Free Republic

In what will be seen as another blow to immigration reform’s chances, a top pro-reform Republican in the House concedes House Republicans are not going to act on immigration reform this year, and he worries that the window for getting anything done next year is closing fast. “We have very few days available on the floor in the House, so I don’t think we’re going to be able to do it this year,” GOP Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida told me by phone today. Diaz-Balart has been deeply involved in bipartisan negotiations over immigration for years now, and is thought...

Says rift among Republicans could be mended if proposal scrapped President Bush's plan to overhaul immigration policy with a temporary worker program has little chance of passing this year, a congressman said. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, told the San Antonio Express-News the reform proposal has created a worrisome rift among Republicans that could be fixed if the plan is substantially changed or scrapped. As WorldNetDaily reported, on Jan. 7, Bush proposed allowing illegal aliens working in the United States to remain in the country for three years if their employers vouch for their jobs. During that period, the worker...