Bernie Sanders opposed a bill that would allow a path to citizenship in 2007. Video emerges.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

A video has emerged of an interview between Lou Dobbs and Bernie Sanders on his opposition to the 2007 Immigration reform bill that would have allowed a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.

Edit- I can't respond in this thread because I had a post hidden. So I am not trying to ignore you guys; just unable to answer atm .

[Metric System]

1. Wow, Lou Dobbs. He spewed a lot of hate on that CNN show.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

2. What really gets me is Bernie Sanders is nodding his head in agreement.

He didn't push back against anything Lou Dobbs said.

[ecstatic]

8. And yet, he's propped up as the ultimate progressive hero!

GMAFB!

[riversedge]

74. Bernie is the biggest propper of that talking point

[Armstead]

11. Dobbs was bashing corporate power

If it had been a tirade against immigrants you might have a point....

I know Dobbs is obnoxious, but he Was one of the few actually criticizing corporate power back then.

Sanders opposition to that version of the immigration bill was based on protecting the position of American workers.

Let's not misrepresent

[ProudToBeLiberal]

13. Go ahead and tell that to Latinos. I bet it will fly. Nt

[beam me up scottie]

14. Why don't you let them decide who to support?

Or do you think they're not capable of making informed decisions?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

18. Immigration is a huge issue in the Asian American community, too. Nt

[beam me up scottie]

19. And?

[Armstead]

56. I don't enjoy race baiting

[ProudToBeLiberal]

58. Me neither. Sanders's campaign needs to apologize. Nt

[Armstead]

60. Apoligize for what? Opposing a policy bad for workers?

The guset worker program is a way to undercut American workers and jobs, and in many cases exploit foreign workers.

I know of a group of "guest workers" who were imported to work at a resort around here one summer. Once here, they were hit with all kinds of "living costs" they were not told about previously, and were told they had to suck it up because they were stuck here and had no choice.

Great policy.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

61. The guest workers provisions was in the 2013 bill.

He voted for it. If it was a huge turn of in 2007 then why wasn'the a turn off in 2013.

[Luminous Animal]

64. Because it is completely different than the 2007 guest worker program

Rules for prevailing wages, worker protections, path to citizenship. It contains elements that labor and human rights activists have been fighting for for decades.

[cascadiance]

59. If its BULLSHIT that is being sold, which that line IS, then it deserves to be called out!

And many will see later when it is.

Bernie probably should have taken more time to point out more detail the guest labor crap that was part of the immigration bill when he got asked this "trap question" in the first debate too. The problem is that most Corporate media debate moderators are probably being PAID to avoid talking about these guest worker programs AT ALL, which is precisely why Hillary has said absolutely NOTHING for eight years on programs like H-1B even though taking a lot of campaign money from companies that profit from these programs like Tata, etc.

[workinclasszero]

71. I can see many great campaign commercials made of this

I hope the Clinton campaign blankets Texas, Nevada and other states with this important info.

[cascadiance]

82. And maybe then she can answer whether she wants to take away jobs from Americans supporting H-1B?

Which is perhaps why her campaign feels he should have supported this bill because she feels that "guest labor" (INDENTURED SERVANT!) program is so good for Americans? If not, then why did she feel that it should have been supported and tries to play this lame BULLSHIT distortion of his record?

She knows that when the truth is exposed on what she really stands for on so many issues like H-1B visas, Keystone, TPP, etc. and that she doesn't support 99% of Americans on those issues, that she will lose the votes she needs to win the election, as people will see someone like Trump or Cruz who have a more populist stand on issues like this will win over the independent vote that Sanders won't lose to them.

[Live and Learn]

75. You mean the nodding of agreement that Bush had the lowest approval ratings?

I guess you disagree, then?

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Busted! This needs to be spread before the Nevada caucuses. nt

[Live and Learn]

76. Think before posting, should be a rule. nt

[oasis]

79. Lou Dobbs and Donald Trump: neck and neck in the Xenophobic Derby.

Dobb's over the top, disparaging comments about immigrants got him booted from CNN. The Hispanic community has no love for the guy.

[cascadiance]

83. That she supports H-1B visas and Bernie doesn't? JUST DO IT!! GO FOR IT!!!

I would just love seeing her trying to explain how she supports American workers (or even foreign workers that don't want to have to work as indentured servants to work here) and supports H-1B.

