Posted on 03/15/2006 10:36:59 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Senate committee delegated to come up with immigration reform legislation proceeded at a glacial pace Wednesday, with senators still far apart on such issues as a guest worker program and a policy toward the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally.
"We are quite a ways from having a bill," said Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., as the panel waded through a host of amendments on how to improve border enforcement.
Even with farmers and businesses depending on illegal immigrants to fill low-wage jobs and President Bush in support of a temporary worker program, advocates of such a program have been unable to overcome the opposition of those who are deadset against any proposal that in an election year could be labeled "amnesty."
The Senate Judiciary Committee had given itself a Thursday deadline to produce a bill that would tighten U.S. borders, impose new sanctions on illegal immigrants and their employers, and give legal status to some workers now here illegally.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has promised a vote on some kind of temporary "guest worker" program after Congress returns March 27 from a weeklong recess, but not necessarily one that includes illegal immigrants, as advocated by Bush.
Democrats on the Judiciary Committee wrote Frist to ask him to reconsider, saying "arbitrary deadlines and half-finished proposals serve neither the Senate nor the country well."
Republicans with reservations about a guest worker program also urged the Senate to go slow on what could be the most important bill that Congress deals with this year. "Nobody in the country trusts us on this issue right now because we have not demonstrated the integrity to control our borders," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
Bush has proposed a temporary worker program, allowing participants to register for legal status for a specific period of time and then be required to return home. It would not provide amnesty, which the administration says it would reject in any proposal, and also would not be an automatic path to citizenship.
"So far there's a desire to do guest worker, but the real desire is to make sure the borders are secure first," Specter said Tuesday.
Sen. Pete Domenici (news, bio, voting record), R-N.M., whose state shares a 180-mile border with Mexico, said the chances of getting a comprehensive bill through the Senate are slim. Lawmakers, he said, "have gone absolutely wild" confusing border violence with 9 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
"Without sufficient thinking, we're applying to them the anger and opposition that comes to the border activities," Domenici said. "These people, some of them have lived here 30 years, 20 years, 10 years. They are not gangsters and robbers."
Judiciary Committee member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said a temporary worker program may be an issue for another time.
"We should do a good enforcement bill and leave the administration to execute it, then in the meantime, talk seriously about what we want to do about the future," Sessions said.
However, there still is a lot of sentiment among other committee members to allow some illegal immigrants to remain in the United States, if only temporarily.
A bill drafted by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., gives illegal immigrants up to five years to leave the country. But they would have to leave and apply from their home country to return, either as temporary workers or for permanent residency.
Specter would allow illegal immigrants with jobs to get worker permits and get in line for legal residency without having to leave the country. Critics say actually acquiring legal residency under that approach could take decades.
Two other committee members Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. are pushing a business-backed proposal that would allow illegal immigrants to work for six years and then apply for permanent residency without having to leave the U.S.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., who supports the McCain-Kennedy approach, argued that lawmakers can't ignore the 11 million undocumented workers in the country.
"Amnesty to me is not what we are talking about," Graham said. "If I had to pay a $2,000 fine and wait 11 years before I could apply for citizenship I wouldn't think I'd been given amnesty."
Americans are just as divided on immigration.
A Time poll in January found that 73 percent of Americans favor a guest worker program for illegal immigrants, but 46 percent said they should have to return first to their native country and apply for it. About 50 percent favored deporting all illegal immigrants.
The House has already passed a tough immigration enforcement bill without any kind of guest worker program, defying threats from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its allies.
Truer words have never been spoken by a politician. A pox be upon the house of both political parties until our borders are secured and protected. - OB1
Is this faygala so stupid? This prissy boy fails to appreciate that when one comes from an impoverished 3rd world nation citizenship is irrelevant. Legal residency is of paramount importance where he can get a valid driver's license and be covered by labor laws. Can also bring mamacita y todos los hijos to the United States and put them in US schools. Will the USA give the family some kind of national health insurance?
And as Pricilla admits, the guest worker can apply for citizenship after 12 years. Once he gets citizenship he can sponsor numerous relatives for immigration
both my senators are on the right side of this y'all need to get yours in line
I thought this was Bush's fault, why is everyone screaming at congress.
They already have national health insurance. It is called...ANY hospital. And best of all, it is FREE, for them anyway. It costs us an arm and a leg though.
Congress, throw them outor we'll throw you out!
or
Illegals or Citizens?
Choose wisely! (With a picture of a noose or a ballot for the more genteel.)
Translation: They're busy divvying up the pro-illegal worker votes to the Senators who are safe from any election challenge.
Now, I realize you Senators are sold out to Business special interests at the expense of the American worker, but before y'all pass that amnesty bill that Jorge is hoping for, remember that you can be fired. Too many of you THIS YEAR in fact.
What will be done to enforce this proposed law when these Mexican illegal aliens refuse to go home after the five-year grace period has expired.
If they are dead set on passing a Guest Worker bill, then make it just that, a plan for temporary workers. Let them work, but no free access to healthcare or education or any other benefits that should only go to citizens. Also no families coming in where the babies would then be declared citizens.
Good point.
President Bush can raise his poll numbers by dropping the phrases, "Guest Worker" and "Religion of Peace" from his vocabulary, He can raise the numbers quicker by pointing out he has done so.
IT could happen, that he comes to his senses.
Please call them INVADERS!
President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.
More Americans are abducted on the border of Mexico than in Iraq!
Start building the fence.
It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their visas and Invaders.
I believe we should give amnesty to these poor CRIMINALS or INVADERS.
This should be a 2 week amnesty to get the heck out of our Country.
The ones who ignore this amnesty should be buried in a tent city jail and fined $10,000 or buried elsewhere.
All aiders and abettors of these CRIMINALS or INVADERS should get 1 year in a tent city jail and a $10,000 fine for each CRIMINAL aided.
Those in government should be the first ones charged.
You and I both know the pro-invasion politicians would never put such stipulations on the invaders. That's why this whole scheme needs to killed. Once the invasion is sanctioned it's over, they're here for good. Making babies, driver's licenses, schools, hospitals, hell my local Wal-Mart already has food with Spanish only labels. Vicente will empty his jails and asylums like Castro did and send us the dregs of his society.
kinda like the 1986 scamnesty...
http://www.theamericanresistance.com/issues/amnesty.html
For over 200 years, the United states only granted amnesty in individual cases and had never given amnesty to large numbers of illegal aliens. Then in 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) which gave amnesty to all illegal aliens who had evaded law enforcement for at least four years or who were working illegally in agriculture. This resulted in 2.8 million illegal aliens being admitted as legal immigrants to the United States.
Because of chain migration, those granted amnesty have brought in an additional 142,000 dependents - relatives brought in to the United States to join their family members.
The amnesty of 1986 was supposed to be a "one time only" amnesty. Yet since 1986, Congress passed a total of 7 amnesties for illegal aliens:
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