Posted on 04/26/2006 12:06:59 AM PDT by SirJohnBarleycorn
President Bush and a group of senators yesterday reached general agreement on an immigration bill that includes a pathway to citizenship for many illegal aliens.
But left out of the closed-door White House meeting were senators who oppose a path to citizenship. The meeting even snubbed two men who had been considered allies of Mr. Bush on immigration -- Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and chairman of the immigration subcommittee, and Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican.
Mr. Bush in brief remarks to the press said there was agreement to get "a bill that does not grant automatic amnesty to people, but a bill that says, somebody who is working here on a legal basis has the right to get in line to become a citizen." But senators, speaking afterward, said Mr. Bush was far more specific in the meeting.
"There was a pretty good consensus that what we have put into the Hagel-Martinez proposal here is the right way to go," said Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican. "I think he was very clear [on] pathway to citizenship, so long as it goes to the back of the line, and he even opened the door here for something we've haggled back and forth on, that you can shrink the time for people to become citizens by simply enlarging the number of green cards."
And Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican, said Mr. Bush "endorsed the concept of an earned citizenship."
That would represent a substantial change on the part of the Bush administration, which just last year said it opposed a path to citizenship for those currently here illegally.
(snip)
Even as Mr. Bush is moving in that direction, the House majority leader yesterday rejected it.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Simply pass a law that imposes a fine of $1 million per incident for anyone found hiring an illegal.
Isn't this foolish politics? How are they going to do this without approval from the house of representatives? Even if they got a squishy bill set in conference committee, the house has to approve that. Not going to happen.
"Isn't this foolish politics?"
Foolish is an understatement.
It's a policy and political disaster waiting to happen.
It's as if Bush has a death wish on the Republican majority.
Frankly, I'm not interested in anything written by Chuck Hagel. This has proven to be no exception.
"I'm not in the habit of patting the president on the back and sending him accolades, but I have to say that this meeting that we just had, I have to pat the president on the back," said Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. "This was really, I thought, a good, good meeting."
Mr. Cornyn, the immigration subcommittee chairman who was not invited to the meeting, said through a spokesman he didn't see a need to be there.
"Senator Cornyn has been consistent and transparent on where he stands, and on his call for comprehensive reform without amnesty," said Mr. Cornyn's spokesman, Don Stewart. "The president didn't need to convince Senator Cornyn to stop playing politics and blocking votes -- he can save that message for the minority leader."
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the invitees were senators who are leading the fight for a comprehensive bill.
----
Bush gets praise by Democrats and is shutting out the conservative Senators standing for the right kind of policies....
UGH.
i wonder if there is any chance to ask for a SCOTUS review of this on groumds that it penalizes legal applicants for citizenship and rewards illegals with a path to citizenship?
Hopefully his betrayal of Office and Country will be thwarted by more patriotic men in the House of Reps.
Cutting a deal with the devil?
We all knew bush was weak on the immigration issue, but I never thought he was this irresponsible.
How the man can be so right on the war on terror and so stunningly wrong on protecting the homeland from a cultural and economic invasion is frankly beyond me.
We ALREADY have a One Million Dollar Fine....
It's called a LAWSUIT...
It's what you get if you dare ask a hispanic to verify the documents they present, and they ARE legal......
Yes, I am very disappointed.
I'm not sure what "conservative agenda" he's referring to. I'm sending it back telling the RNC that my "gift" will go to those who know what conservatism is.
If the employer is unethical he can rehire the guy with a new name and SS# and it will be another 18 mos before it is caught IF IT IS CAUGHT AT ALL and unless they have proof that the employer knew that the guy (remember new name and SS#) there is nothing they can do.
In the meantime, during the Clinton administration the INS went around trying to punish people for not filling the I9s out correctly while letting the illegals pour across the border. Illegal immigration hasn't ceased but the INS isn't bugging legal employers to get fines anymore.
My brother is here at my place and has a lot of time and he gets up early every morning looking for illegals so he can call the BP. I don't know if they catch them but he's having a blast.
Simply pass a law that imposes a fine of $1 million per incident for anyone found hiring an illegal."
You do realize that of the 12 million illegal aliens, about 4 million of them do *NOT* work.
The same people would "enforce" those fines. You could make them 100 billion. What's the point if nobody actually does the employer investigations and sanctions?
Build the fence.
I voted for GWB twice, supported him in the war, have disagreed on many of his policies....but this is the last straw. Total open doors and amnesty is a disaster!
Bush needs to resign immediately or face impeachment for failing to secure our country.
I realize I may be banned from FR now.
<< You do realize that of the 12 million illegal aliens, about 4 million of them do *NOT* work. >>
And we are sheltering and feeding a huge number that reside in our prisons. WE are working for THEM.
Enforce the laws that already on the books! If the job market dries up for illegals, they'll go home. Anything less and we'll KNOW that our government does NOT represent us and ALL should be impeached!