[Dems to Win]

4. Bernie sided with the AFL-CIO in opposing the bill

The guest worker provisions were deal killers.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

5. Joe Biden who probably has the most Union support voted for the 2007 immigration bill.

Either way, Senator Sanders doesn't look good.

[Uncle Joe]

12. George W. Bush loved it, Bernie made some good points in the video while also stating that he didn't

support it in its' current form.

On June 7, three Senate votes on cloture (a move to end discussion) for the bill failed with the first losing 33-63, the second losing 34-61 and the third losing 45-50.[4] This had been thought by some observers to signal the end of the bill's chances, since on that day, after the first failing vote, Harry Reid had told reporters that, if another vote on cloture failed, "the bill's over with. The bill's gone."[5]

However, at the urging of President Bush, the bill was brought back for discussion in the Senate as bill S. 1639 on June 25.[6] On June 26, a motion to proceed passed the Senate, by a margin of 64-35 (under Senate rules it needed 60 votes).[7] A number of amendments to the bill were considered and rejected. On June 28, the bill failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end debate. The final cloture vote lost 46-53.[8] This effectively ended its chances, and President Bush said he was disappointed at Congress's failure to act on the issue.[9]

(snip)

The bills received heated criticism from both the right wing and the left wing. Conservatives rejected providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, as it would reward them for disregarding United States immigration laws. Liberals criticized the points-based system and provisions limiting family reunification visas available to only nuclear family members of US citizens as unfair. Labor unions, human rights, and some Hispanic organizations attacked the guest workers program, claiming that it would create a group of underclass workers with no benefits.[15] Another criticism of the guest workers program was that because each guest worker is required to return home for a year before renewing his or her visa, these workers would instead overstay their visa, becoming illegal immigrants.

High-tech industry criticized the point-based green card system for scrapping employer sponsorship of green card applications and eliminating priority processing for the highly skilled workers specifically selected by the U.S. employers.[16] Many immigration practitioners, while supporting aspects of the proposal, criticized the bill as "unworkable" and called for fundamentally revising it.[17] Critics of the bill in the U.S. Senate also complained that the Senate consideration of the bill did not follow the usual procedure, as the bill did not go through the committee debate and approval process and the opportunities to offer floor amendments were limited.[18][19]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comprehensive_Immigration_Reform_Act_of_2007

[ProudToBeLiberal]

16. So, now you are engaging in revisionist history. I think we all know Sanders has a spotty

record on immigration at best.

[Uncle Joe]

20. I just posted the historical facts per Wikipedia and cited Bernie's own words in the video on the OP

if you disagree with Wikipedia and the Video in the OP, then you're doing the revising.

[PyaarRevolution]

32. How is that revisionist?

That bill supported guest worker provisions which we all know is designed to screw American workers in wages by having to compete with cheap tech labor from India and other places.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

35. Next you are going to tell me undocumented workers are taking away American jobs.

You are just repeating Republican talking points when it comes to them opposing a path to citizenship.

[Luminous Animal]

41. Like Barbara Boxer, his lack of support was for the guest worker program....

Here is Barbara Boxer speaking on the matter:

I wish to make it clear that this guest worker program has
nothing to do with the agricultural jobs program that is in this bill
that I support, a bill that has been vetted at hearings. We know there
is a need. There seems to be very little, if any, disagreement on that
portion of the bill.

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2007/05/22/senate-section/article/S6430-2

But this is a generalized guest worker program. I did hear the
comments of Senator Sanders. I wish to associate myself with his
remarks. Senator Sanders makes a brilliant point. How many times have
we seen workers huddled in a corner with tears in their eyes because
they received a notice that they have been laid off--not by the tens,
not by the twenties, not by the hundreds but sometimes by the thousands. Big employers in this
country seemingly with nowhere to turn tell us: Oh, my goodness, we
have to compete, we have to pare down our employment, and they lay
people off. Those same employers are now begging for a guest worker
program. Why? You have to ask yourself why? I do have a degree in
economics, but I would say that was a long time ago. You don't need a
degree in economics to understand what is at stake. These large
employers want a large, cheap labor pool that they can draw from. My
colleagues on the other side say: Oh, we are protecting those workers.
Oh, they will be fine.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

50. The great liberal lion Ted Kennedy was on of the main sponsors of the bill

Joe Biden a stalwart union supporter voted for the bill.

[Luminous Animal]

62. It was a compromise bill. Some liberals could

Live with the guest worker program others could not.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

63. And still Bernie Sanders voted for the 2013 with the same guest

Worker provisions. Nt

[Luminous Animal]

67. It's not the same guest worker program.

The 2013 version of the guest worker program offered more worker potections, prevailing wage rules and a path to citizenship.

