local governments for the \u201cclerical support\u201d and \u201cpublic defenders\u2019 services\u201d costs associated with the prosecution and pre-trial detention of federally-initiated immigration-related criminal cases.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (Amdt. #9<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Adopted via voice vote<\/p>\n
19.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Strikes provision requiring: DHS Secretary (in consultation w\/ DOJ) to issue use of force policies; ICE, CBP, and USCIS officers to report uses of force; and DHS to investigate, discipline, and review uses of force by officers.<\/p>\n
a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) (Amdt. #37<\/a>)<\/p>\n
b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Denied 7-11<\/p>\n