Shadegg lobbies, Bush shifts (AZ Rep. helped convince Pres. to change immigration talk)

The Hill ^ | 30 November 2005 | Patrick O'Connor

[Spiff]

Shadegg lobbies, Bush shifts

By Patrick O’Connor

Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) sent the White House a list in mid-October outlining 22 concerns the administration should address before pushing a comprehensive guest-worker overhaul.

The list was compiled during a series of Unity Dinners Shadegg convened throughout the fall to debate the contentious issue of immigration reform within the Republican Conference. Many of those 22 concerns were included in the comprehensive reform plan President Bush outlined Monday.

In focusing on increased border enforcement, Bush has shifted gears significantly from the guest-worker overhaul he outlined almost two years ago, and the regular dialogue the White House has maintained with congressional Republicans helped bring about the shift.

As chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Shadegg has organized the closed-door discussions on immigration in the House to help build consensus, while Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and other Republican leaders in the House have debated their legislative options for bringing a bill to the House floor.

Among the areas of agreement, Shadegg said lawmakers were most committed to ending the so-called practice of “catch and release” in which illegal immigrants are apprehended but then released because the arresting officers lack the facilities or legal apparatus to detain them. Bush has made ending this practice the cornerstone of his recent immigration proposal.

Republicans Congressional aides expect that a House-passed border security bill will eventually be combined with a Senate bill that seeks to expand the current guest-worker program while simultaneously setting stricter guidelines for workplace enforcement. But Shadegg and a number of other House Republicans are quick to counsel the White House and congressional leaders that the House should not be left out of the guest-worker debate.

“I don’t believe [the bills coming out of the House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees] will be the final legislation we move on this topic in the House,” Shadegg said during an interview before the Thanksgiving recess. “I think there is an agreement that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform.”

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), who has co-sponsored an expansive overhaul of the current guest-worker program that includes increased border security, said the strategy is to push a border bill in the House while getting a guest-worker bill in the Senate.

“Doing it piecemeal would cut House members out of the process of legislating,” he said.

During the last three months, Shadegg has heard a wide range of member concerns on this issue and has come to believe that a majority of the Republican conference favors a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s immigration policy.

“My sense is we should come back with a sense of urgency and finish a comprehensive bill as early in the year as possible,” Shadegg said.

Hastert and Sensenbrenner attended many of the dinners and are both expected to have a significant influence on the House debate over which bill eventually comes to the floor.

Shadegg said members agreed to push for an increase in border agents and faster processing times. They also want to make data systems more interoperable. Each of those recommendations was included in a border-security bill the Homeland Security Committee marked up before the Thanksgiving recess.

With a markup in the Judiciary Committee expected next week, Bush toured the border between Mexico and Texas yesterday in and around El Paso with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas).

But President Bush continues to lack credibility with the base on this issue because he has already outlined his own recommendations for an expanded guest-worker program, said Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), an outspoken critic of the White House plan to expand current guest-worker programs.

“He’s an open-borders guy,” Tancredo said, adding that no overhaul will be worthwhile unless Bush and his successors make a stronger effort to enforce current immigrations laws.

Polling is tough to gauge on the issue because opinions run so strong. In general, questions about what should become of guest workers (illegal immigrants already working in the U.S.) sparks the most controversy.

Seventy-eight percent of likely Republican voters favor an immigration overhaul “that includes increased border security, tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal workers, a policy that allows illegal immigrants to come forward and register for a temporary worker program that eventually place them on a path to citizenship,” according to a poll conducted by the Tarrance Group and sponsored by the Manhattan Institute released in October.

A poll released earlier this month by the National Republican Congressional Committee suggests that almost 84 percent of likely voters opposed any “efforts by some lawmakers to offer amnesty, jobs, benefits, even citizenship to illegal immigrants.”

[Spiff]

Looks like Shadegg is coming around, finally. At least the President may be listening to him now instead of open border RINOs McCain and Kolbe.

[MNJohnnie]

Gee how about they actually PASS some legislation instead of sitting around whining at Bush? Last time I checked Congress was a "Co-equal" branch of Govt. As arrogant as these Congress critters are about their progatives, I would expect Freepers to demand they actually DO something in return instead of letting them sit on their butts whining all the time.