[madville]

72. Kennedy wasn't worker-friendly ALL the time

He co-sponsored the 1983 Social Security amendments that raised the retirement age from 65 to 67 and reduced benefits available at age 62. It also raised the employee's SS contribution rate to 7.65% but that was later removed.

He also co-sponsored the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 which has literally destroyed the USPS finances and pension plans. Bush gladly signed that one.

Just because Kennedy was for it doesn't mean it was automatically great for American workers as evidenced above.

[PyaarRevolution]

55. Thank you, great post.

[beam me up scottie]

40. Now facts are revisionist history???

What part of that post is inaccurate or false?

[Vattel]

68. Now facts are revisionist history. Lol.

Clinton said that she was "against illegal immigrants." She advocated for immediately deporting refugees from violence in Honduras, and O'Malley rightly criticized her for that. She still wants to punish undocumented workers.

Her record on immigration issues has huge stains on it.

[Live and Learn]

77. Kudos for the most Rovian post of the day. nt

[beam me up scottie]

17. "Labor unions, human rights, and some Hispanic organizations attacked the guest workers program"

Thanks for bringing facts and reason to the discussion, Uncle Joe.

[Uncle Joe]

23. Thanks for your good works as well, beam me up scottie.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

24. Uncle joe, keep up the good work. We need to elect a Democrat in November. Nt

[Uncle Joe]

37. That's precisely why I support Bernie. n/t

[beam me up scottie]

39. Thanks! I can't believe any progressive would support this legislation.

[ecstatic]

6. Lou Dobbs was a full blown racist by that time,

despite his own wife being Mexican.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

10. Yep, soon after he moved to Fox Business News to continue his hate filled rants. Nt

[LexVegas]

7. Progressive? A Democrat? nt

[beam me up scottie]

9. The bill the Southern Poverty Law Center likened to slavery?

Close to Slavery: Guestworker Programs in the United States

This report, updated in February 2013, details the systematic exploitation of foreign workers who come to this country for temporary jobs under the nation's H-2 guestworker program. Based on dozens of legal cases and interviews with thousands of guestworkers, it documents how guestworkers are routinely cheated out of wages, forced to mortgage their futures to obtain low-wage, temporary jobs, and held virtually captive by employers.

In the debate over comprehensive immigration reform, various policymakers and business groups have suggested that Congress create a new or expanded guestworker program to ensure a steady supply of foreign workers for industries that rely on an abundance of cheap labor.

Congress should look before it leaps. The current H-2 program, which provides temporary farmworkers and non-farm laborers for a variety of U.S. industries, is rife with labor and human rights violations committed by employers who prey on a highly vulnerable workforce. It harms the interests of U.S. workers, as well, by undercutting wages and working conditions for those who labor at the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. This program should not be expanded or used as a model for immigration reform.

https://www.splcenter.org/20130218/close-slavery-guestworker-programs-united-states

Why would you support a bill like that?

[PyaarRevolution]

34. THANK YOU!!!!!

Please Cali_in_Democrat read this.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

51. H-2B and H-2A visas are horrible and often used

in labor and human trafficking operations.

Do note that H-2 visas are very different from H-1B visas. H-2B and H-2A visas are for seasonal low-skilled or unskilled labor (A for agriculture/B for everything else) - I am not at liberty to go into a lot of details, but let's just say these H-2B/A visas are horrendously poorly overseen and monitored.

These visas are often exploited for labor and human trafficking - sadly, not just by organized crime and fraudsters in general, but even the governments of very poor countries.

[beam me up scottie]

53. That's good to know, thank you for the information.

It's disingenuous to portray Bernie as anti-immigration based on his opposition to guest worker programs.

[cascadiance]

54. Note how fortunately those abused under H-2b after Katrina were able to win a lawsuit then...

... for the wholesale abuse of "prisoner" labor that this program was then that was *exploited* as such.

http://www.thenation.com/article/these-workers-came-overseas-help-rebuild-after-hurricane-katrina-and-were-treated-prison/

[AZ Progressive]

15. The propaganda attacks just keep on coming

How does it feel to be on the same side as Goldman Sachs, Citibank, and the rest of Wall Street?

[beam me up scottie]

22. Catapulting the propaganda hoping that we're too stupid to know about this bill.

I don't think DU is their target audience.

[madokie]

25. You just

flat out don't know what you are talking about Proudtobeliberal.

