Posted on 07/25/2007 2:51:28 PM PDT by AuntB
U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl plans to introduce an immigration enforcement bill before the Senate’s month-long summer recess starts on Aug. 4.
The Arizona Republican’s new tactic will be more narrowly focused than the Senate’s previous and unsuccessful approach that tried to link immigration enforcement to immigration reform. The broader measure collapsed in June.
The new legislation will offer a selection of immigration enforcement options that were identified during and after debate surrounding the failed immigration reform bill, Kyl said.
“It will be kind of a menu of all the kinds of things you can pick from if you wanted to do enforcement first. I think we need to change some laws in that regard,” Kyl said Monday during an interview on radio station KTAR-FM 92.3.
Kyl did not elaborate on his p lans during the interview. Later, through a spokesman, he declined an interview with the Tribune because the language of the new bill has yet to be finalized.
Kyl was one of the chief architects of the previous immigration reform bill, which included several border and interior enforcement provisions. Among them: new border fencing, vehicle barriers, ground-based radar and camera towers, more U.S. Border Patrol agents, an employment eligibility verification system, and criminal and civil penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.
It was unclear Tuesday whether Kyl plans to recycle any of those provisions in his new bill.
Most of the controversy surrounding the failed bill centered on its other features, including a system to provide millions of illegal immigrants already living in the United States legal status and eventual citizenship, and a guest worker program for foreign nationals to work in the United States legally.
Kyl was roundly criticized by fellow Republicans for supporting the previous bill. They said it offered “amnesty” to illegal immigrants.
In June, Kyl argued that it wasn’t amnesty, because it required illegal immigrants to undergo background checks, pay fines, learn English and fulfill other requirements.
Kyl told KTAR he didn’t regret his position on the failed immigration reform bill.
“I regret not doing a better job explaining what we thought we had accomplished that made the bill acceptable from my point of view,” he said. “Obviously, there were parts of it that I didn’t like. I thought I was getting some pretty good concessions from the other side. And by the way, they had some objections from their side, as well.”
Guiding an immigration enforcement bill through the Senate undoubtedly will present new challenges, because unlike the previous bill, it likely will lack provisions attractive to some liberal members of Congress.
Immigration enforcement and reform measures have two basic trade-offs, Kyl said.
“One side wants to go easy on the enforcement and provide regularization to all of the people who are here; the other side wants to be really tough on enforcement and not provide for the regularization,” he said.
Elías Bermúdez, leader of the activist group Immigrants Without Borders, said an enforcement bill will be ill-fated. “I don’t think it will pass. I don’t think they’ll find a single Democrat who will go for enforcement only – and they are going to need the Democrats,” he said.
Arizona Republican Party chairman Randy Pullen, who opposed the previous reform legislation, said the concept appears promising. “Clearly, enforcement related bills would be much better received by the party in general, not only in Arizona, but nationally,” he said.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1837422/posts
Common Sense 'ENFORCE ACT' introduced By Sen. Inhofe
Here we go again ping!
FYI -
People need to know about the INhofe bill instead!
Usually when in a very, very deep hole, it’s best to stop digging.
Kyl is a traitor.
FIRST GRADE CIVICS QUESTION
What is most important:
A: Amnesty-for-all terrorists
B: Keeping the US borders porous.
C: Increasing the presence MS-13 in American cities.
D: The safety of the American people.
Chertoff: A? .... B? ... C? Can't decide. A? B? C? .... A!!!!!
BZZZZZT Wrong.
"I am dumber than a fifth grader, but you fools are stuck with me, anyway."
MORAL:
"Never send a monkey to do a man's job."
~ Captain Leo Davidson
I know at this point, as a Missouri citizen, I would be more prone to voting for Democrat Claire McCaskill than Republican Kit Bond. I have heard Bond might be in his last term anyway. It’s just as well because I will NEVER vote for him again.
Good. Let the RATS fight it to the death. It will show the country who is trying to protect the borders and who is trying to sell us out for cheap labor and RAT votes.
ping
She was great during the senate debate on the last 'it's not amnesty' bill. Good for her!
I can’t wait for the next GOP money solicitation phone call. Kyl, Bond, etc, need to go.
I’ll take ‘Dumb as a brick’ for $800, Alex.
Yes, here we go again!
LOL!
If given a choice of which SENATOR I support, Inofe or Kyl, Inhofe wins in a landslide. He has a bill, yet Kyl has drafted his own. Why? Does he not know of inhofe’s bill? Entirely possible since they seem unaware of a lot there in the Senate. If he knows of it, what does he disagree with in Inhofe’s bill? Or is it that he wishes to include something not in Inhofe’s bill?
Kyl broke trust. He PROMISED he supported enforcement first during his re-election, then he did the exact opposite. If he and his collegues strongly push a pro-enforcement/no amnesty bill...sure, I’ll support it. And Democrats could be forced to support it in election ‘08. Who knows about the W.H.
But I don’t trust Kyl.
I want the legislation gone over completely with Sessions, DeMint, Bunning, Vitter, Cornyn and Coburn in the room and anyone else they feel they need to vet this properly. Even then what assurance do we have they won’t tag an amnesty amendment to the bill on the floor? Kyl can’t say he wouldn’t allow such a thing, since he lied to us before.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.