[Liberfighter]

I would prefer they didn't have so many dam dinners and just solve the problem.

[Spiff]

Gee how about they actually PASS some legislation instead of sitting around whining at Bush? Last time I checked Congress was a "Co-equal" branch of Govt. As arrogant as these Congress critters are about their progatives, I would expect Freepers to demand they actually DO something in return instead of letting them sit on their butts whining all the time.

Helping Bush understand that no "guest worker" plan will ever pass Congress because constituents want border security first is somehow "sitting around whining at Bush"?! You're right. Congress is a "co-equal" branch of government. The President can't just decree a guest worker plan, it must first pass the House and the Senate. President Bush needed to understand that his current amnesty scheme had not chance of doing that if border enforcement wasn't addressed first. Now, Bush paid lip service to that in his speeches over the last two days, but I'm more interested in seeing actual results. I hope someone in Congress tell the President that the "guest worker" plan won't even be considered until 2 years after the border security enhancement legislation gets passed and until we see the Bush Administration actually enforcing our current immigration laws. It sounds like they're going to try to get both things passed simultaneously. I think that is a mistake.

[gwjack]

So what are the 22 concerns suggested prior to guest worker? Anyone seen a comprehensive list?

Gwjack

[Spiff]

Shadegg got something like this passed as a House rule at the beginning of a session about 8 years ago. I was excited to see something like it enacted. However, in practice it failed. You see, there was no oversight to the constitutional validity. So, even though all legislation in the House required a constitutional statement pointing to the section of the Constitution which authorized Congress to enact it or gave them that power, almost every Bill pointed to the general welfare or commerce clauses. They were wrong to do so, but that didn't slow anyone down.

It appears this one requires a committee to approve the constitutional statement before the legislation can move forward. That's a good thing. I hope this passes.

[umgud]

I'm not too optimistic that everybody will be happy with whatever gov't does to solve the immigration problem. The citizenry clearly wants a comprehensive solution, but gov't is only responding to the citizens because they've finally made enough noise. Gov't could have and should have solved this problem all along.

And don't forget that the illegals won't comply if the solution is too ornerous or too complicated for them.

This problem can be solved,but it will take a broad approach. BTW, I do have a fence around my property. I also have interior enforcement. Just because someone breaches my fence, doesn't mean I'll look away. You can bet I know who comes onto my property and that I really know who enters my home. Unwanted guests don't dictate who and how many of them come to my place. I decide who enters and for how long and for what purpose. I want no less for my country.

[joesnuffy]

Well hey...they sure got off their butts to give themselves
raises...they can move fast enough when it's in their own
interests..nothin' new here even Davy Crockett had the same
complaints against the congress of his day.

imo

[DumpsterDiver]

Among the areas of agreement, Shadegg said lawmakers were most committed to ending the so-called practice of "catch and release" in which illegal immigrants are apprehended but then released because the arresting officers lack the facilities or legal apparatus to detain them.

Criminy!

Bush has made ending this practice the cornerstone of his recent immigration proposal.

Of course he makes that his "cornerstone". That way he can avoid dealing with the presence of millions of illegal aliens. (Except for his it's not an amnesty temporary guest worker program, that is.)

[DumpsterDiver]

I would expect Freepers to demand they actually DO something in return instead of letting them sit on their butts whining all the time.

What gives you the idea that Freepers are doing nothing but sitting around and whining?

[gubamyster]

ping

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their legal 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 of Cities should be the first ones charged.

[blackie]

Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Support our Minutemen Patriots!

Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!

[jackbenimble]

Looks like Shadegg is coming around, finally.

I'm not sure you read what he said carefully enough.

“Doing it piecemeal would cut House members out of the process of legislating,” he said.

During the last three months, Shadegg has heard a wide range of member concerns on this issue and has come to believe that a majority of the Republican conference favors a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s immigration policy.

“My sense is we should come back with a sense of urgency and finish a comprehensive bill as early in the year as possible,” Shadegg said.

Comprehensive is their code word for a GUESTWORKER SHAMNESTY!

[hershey]

I wonder how fast the border would be plugged if Muslim fiends crossed from Mexico and blew up San Francisco or Denver. The MSM and the admin. would say it was skinheads and the VRWC, but the truth would get out.