Posted on 05/11/2006 10:27:58 AM PDT by jamese777
U.S. Senate leaders clear path for immigration bill
Thu May 11, 2006 12:32 PM ET
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic Senate leaders agreed on Thursday on a plan to revive a bill that would give millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn U.S. citizenship.
The sweeping immigration overhaul, which has triggered rallies by millions of immigrants and their supporters across the country, is expected to be considered by the Senate next week.
Despite the agreement between Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, the outcome of the legislation remains in doubt. It faces opposition from some Republicans who say it gives amnesty to people who broke U.S. laws.
Frist said opponents now will be allowed to offer "a considerable number of amendments" to the bill. In return, Democrats won an assurance that the bill's backers will have a input in eventual negotiations with the U.S. House of Representatives.
The House passed a tough border security bill that would further criminalize illegal presence in the United States and the two bills will have to be merged.
The House bill, which would make illegal presence a felony instead of a civil offense, has drawn huge protests around the country from Hispanic groups and their supporters.
Frist said he wants the Senate to finish work on the bill by the end of the month when Congress takes a week-long break for the Memorial Day holiday.
The legislation stalled just before Congress' Easter break last month when Democrats, worried that Republican opponents would try to gut the bill, blocked consideration of amendments and sought to limit their number. Even though some of those amendments now will go forward, backers feel they have the votes to defeat them.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who has been pushing for the bipartisan immigration overhaul, said he was optimistic the Senate would pass the bill, which also includes a guest worker program backed by President George W. Bush.
"Today's agreement is a major step forward in our fight for tough but fair immigration reform," Kennedy said.
The Senate bill includes border security and enforcement measures, but also addresses the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. Millions would be given a chance to earn citizenship. The bill also includes a temporary worker program backed by President George W. Bush.
Amnesty =30 million more!
If those folks think Bush and the current GOP Congress are failing to protect our borders, and of course they are, just wait until they get a load of what Pelosi and Dingy Harry have in store for us concerning that issue. All the Democrats see in the illegal immigrant tsunami is a golden opportunity to enlist more illegal Democrat voters, whether by hook or by crook.
"Especially if they have 5 US citizen children in the US?"
Thanks to you both for the kind words.
I personally don't care what language the Star Spangled Banner is sung in. Lots of Americans don't even know the words and our kids no longer sing it in school, so it's good that immigrants are even learning it.
You're right. We should not allow any immigrants into our military.
Wow! I've never been a queen before. Thanks!
BOHICA
There is also the issue of illegals commiting felonies or misdemeanors when they come into this country.
It may be a misdemeanor when they enter (should be felony), but as soon as they take on a fake identity, forge documents, well then, that becomes a felony so what is the deal here? These illegals who are using fake id's and forging documents are commiting a felony and should not have any path to anything in this country except to prison.
We must keep Republican control but Republicans need to get back to the roots of the republican party and quit flitting to the left. I've been sending letters to every congressman and senator that has anything to do with this issue, and not just the ones from my own state. Frist has received quite a few pieces of correspondence from me. His last response to me was "Contact your state representatives and express your concerns there." I sent him an e-mail back that said I had already contacted Nelson, Martinez and Young and I get silence. In fact, I caught Martinez in a "lie" (he told the American people one thing a few weeks ago with his alternate bill but told me something else in an e-mail he sent back to me. I called him on it and I got a generic e-mail back that said "thank you for contacting Senator Martinez...yada yada, yada." Haven't heard anything since.
Spoken like a true multi-culturalist.
What exactly is a multi-culturist?
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