Posted on 05/24/2006 2:52:40 PM PDT by Reaganwuzthebest
WASHINGTON - With Senate passage of an immigration reform bill likely, key GOP senators on Tuesday urged Republicans in the House to rally around their party in an election year and allow negotiations on a final measure.
The Senate's sweeping immigration bill is generally favored by President Bush but strongly opposed by House conservatives because it goes beyond border enforcement and includes a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants.
Looking ahead to a final vote Thursday on the bipartisan Senate bill, Republicans said gridlock between the House and Senate would hurt the party in this election year.
"I don't want my own party to marginalize the president on an issue of great national importance," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a key backer of the Senate compromise. "We have the White House, we have the Senate and we have the House. If we can't solve this problem because it's politically too hard for us, people are going to turn to another group to solve this problem."
Need 'an accomplishment' Senate Republican Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who opposes many provisions of the Senate bill, nonetheless said the president and most congressional Republicans "would like to have an accomplishment, which means that, obviously, we'd like to have a (House-Senate) conference that functions and that produces a comprehensive bill."
As part of its own aggressive campaign to sway opponents, Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was expected to meet with House Republicans today for the second time in as many weeks
Two new proposals In an effort to bridge the gap between the House bill that calls first for strict border enforcement and the Senate plan that would let most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants eventually become citizens, two House conservatives offered new immigration plans.
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, who leads House GOP conservatives, unveiled a bill that would preserve the House's border security plan but add a narrow temporary worker program that would require immigrants to go home to become eligible.
Arguing that "a rational middle ground can be found between amnesty and mass deportation," Pence proposed having employers request foreign workers through private agencies. The agencies would find matches for the jobs and conduct health screening and background checks, with visas issued by the State Department in the workers' home countries.
Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., introduced a bill that would give illegal immigrants six months from the start of an "alien registration" program to sign up for temporary status. To pursue citizenship, the immigrant would then have one year to learn English and "prove" an understanding of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. His plan also would make English the "official" language of the United States.
"It's some place in between what everybody is talking about, either amnesty or kick them out," Burton said. "The thing to do is figure out how to assimilate these people."
'The sooner ... the better'
House Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio predicted several alternatives would be floated in coming weeks in search of a compromise.
"I think the American people expect us to deal with this issue, as difficult as it is, and I believe that the sooner we do it, the better off we will all be," Boehner said.
Before the Senate's up-or-down vote on its comprehensive bill, senators rejected an attempt by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., to open up the legalization plan to all illegal immigrants who arrived in the country before Jan. 1.
By 61-35, the Senate instead maintained the bill's three-tiered legalization process.
Under the bill, immigrants who have been in the country longer than five years can stay and get on an 11-year citizenship path after working, passing background checks, paying fines and back taxes, and learning English. Those who arrived in the country between two and five years ago would return to foreign soil and apply for immediate temporary worker status. Those in United States less than two years would have to return home.
"It's some place in between what everybody is talking about, either amnesty or kick them out," Burton said. "The thing to do is figure out how to assimilate these people."
Nice. More amnesty talk coming from House.
It's clear that the calmer heads in the GOP caucus realize that HR 4437 is nothing but a starting point for discussion.
MSM working them over in support. Creating "trends" and "inevitablility."
People like Pence who have Presidential ambitions need big money for the race. Hence his flipperoo, Charmber of Commerce provided bill he can flout as his own, and pleasant attributions in the liberal MSM.
""WASHINGTON - With Senate passage of an immigration reform bill likely, key GOP senators on Tuesday urged Republicans in the House to rally around their party in an election year and allow negotiations on a final measure."""
Yeah, the House members know it's an election year - for all the House. That's keeping some of them from flipping for the money, they still got to win in November.
The MSM needs to float more "Americans support amnesty" loaded polls and stories to flip them I think.
I love Pence's idea and the WH and Senate should seriously look at it.
Why not? He's marginalized the American public. If the GOP sows our sovereingty to the wind, they'll reap the whirlwind.
"It's clear that the calmer heads in the GOP caucus realize that HR 4437 is nothing but a starting point for discussion."
Sorry, but with all due respect, you took the MSM/lobbyist constructed narrative full hook.
All the memes of inevitability and reaosnability and "middle ground" stake by Bush/Dems and crafted by MSM will be hard to reconcile when a final Senate bill is past and most people will then start thinking about it.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
"Calmer heads" is code word for supporting liberal policy like the garbage the Senate is passing. Whenever I hear a politician say he's "growing" in his office or saner minds are prevailing that generally means they've moved leftward in their position, just as the media wants them to do.
"I don't want my own party to marginalize the president on an issue of great national importance," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,"
LOL! invoking guilt based on loyalty!
Graham's out front on this. He must be thinking about running for Pres in 2008, need the Chamber of Commerce and other big money, figuring this atrocity will be forgotten by most by then.
But I got to admit that meme does work to a degree, the "loyalty to Bush let him screw us" nervous reaction.
People ARE thinking about it, which is why you see people like Pence stepping away from the precipice.
They see they're in a conundrum: 1)Get the hell beat out of them for passing what some consider a bad bill with elements from the Senate legislation in it, or 2) Get the hell beat out of them for not passing any bill and thus leaving the status quo in place for the forseeable future.
I guess this is much more important than the issue of illegal immigration.
"Calmer heads"
LOL.
I liked the way Bush framed his radical proposal in his speech as the "middle ground" between the protestors and the racists. MSM took that bait. He created a crisis by defunding border and enforcement bills he signed to now when he proposes his "comprehensive plan" of amnesty plus even more importation of workers. His team concocted a false dilemma that enforcement and amnesty must be tied together.
But he had to. With talking points and photo-ops of promises of security and policing coupled to his amnesty, amnesty would likely not pass.
The Senate bill gives a cover story to the supporters that they are voting for our security.
I'm with you. Pence's proposal is the true lifeboat for our President out of the illegal immigration morass.
Exactly.
I want to renounce my citizenship and become an illegal alien. Can anyone here at Free Republic tell me how to do it. I'm not kidding.
"People ARE thinking about it, which is why you see people like Pence stepping away from the precipice."
Everyone I now is feeling worse and worse, not better, about what's going on.
By the way, Pence's move is combined with what I've seen, an opening campaign for President. He's doing it for the money. If he thinks the people will support his bill over a tough one he drank the Koolaid.
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.