Read his letter, then read my post in this blog which follows post. I believe our Congress suffers a complete disconnect with the desires of the American people. Begich is up for reelection in 2014. He is trying to rebrand himself as a blue dog Dem. He is not a conservative anything. His response shows an absolute disregard for the law, the federal government's constitutional obligations regarding border security and national security.--LDW
"July 11, 2013
Dear Mr.
Wood:
Thank
you for contacting me about S.744, the Border Security, Economic
Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. 
As you
may know, S.744 passed the Senate on June 27 with strong bipartisan
support. I know we disagree, but I voted for this bill because it
includes the right mix of increased border security, enforcement on
employers, and a clear path to citizenship for immigrants who have played by
the rules.
There is
a lot of misinformation out there about what this bill would do, and I
appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight. This bill does
not provide amnesty to illegal aliens, which is automatic citizenship
for people who are in our country illegally. This bill is far from a free
pass. To begin with, potential immigrants must pass a background check,
pay any back taxes, and pay penalty fees. The bill also contains specific
triggers which ensure that illegal immigrants cannot receive green cards until
at least 10 years after the enactment of the bill and clear measures on border
security are in place, making the total pathway to citizenship at
least 13 years.
S.744
takes unprecedented steps to secure our border and make sure illegal immigrants
can't get jobs. This bill contains funding for more fencing and
security equipment, along with an additional 20,000 Border Patrol
agents. This surge more than doubles the current force
and allows the Border Patrol access to the tools they need to do
their jobs more effectively. In addition, S.744 will keep illegal
immigrants from getting jobs in the first place by requiring employers to
use an employment verification system known as E-Verify.
Finally,
this legislation cracks down on those who overstay their welcome in our
country. With 40 percent of illegal immigrants resulting from visa
overstays, the bill requires the federal government to begin the removal
process for 90 percent of visa overstays and will hold the Department of
Homeland Security accountable for failing to enforce the law.
Thank
you again for contacting me on immigration reform. Please feel free to
contact me again on this or any other subject.
Sincerely,
Mark Begich
U.S. Senator"
