Posted on 06/11/2007 7:24:03 PM PDT by justanotherfreeper
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell offered hope Monday for reviving a stalled immigration bill, saying the status quo is indefensible while being responsible for creating a de facto amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
The Kentucky Republican said he thought his Senate Democratic counterpart, Majority Leader Harry Reid, gave up on the bill too soon after lengthy Senate debate. McConnell said theres a good chance the Senate will take up the legislation again.
In a conference call with Kentucky reporters, McConnell said the fundamental question is whether the status quo is better than the proposed overhaul.
McConnell acknowledged that Republican senators are divided on the issue.
I think the status quo is indefensible, McConnell said. The status quo is whats produced 11 or 12 million illegal immigrants in the country with no real plana de facto amnesty if you will for those who are already here.
McConnell said the Senate ought to make an effort to improve on a status quo that seems to me almost everybody thinks is not good.
The senator refused to tip his hand about provisions in the legislation.
This is a big compromise with a lot of different proposals in it, he said. Im not going to specify which ones I like better than others.
The sweeping bill, which would legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully, suffered a serious setback when it failed a crucial Senate vote last week.
Supporters mustered just 45 votes to limit debate and speed the bill to final passage, 15 short of what was needed on the procedural maneuver. McConnell and Kentuckys other senator, Republican Jim Bunning, voted against limiting debate, as did most Republicans.
McConnell said Monday that he hoped the Senate would get a chance to vote on more amendments and ultimately the bills final passage in the near future.
His comments came as President Bush pledged to try to revive the immigration bill.
The legislation was aimed at tightening borders and offering employers more temporary workers from abroad in addition to providing lawful status to an estimated 12 million illegal aliens and putting many of them on a path toward citizenship.
In a statement late last week, Bunning said the bill was worse than the status quo and would not have stopped the flow of illegal immigrants.
Not only did the bill provide amnesty to millions of illegal aliens, but it also gave them their own V.I.P. line to citizenship and stuck the taxpayers with the bill for their health care, education, welfare and Social Security, Bunning said.
He said the bill also failed to secure the border and did not create a workable system for employers to verify they arent hiring illegal aliens.
Bunning said the immigration system needs overhauling, but put conditions on his support.
There must be no amnesty or other rewards for illegal aliens, he said. Any bill must stop the flow of new illegal aliens.
Also, he said a guest worker program must protect American workers, include only legal aliens and ensure that the participants go home at the end of their stay.
I wish I knew what it was.
I agree and whatever that 'something' is will affect every American.
If Fred Barnes said that, he is not being truthful. Bush probably asked McConnell to get it done, otherwise he would not push so hard.
Then why do so many people still think that either Fred Thompson or any other GOP Presidential candidate will somehow “save the day” even after both “Shamnesty” legislation and the creation of the very socialistic North American Union become a reality throughout the U.S. very soon? The damage for both the short-term and for the long-term would already have been done after those two terrible pieces of legislation are signed into “law” by President Bush! There will very soon be too many “illegals made into legals” who will also register to vote all over the U.S.! They will vote in the majority for “very leftist, pro-amnesty for illegal immigrants” politicians for as long as they decide to participate in the political process! By the time that November 4, 2008 comes around, it may already be too late for any conservative politician at any level to seriously have a shot at political victory!
For starters, there’s a very good chance this won’t pass. But it will be up to us to see to that it does not.
Next, we have the opportunity to vote for a president that has stated he will deprot the illegals and enforce the laws and secure the border tight as a drum. Duncan Hunter.
If not, your state should replace you.
My point is that it will be too late for either Duncan Hunter or any other truly conservative politician to truly do all of the things that they want to do if and when the “Shamnesty” legislation and the North American Union legislation both do become the law of the land! It will be irrelevant to discuss anything “pro-law enforcement” when it’s already too late! November 4, 2008 will be too late if both of these two things mentioned do become law by this fall!
“Its the American people pitted against the US Congress. “
and the White House.
“the pro-criminal axis”
It’s the Axis of Amnesty.
Yes, and I stated it’s likely not going to pass. The House still has a role to play and can kill it even w/o the senate. And it is the House that has most of the GOPers with backbone.
Amnesty for the criminals.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I second that. I want California to rejoin the US, and as a red state. And deportation is the only way that's going to happen.
Sometimes it takes tough surgery to remove cancer.
Is it this simple: Big business vs. the base and our leaders chose big business?
Yes, you are right. I tried to call the White House this morning and the lines seem to be tied up again!
http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2000/sept00/00-09-27.shtml
Shows how Clinton/Gore politicized the INS to give a million illegals
citizenship and voting rights before the 1996 election (ignoring criminal
records, etc.)
And where is Doris Meissner (Clinton’s head of INS) now?
http://www.cfr.org/publication/8102/
She is on the committee that wants to erase borders with Canada and Mexico...
(Maybe this “unification” is what is driving the health care reform and
immigration reform advocates)
But the U.S. House of Representatives is also controlled by the Democrats! Speaker Nancy could just turn around and say, “The heck with trying to get 70 House Republicans to also back this legislation, the House will just have to pass this legislation without them!” Nancy will end up getting a lot of praise by the MSM for at least trying to get the Republicans on board on this and then even more praise by the MSM by moving forwards on it anyways. There are still way too many people who really do think that this must be the only way to go on this! Why would the “majority” Democrats in the House decide against passing this if it helps both with cheap labor and in creating an endless number of new registered voters who will mostly vote for “leftist” politicians for always? An opportunity like this for “leftist” politicians almost never presents itself.
There are ways to kill the thing procedurally. And kill it they must.
I, and a majority of people, certainly do hope that both the “Shamnesty” legislation and the creation of the very socialistic North American Union are both killed! I still have my doubts that they will be killed, and conservatives all over the U.S. truly need to stay ahead of the curve and seriously discuss what to do next just in case these two very bad pieces of legislation do become law very soon!
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.