(Not a bad idea...to start anew with politicians who are willing to work for us.)
As my late, great grandfather used to day..."Can't" never could do nothing!
It's simple enough to add a few more words in the new law declaring the $1 million fine. Just specify that the employer can collect "whatever information is necessary".
Regarding all illegals not working - put a few more words yet into the new law enacting the fine and eliminate their access to all government benefits.
If we don't have the political will to solve this simple problem then maybe we *do* deserve to be taken over by Mexico(?)
That is confusing. If they are 'working here on a legal basis', he cannot be referring to illegal immigrants. How can illegal immigrants be working on a legal basis ? What exactly does 'legal basis' mean in this context ? The only way this plan of Bush's could work would be if the illegal immigrants are to be considered as legal instead of illegal. So some amnesty must be applied somewhere. Kinda like Bush hinting that there were no WMD in Iraq when he knew some small numbers had been found and he knew that many had been moved to Syria. He must be getting some horrible council at times. He needs to either suspect someone in his inner circle or take a good hard look in the mirror.
What's confusing? The bill will make it legal for them to work here, so they won't be working here illegally and can become citizens.
Better get ready to welcome 50 million or so new "citizens".
I always cringe when I see pictures of President Clinton together with children. That man thinks oral copulation is not sex. Why in the world would anyone allow him near children ?
It's really all very clear:
The Bush plan to solve the illegal alien problem is to simply make them all legal.
Anything else is just spin.
But hey, the President'll get a pat on the back from Harry Reid and Vicente Fox!
/bitter sarcasm
Wrong. Iraq was all about terrorism. Iran will be about oil and nukes.
Washington, DC RINOs and Dems prepare for final sellout.
This White House's Benedict Arnold Plan is moving forward.
Beware...
There is a major problem with that theory. Bush helps 'Wall Street Money' with slave latino labor, but then he hurts 'Wall Street Money' by attacking Oil Companies over excess profits. The two don't mix. Bush is getting horrible advice from someone.
Iraq was about terrorism and oil.
The oil component should never be overlooked. It is why the Russians and Chinese have bet the farm on Iran.
The President is going to give the House back to the dems this Fall and then they will all agree on the amnesty bill. What a sham.
I have a Forbes article sitting at the ready about China's courtship with Saudi Arabia...
Not only is Bush dumb, he's also deaf.
So are all those Senators in cahoots with him.
They'll pay the price - Reps and Dems - on Election Day.
But since the Repubs control both Houses, they will pay more heavily and we will be faced with the prospect of A Democrat President in 2008.
Once Bush muscles the Senate, he'll go on to muscle the House.
This is a despicable outrage.
Not a chance.
Lol:)
Agreed. Poison the well and no one will drink from it.
If the House Republicans cave on this I'll stay home in November.
L
This carrot-and-stick approach won't work. Bush is hoping that the illegals will now come out of hiding and become good Americans. But they won't. They'll march with their Mexican flags and not pay any attention. They want the money and their employers want the cheap labor.
WTF has Bush lost his mind? I have stood by him on everything, including the Dubai deal, but this is beyond the pale. It's not like he needs the latino vote for re-election? Why is he siding with the democrats on this issue? I feel like I've been slapped in the face.
New tagline.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
You do realize that of the 12 million illegal aliens, about 4 million of them do *NOT* work."
Or they have a 2 income household!......... Husband gets paid cash for picking lettuce, payment is under the table so nothing is paid in taxes, probably 8 to 10 and hour free and clear, no record of him having a job....... meanwhile, the wife files for and collects, for the entire family, cash, food stamps, medicaid, and housing, since only 4 states in the entire country check for documentation before awarding the benefits.
Meantime, here I am, sick as a dog, unable to work, waiting almost 3 years to begin receiving Social Security Disability that I paid into over the course of my 25 year career and until SS decides to hear my case, I get very little help and must remain totally dependent on my sons to care for me. Illegal immigrants have overpowered and drained our resources so they they are not available for people like me who truly need them. I am ticked as heck about this issue. Thank god I raised responsible children ;)
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
"Simply pass a law that imposes a fine of $1 million per incident for anyone found hiring an illegal."
Might as well make it a billion dollar fine. The underlying problem is that the current law has not, is not, and probably will not be enforced. There's no indication that increasing the penalties would result in any greater motivation to enforce the law.
The 11 million plus illegal aliens in this country didn't arrive overnight. They've been coming ever since the last amnesty law in the 80's that was supposed to end illegal immigration.
We can pass all the laws we want making illegal entry a felony, increasing the fines, etc. But if we don't enforce the law, it's ultimately an exercise in futility.
Illegal aliens are not here for the fine cuisine nor are they here to see the sights. They're here for jobs. The key is the employers. If you start seeing significant numbers of employers of illegal alliens doing the "perp walk" on your local news, you might see the situation getting resolved.
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