Posted on 07/04/2006 7:38:49 PM PDT by nj26
On the eve of nationwide hearings that could determine the fate of his immigration bill, President Bush is signaling a new willingness to negotiate with House Republicans in an effort to revise stalled legislation before Election Day.
Republicans both inside and outside the White House say Mr. Bush, who has long insisted on comprehensive reform, is now open to a so-called enforcement-first approach that would put new border security programs in place before creating a guest worker program or path to citizenship for people living in the United States illegally.
"He thinks that this notion that you can have triggers is something we should take a close look at, and we are," said Candi Wolff, the White House director of legislative affairs, referring to the idea that guest worker and citizenship programs would be triggered when specific border security goals had been met, a process that could take two years.
The shift is significant because Mr. Bush has repeatedly said he favors legislation like the Senate's immigration bill, which establishes border security, guest worker and citizenship programs all at once. The enforcement-first approach puts Mr. Bush one step closer to the House, where Republicans are demanding an enforcement-only measure.
"The willingness to consider a phased-in situation, that's a pretty big concession from where they were at," said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, whose closeness to Mr. Bush dates to his days as a top Republican National Committee official. "It's a suggestion they are willing to negotiate."
In a sign of that willingness, the White House last week invited a leading conservative proponent of an enforcement-first bill, Representative Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana, to present his ideas to Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the Oval Office.
Ms. Wolff said the president found the Pence plan "pretty intriguing."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Excellent news, if true...but this is from NY Times, so I neither trust the information, nor the motive for reporting it.
Even though the Pence plan is nearly identical to Tancredo's 2003 plan LOL!
Tancredo opposes his own plan. Now I love Tancredo but he needs to support the Pence plan and get enforcement passed as soon as possible.
It's excellent, smart legislation. The borders are secured, immigration laws are modernized and backed by new technology and funding, and guest-worker provisions are managed by the power of the private sector and not gov't bureaucrats.
It's amazing how FReepers have criticized the Pence plan, even calling him a RINO. Yet his bill is the same as Tancredo's plan. Unbelievable.
I keep saying some want the issue and some want a solution.
I'll tell you this, for a RINO he sure didn't pull any punches at W in his Heritage speech.
Granted? What the heck does that mean? Is that something "O-fficial" that the NYT is now handing out?
How is it amnesty when it includes the passage of HR 4437 and requires the border to be certified secure before any guest-worker provision kicks in?
Seriously, you guys are smoking crack. HR 4437 is not going to pass on its own. Be happy with the 90% now instead of bitching and moaning and getting ZILCH.
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