More Public Hearings Coming in August

House Republican leaders announced a plan to blanket the countrywith hearings in August  —  19 of them in 12 states  —  to stir publicsupport for a border crackdown this year, perhaps before the Novemberelections.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill, said he came away from his recenttrip to the Arizona border convinced that the public wants the borderclosed to undocumented immigration before there is any consideration of either aguest worker program or legalization of the 12 million undocumented immigrantsnow believed to be in the country, as the Senate and the White Houseprefer.

The hearings are part of a series that began this month after Houseleaders decided to delay opening formal negotiations with the Senate andinstead spend the summer collecting testimony on why the Senate bill is sowrongheaded. Click here.

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