Leadership and Crisis, by Gov. Bobby Jindal: on Immigration


Bill Clinton: 2000: Required agencies to communicate in foreign languages

Congress traditionally refused to admit new states if they lacked an English-speaking majority. In recent decades, the incentive to learn English has eroded. For example, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 required provision of bilingual voting ballots. California and some other states also allow voting by mail in state elections using non-English language ballots. But bilingual ballots should not be needed, because immigrants since the Nationality Act of 1906 (later reaffirmed in the Nationality Act of 1940) have had to demonstrate literacy in English in order to gain US citizenship. Since only citizens can vote, why should anyone need a foreign language ballot?

Furthermore, just before he left office President Clinton signed Executive Order 13166, which required federal agencies to ensure people could receive communications and services from the government in foreign languages. Although well-intentioned, the policy further reduces motivation for immigrants to learn English.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.139 Nov 15, 2010

Bobby Jindal: Enforce existing laws & refocus on high-skill immigrants

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," is a beautiful sentiment. I wish it were as simple to apply it today as it was in past centuries, when we welcomed to our shores just about anyone who could get here. We need to find a controlled way to continue welcoming immigrants. That approach would require three main things: first, to ensure that our borders are secure--not talk about it or study it, just do it; second, enforce our existing immigration laws; and third, refocus our legal immigration policy to encourage high-skilled immigrants who embrace American values. I also think we need to continue to be a place where refugees fleeing persecution can find safe harbor and a new home. Immigration should help our country compete in the world and improve the quality of life for US citizens while offering unlimited opportunity to hard-working immigrants looking for freedom.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.130 Nov 15, 2010

Bobby Jindal: Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to us

Our southern border is the only place in the world where a highly developed country shares a long border with a developing country. Unable to produce enough jobs for its roughly 100 million residents, Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to us. The income gap between the US & Mexico is the largest between any two contiguous countries in the world. This dichotomy has created the current immigration crisis, with an estimated 10 to 12 million illegal immigrants now residing in America.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.133 Nov 15, 2010

Fred Thompson: We should be a nation of high fences & wide gates

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," is a beautiful sentiment. I wish it were as simple to apply it today as it was in past centuries, when we welcomed to our shores just about anyone who could get here. Former Senator Fred Thompson said it well when he noted that we should be a notion of high fences and wide gates. In other words, we need to find a controlled way to continue welcoming immigrants. That approach would require three main things: first, to ensure that our borders are secure--not talk about it or study it, just do it; second, enforce our existing immigration laws; and third, refocus our legal immigration policy to encourage high-skilled immigrants who embrace American values. Immigration should help our country compete in the world and improve the quality of life for US citizens while offering unlimited opportunity to hard-working immigrants looking for freedom.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.130 Nov 15, 2010

  • The above quotations are from Leadership and Crisis,
    by Bobby Jindal.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Immigration.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bobby Jindal on Immigration.
  • Click here for more quotes by Kathleen Blanco on Immigration.
Candidates and political leaders on Immigration:

Retiring Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retiring House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retiring House as of Jan. 2015::
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 06, 2014