Posted on 05/24/2008 6:36:51 PM PDT by Delacon
An ambitious agricultural guest-worker plan died with a whimper and not a bang this week, as senators quietly dropped the proposal from an Iraq war spending bill.
With little ceremony and no debate, a quick parliamentary maneuver late Tuesday night killed California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's guest-worker plan. The plan would have given temporary legal status to 1.35 million illegal immigrant farm workers, as well as their spouses and children.
"We knew it was an uphill battle, but we thought it was one worth fighting," Scott Gerber, Feinstein's press secretary, said Wednesday.
Still, the unexpected revival and equally abrupt demise of the guest-worker plan raise questions about the strategy and tactics employed by those who want to grant legal status to some illegal immigrants. Feinstein did not appear to secure any concessions nor gain new allies through her short-lived guest-worker maneuver.
"The American people have been clear they want us to restore the rule of law to our immigration system before legalization programs are considered," declared Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "Stripping it was the right thing to do."
Sessions, like Feinstein, is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They were on opposite sides during last year's Senate debate over a massive immigration bill that included an agricultural guest-worker package dubbed AgJOBS. That bill would have given legal status to 1.5 million farm workers, putting them on track to permanent residency and eventual U.S. citizenship.
The comprehensive immigration bill collapsed, prompting farmers and farm worker advocates to seek other ways of passing AgJOBS or something like it.
Last week, Feinstein added a slimmed-down agricultural guest-worker plan to the $194 billion emergency war-spending bill. The revised measure would have given 1.35 million farm workers temporary legal status for five years. Spouses and children, potentially numbering more than 1 million, also would have been covered.
ping
Is there a reason why we can’t have Sessions replace McLame for the POTUS run? Sessions is one of the VERY few who will actually butt heads with the Dems.
Damn, I forgot to add thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you Senator Sessions.
And wouldn’t it be nice to hear McCain’s thoughts on the matter?
It was only campaign strategy.
It was not an accident that it was brought forth to coincide with the farm bill to demonstrate to agribusiness where the GOP stands. And, true to form, the GOP started jerking their knee.
Why would the dems fool with immigration now when they will have a much stronger negotiating position next year?
“And wouldn’t it be nice to hear McCain’s thoughts on the matter?”
Nah. At this point in the game, his thoughts on the matter don’t count for a bucket of warm spit. Whats important is that he hear OUR thoughts on the matter...again and again and as loudly as possible. It isn’t just McCain either. All pols run for cover when they try to sneak an amnesty bill by us and get caught.
Actually I thought it was because Feinstein et al were getting loads of pressure from the left for being to weak on pushing amnesty.
Given the fact that the guy is running for Presidential office though - it would be nice to force him to speak his mind on the matter (though I expect dissimulating response) after his recent comments vis-a-vis 'comprehensive immigration reform.'
Notice that these recent comments are in contradistinction from his earlier statements on "hearing the people": enforcement first.
If that were the case, the dems wouldn’t be blocking attempts to raise the quota on the H2B.
If all conservative candidates for Congress truly side with the majority of American citizens and with a majority of legal immigrants on the issue of pro-law enforcement solutions to all illegal immigration issues and problems along with full borders security, then they can truly win. All conservatives everywhere must fight for their political lives from now on because the U.S. is still at risk for long-term socialism from mid-January ‘09 on! It’s not acceptable for ANY conservative voter to decide to stay at home on November 4, just because they don’t like any choices for POTUS in ‘08. Truly making the next Congress as well as truly making all political offices at every political level as conservative as they could possibly be is far too important to ignore, and the future of the entire U.S. as a country will truly depend upon what political direction as a whole the U.S. ends up taking after mid-January ‘09.
I’ve reading that the La Raza kind of groups are using an all or nothing strategy. They want amnesty or nothing right now. They want all 12 million or more illegals granted amnesty. They see increasing visa limits as a pressure valve that they dont have exist. Rightly they know that if we get our visa act in order, then they lose power.
If there is an all or nothing(the whole enchilada) strategy, why would Feinstein’s amendment deal with only the narrow segment of ag workers?
Thank God for Senator Jeff Sessions.
I like that “whole enchilada”. Because it was the best she could hope for. Listen I picked up on the “whole enchilada” strategy during the SAVE Act dust up. La Raza got mad at the dems because the bill was supposed to provide dems with cover during campaigning because it was an enforcement bill. La Raza went crazy because it had no amnesty provisions. They demand an amnesty provision in any immigration bill. Once that camel’s nose is under the tent La Raza has a victory they can build on. Visas, fence, enforcement? These are reforms La Raza can’t hang their hat on. Its amnesty(no matter how big or how small) that increase their power. Now Feinstein can say she tried one last time before November.
Read my post #4 :)
Where I said “Listen I picked up on the “whole enchilada” strategy during the SAVE Act dust up. La Raza got mad at the dems because the bill was supposed to provide dems with cover during campaigning because it was an enforcement bill. La Raza went crazy because it had no amnesty provisions” I meant to add EVEN THOUGH THE DEMS NEVER INTENDED FOR THE BILL TO PASS, LA RAZA GOT MAD AT THEIR FRIENDS FOR NOT INCLUDING SOME FORM OF AMNESTY. All or nothing.
Hey! Senator Inofe was a major part of that defeat of amnesty, too.
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