I'll let this ride for a little while for your rebuttal then you will go on my ignore list. I have no time for bullshit served as you serve it, and its not just this time either.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

27. Madokie I thought we were friends...my feelings are hurt :/ NT

[madokie]

30. Good bye

I don't do bullshit worth a shit and all I seem to be reading lately from you has been bullshit at best and out right lies at worse.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

33. Bye Felicia. Nt

[thesquanderer]

26. He was defending the working class against the big corporate interests, same as today.

That speech sounds very much like his current stump speech.

The particular speech isn't about being anti-immigrant, it was taking the position that big companies shouldn't be encouring guest workers with the goal of getting cheap labor to keep down workers' wages.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

29. A lot of Republicans use the same arguments against a path to citizenship.

Hell, Lou Dobbs is conservative as they come.

[beam me up scottie]

36. Why do you support the bill the SPLC likened to slavery?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

42. Can I ask you a personal question? Nt

[thesquanderer]

38. But in this clip, Bernie isn't arguing against a path to citizenship for those already here.

He's arguing against big companies specifically bringing in guest workers to undermine American workers.

[Fast Walker 52]

49. Yep. Pretty desperate and misleading post.

[Luminous Animal]

43. The guest worker program was not a path to citizenship. It is an grossly exploitive institution.

Bernie, then and now, supported a path to citizenship. He, like Barbara Boxer and many others had a huge problem with the guest worker program.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

46. The same guest workers program was in the 2013 bill. He voted for it.

So, if he had problem with it in 2007 then why did he voted for the same provisions in 2013?

[Fast Walker 52]

44. indeed-- I thought he was great there

nice to see how consistent he is

[ProudToBeLiberal]

48. I he was consistent he would have voted against the 2013 immigration bill.

2013 bill had the same worker visa provisions as 2007.

[Alittleliberal]

70. Maybe you should read the Bills

The 2013 one had much stronger safe guards for american workers despite having a visa program.

[Fast Walker 52]

80. but I doubt it was the same exact bill

These bills tend to be complex, and if that is true, I imagine there were offsets.

[AzDar]

28. Such a gross misrepresentation. You should be ASHAMED.

[Fast Walker 52]

45. for sure-- very badly misrepresented, but I'm glad I watched it

More props to Bernie!

[antigop]

31. WATCH THIS VIDEO -- HE EXPLAINS HIS VOTE.HE WAS AGAINST H-1B's.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251575493

Bernie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=953&v=wHhrvKlZyS4

Watch the 13:30 to 15:40 timeframe.

[uponit7771]

47. Sanders is allowed nuance that HRC isn't accorded... Looks like woman tax no?

[Dawson Leery]

52. Bernie exposed indeed.

Shame on him.

[Armstead]

57. Yes defending American workers and defending "guest workers" from exploitation

How awful

[frylock]

65. Here's spome Thompson Twins for you coming up on the bottom of the hour.

[ucrdem]

66. Okay other than opposing gun control, immigration reform, fair trade, ACA, the Clintons, Barack ,

Howard Dean, and the DNC, Bernie's the real Dem and everyone else is a right winger.
.
.
.
.
.



It's going to be a long eight years.

[workinclasszero]

69. How..progressive...Bernie

[UglyGreed]

73. Didn't Hillary Clinton

rant against illegal immigrants in 2003 on the John Gambling show?

[NCTraveler]

78. It's not that Sanders only opposed it.

He was opposed to it having a fair up or down vote. On a couple of occasions it recieved a majority to move forward but that wasn't enough.

Over ten million people currently living in the shadows might be citizens today if it would have passed. Sanders was more concerned about the economics over oppression. It is the perfect display of economics over social justice. When one considers undocumented individuals to be equal to Americans, there was only one way to vote on the legislation.

[cascadiance]

84. And people like you want to screw people like me to keep us unemployed!!!

Guest worker programs only help one groups of individuals and those are at the top that profit from that bottom that is created that they race to in paying less for workers that they enjoy employing as indentured servants instead of real people when they don't have the same rights as other citizens to vote, join unions, be able to choose another employer that will pay them better, not have their passports, etc. held hostage amongst other abuses (which is what H-2B sponsors were sued successfully for after exploiting H-2B workers after Katrina).

Give us REAL immigration reform and many of us will push to get it passed, not bills clutter with corrupt Corporatist CRAP that screws the rest of us!

[SidDithers]

81. DU rec...nt

Sid