Posted on 04/07/2006 7:54:04 AM PDT by samcgwire
WASHINGTON
The Senate sidetracked sweeping immigration legislation Friday, leaving in doubt prospects for passing a bill offering the hope of citizenship to millions of men, women and children living in the United States illegally.
A carefully crafted compromise that supporters had claimed could win an overwhelming majority received only 38 of the 60 votes necessary to protect it from weakening amendments by opponents.
Republicans were united in the 38-60 parliamentary vote but Democrats, who have insisted on no amendments, lost six votes from their members.
Democrats and Republicans had been blaming each other Friday for problems stalling the progress of bill.
Scheduled votes to break the logjam failed and both supporters and opponents of the bill will have to wait until Congress returns from a two-week spring recess, if then.
"It's not gone forward because there's a political advantage for Democrats not to have an immigration bill," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
He said Democrats perceive a benefit in having only a GOP-written House bill that criminalizes being an illegal immigrant. That bill has prompted massive protests across the country, including a march by 500,000 people in Los Angeles last month.
Democrats blamed Republicans for insisting on amendments that would weaken a compromise that Senate leaders in both parties had celebrated Thursday.
"This opportunity is slipping through our hands like grains of sand," said assistant Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois.
President Bush had applauded the Senate's efforts to draft a comprehensive immigration bill. "I would encourage the members to work hard to get the bill done prior to the upcoming break," he said Thursday.
The election-year legislation is designed to enhance border security and regulate the flow of future temporary workers as well as affect the lives of illegal immigrants.
It separates illegal immigrants now in the U.S. into three categories.
Illegal immigrants here more than five years could work for six years and apply for legal permanent residency without having to leave the country. Those here two years to five years would have to go to border entry points sometime in next three years, but could immediately return as temporary workers. Those here less than two years would have to leave and wait in line for visas to return.
The bill also provides a new program for 1.5 million temporary agriculture industry workers over five years. It includes provisions requiring employers to verify they've hired legal workers and calls for a "virtual" fence of surveillance cameras, sensors and other technology to monitor the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border.
The acrimony in the Senate at Thursday night's end was a sharp contrast to the accolades 14 members of both parties traded just hours earlier when they announced their compromise.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called it tragic "that we in all likelihood are not going to be able to address a problem that directly affects the American people."
The House has passed legislation limited to border security, but Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and other leaders have signaled their willingness in recent days to broaden the bill in compromise talks with the Senate.
But Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said anything with what he called amnesty would not get agreement from a majority in the House.
The immigration debate has given the American public a glimpse of what may lay ahead in 2008 GOP presidential politics.
Frist, R-Tenn., a potential presidential candidate in 2008, sought to establish more conservative credentials when he initially backed a bill limited to border security. At the same time, he has repeatedly called for a comprehensive bill _ adopting Bush's rhetoric _ and involved himself in the fitful negotiations over the past several days.
Wait a minute - after looking at the votes, not a single Republican voted for it! Not even Frist or McCain.....What gives? Could they actually be listening to us?
Reid's staff member gave a defeated "thank-you" reply--unlike last week's shouted reply of "It's NOT amnesty!"
Regards . . . Penny
Postscript: Aren't you tired of hearing that we need to give the illegal aliens an opportunity to apply for citizenship? Gosh. I thought they had that right while they were living in their homelands!
Make that www.numbersusa.com and www.fairus.org.
How about Sessions?
this is a great idea, but will the Republicans realize this is a win win if they do it? Let the demonrats b!tch and moan, and let the Republicans act on this idea. The demonrats would be finished for 40 years.
I'd wait and see. Right now I am not too trusting of any of the wafflers, including Senor Frist.
The Mexicans in Los Angeles will have go on singing "Weeee shallll over-runnnnnnnnnn!"
TomGuy, you should know by now that to a 'Rat, "compromise" means, Republicans do what 'Rats want.
Just like I suspected.
Democrats are interested in instant citizenship for people who break into this country illegally, while many Republican Senators seem to oppose such a ruling.
We have got to take a lesson from Israel on this one. Secure a giant concrete wall between the USA and other nations to keep criminals and other dangerous people out. Granted that many coming here are in favor of hard work, there are some really dangerous scumbags crossing in with them. How else do vicious gangs like MS-13 meet their recruitment numbers?
Notice that Kerry voted in favor of it. Will he reverse his decision tomorrow?
The Senate sidetracked sweeping immigration border security legislation Friday, leaving in doubt prospects for passing a bill offering the hope of citizenship to stopping millions of men, women and children living in sneaking into the United States illegally.
This is the best comparison I have seen on the web. And it is sooooo true. Makes you wonder how they can even pretend to have scruples.
Thanks.
Yes, I agree we need to keep phoning/faxing/emailing this week and even over the break to remind them we are still here and still fighting mad!
I wouldn't expect anything before November.
What's wrong with going home and getting in line for a visa? Answer: They think they're already home...they moved Mexico's border way, way north.
Good, the blasted RINO's, turncoats and outright traitors needed a kick in the pants. I say all these illegals need to go back to wherever they came from.
Certainly. http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/2454.html.
Go to the bottom and click on the vote tally link.
I still think that no bill is better than this bill, but if the Republican majority is weakened or obliterated in November, Senator Graham will be proven correct.
If Democrats take control of any chamber, they will conduct "hearing" on President Bush every week and persecute Republicans like they did with an honest, competent man, Tom Delay.
The immigration issue will be put on the back burner and zillions of new illegal residents will pour in.
This is great news {provided they don't suddenly "save the day" with a last minute compromise later today}!
At this point our greatest asset in this fight is the illegal immigration protesters. They may very well do something so outrageous that even even the now comotose
Senate will wake up!
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