DeMint speaks out on LOST and DREAM

Here is a perhaps surprising letter sent out by our junior Senator here in SC, Jim DeMint. Mr. DeMint did not use to be so strong on immigration or sovereignty. There was a noticable change in him after Patrick Tyndall ran against him in 2004, forcing him to become educated on these issues. In any case, please take heed to what Mr. DeMint is saying here, especially about LOST.

Dear Friend,

I have some good news and some bad news. First, the good news:

Once again, the Democrat Senate attempted and failed to ram an amnesty bill through Congress. The large majority of Republicans rejected this attempt to reward illegal behavior because the American people have rightly demanded that we first secure our borders, enforce our laws, and create a legal immigration system that works.While advocates of the DREAM Act claimed it would be narrowly targeted to help children forced to come to the United States by their parents, the bill actually would have permitted millions to gain amnesty within a system ripe for fraud and abuse.

The Democrat DREAM Act would have allowed any illegal immigrant (including those with criminal records such as a DUI conviction) under t he age of 30 to apply for amnesty, as long as they claimed to have entered the country before the age of 16. Once the person is given legal status under the DREAM Act, they would then be able to claim legal status for other family members -- including parents and siblings who brought them to the country illegally in the first place. Additionally, the DREAM Act would give illegal immigrants access to publicly funded universities and colleges at in-state tuition rates, as well as access to federal aid and student loans. These rewards for illegal behavior would have only encouraged millions more to enter our country illegally.

It is certainly true that our government's failure to enforce its immigration laws has created many tragic circumstances for children and families, but the solution is not more of the same. We must have border security, enforce our laws and create a legal immigration system that works. Only after we have restored the confidence of the America n people can we begin to solve the problems associated with those here illegally.

Now, for some bad news: Currently, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is preparing to rubber stamp an international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) is a terrible idea because it creates a new unaccountable international bureaucracy that could impose taxes on Americans and infringe upon our nation's sovereignty. Under this treaty which includes Iran as a signatory, America will be forced to pay dues that amount to 25 percent of the operating costs of the organization.This week the Wall Street Journal summed up my opposition to this treaty:

Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who is leading the fight against ratification... insists that the Treaty is as wrong today as when Reagan opposed it. "We know from international groups like the U.N. that many signers of these agreements do not act in the best interest of the United States or the world." Now that sounds a lot like Ronald Reagan.

I hope you will join me in fighting this unnecessary international governing body that could significantly disrupt America's economy and our military operations. For more information on the Senate's rejection of the DREAM Act or on the upcoming debate about LOST, please visit my Web site.

Sincerely,

Jim DeMint