Posted on 05/18/2007 1:28:42 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Senators and the White House clinched a deal Thursday on bringing 12 million illegal immigrants out of the shadows and securing US borders, which could enhance President George W. Bush's legacy.
The pact would provide a path to permanent residency and citizenship for illegal workers, establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants and also establish a temporary worker program.
The bill, which emerged from exhaustive round-the-clock talks, and will be debated in the Senate next week, will provide 18,000 more border patrol agents, and scores of radar and camera towers on the US border with Mexico.
It is aimed at defusing a fiercely polarizing issue in American life and fast-tracking reform before American politics is consumed by partisan rancor in the run up to congressional and presidential elections in 2008.
"I really am anxious to sign a comprehensive immigration bill as soon as I possibly can. Today we took a good step toward that direction," Bush said after lawmakers announced the sweeping agreement.
Earlier, Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy, flanked by key Republicans including presidential candidate John McCain, said the deal was true to America's "humanity and our tradition of a nation of immigrants."
"Politics is the art of the possible and the agreement we just reached is the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders, bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America."
The Senate's Democratic Majority leader Harry Reid confirmed debate would start on Monday, but expressed reservations about the pact, hammered out by top senators and key members of Bush's cabinet.
"I have serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal, including the structure of the temporary worker program and undue limitations on family immigration," Reid said.
"We need to improve the bill as it moves through the legislative process."
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, which must also pass the bill, echoed Reid's sentiments.
"While the bipartisan Senate agreement starts the process, I have serious concerns about some elements of this proposal -- the bill must be improved in the Senate," she said.
Republican and Democratic aides said the deal was intended to move the US immigration system to a merit-based system, rather than prioritizing claims for extended families of immigrants.
"It is intended to reflect the labor needs of the United States in the 21st century, rather than the 19th century," a senior Republican staffer said on condition of anonymity.
If it becomes law, the bill will set up a seven-part immigration system.
Immediate changes will see the hiring of 18,000 new border patrol agents, the construction of 200 miles of barriers and 370 miles of fencing, and the construction of 70 ground-based radar and camera towers on the Mexican border.
The US Homeland Security Secretary will be required that such enforcement measures were in place, before the new temporary worker program and arrangements for those living in the United States illegally can begin.
Those illegally in the United States before January 1, 2007 will be able to pay a 5,000 dollar fine and get a non-immigrant 'Z' visa which will allow them eventually to become eligible for a green card or permanent residency.
Criteria for green card allocation will also change, moving more towards merit-based immigrants on a points system from family-based immigration.
Points will be awarded for proficiency in the English language, graduate and post graduate education, excellence in science, technology and mathematics disciplines and for expertise in an area of high labor demand.
The deal will also raise the number of H-1B visas, used by American universities and companies to find skilled workers like scientists, medical experts and computer programmers, from 65,000 a year to 115,000 a year.
In years of especially high demand, that figure will rise to 180,000 a year.
The Republican Party has done everything in making itself irrelevant. If I am going to get behind a small movement based on beliefs, I'll put my efforts into something that agrees with my beliefs more than the soon to be obscure Republican Party.
70% of the immigrant population growth in the US comes from illegal aliens.
Congress, of course is aware of this, and that makes their actions even more reprehensible.
It is time for US citizens to act in a constitutional fashion and remove these rogue politicians from office. All of them.
Definitely the death knell for specific Republican candidates. McCain is now toast, Rudy is in trouble again..The RINO’s and colaborators who negotiated this mess are in trouble, perhaps doomed by this sell out.
IF, and that is a big word, the republicans NOT involved in this sell out vote to approve it, or it gets approved with significant republican support, then we will see a massive purge in 2008. Republicans will stay hame and let the other party flush our waste.
IF (there goes that word again) our elected republicans stop this mess, then the party is strengthened. Remember, a vast majority of the country is against amnesty. It is not even party specific. No one aside from the dems looking for more illegal votes and republicans looking for cheap labor want this mess.
People are generally 8unaware of the RC/Communist movement in Latin America, and what it will eventually mean for the USA in terms of civil strife.
We are importing our own demise, it has already begun socially, and politically. Now the economic demise will begin if this law is passed, they just don't understand the strikes and walk outs that will occur as our new" aliens" exercise themselves. The businesses that think they will continue to have "cheap labor" will rue the day.
Anytime the word “comprehensive” is used it means the bill contains stuff that is totally unpalatable on it own merit and so must be included in a “comprehensive” bill. Bush and the scumbags have cooked up a disaster.
Thanks... the credit goes to the author of this must-read post:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834958/posts
My first thought, too. Sounds like a couple of leading scumbags are proclaiming that the bill is "too tough" in order to provide cover for some shaky Democrats and RINOs.
That’s what happens when we vote for a warrior... and get a missionary instead.
We have men and women dying to protect another country's border,while ours is un-defended and opened even further.
The Democrats want those millions of NEW DEMOCRATIC VOTERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!!
I seem to remember a quote about the tree of liberty...
They want all fences torn down by the end of the day and welfare payments for all.
I’ve heard Pelosi won’t see it in the house till Bush delievers 70 republican votes. I’m hoping that true, because that will never happen.
Apparently Congress has left the flag on top of the Capital building sitting in bleach too long - it is solid white now.
“M E X I C O reform,
not immigration reform!”
Worth posting again.^^^^^^^^^^^^
We can kill this if we let every Republican rep know that he will out on his ass if he supports this bill.
Rudy McRomney are toast over this one issue, if nothing else! VOTE NO TO BORDER APPEASERS!!
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