Many see Bush immigration proposals as non-starter (Proposal Faces "Fierce" Resistence In House)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush dived into a heated political debate on Wednesday by proposing to create a class of legal "guest workers" in the United States, but analysts said it was doubtful the blueprint could gain congressional approval in this election year.

In a carefully balanced speech, Bush proposed giving some of the estimated 8 million to 14 million illegal immigrants in the country a way to gain three-year temporary work permits, but offered them no clear path to becoming U.S. citizens.

"Our laws should allow willing foreigners to enter our country and fill jobs that Americans are not filling. We must make our immigration laws more rational and more humane," Bush declared.

The proposal seemed calculated to win Bush Hispanic support ahead of the November presidential election while pleasing employers looking for workers to fill mainly manual, agricultural or low paid service jobs.

"The hype and misinformation that this speech will fuel in the immigrant community will be huge. Unfortunately, the excitement will far outweigh the real effect," said Jeff Goldman, an immigration lawyer with Testa, Hurwitz and Thibeault in Boston.

Bush was at pains to declare he was not offering amnesty for people who entered the United States illegally, but opponents of making concessions to the immigrants said that was exactly what he had done.

"This clearly is an amnesty. It provides not only amnesty but a reward for people who committed a felony by coming here illegally," said Rep. Elton Gallegly, a California Republican.

"There will be substantial opposition from Republicans, Democrats and millions of ordinary Americans once they realize what's involved," Gallegly told Reuters.

While the proposals won some cautious backing from Hispanic groups and immigration backers, some analysts were doubtful that Bush would put much political muscle behind them in the face of fierce opposition from many in his own Republican political base.

"I don't think it's serious. Bush knows the politics. These proposals don't go far enough for most Democrats and they go too far for around 70 to 100 Republicans in the House of Representatives," said Steven Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors more stringent limits on immigration.

"Republican leaders in Congress won't want to bring up this issue, especially this year, because it divides them. Unless Bush twists their arms hard, this is going nowhere," he said.

Legal and illegal immigration to the United States, already at record levels in the 1990s, accelerated further after 2000 despite the economic slowdown, according to U.S. Census data.

From 2000 to 2002, net immigration to the United States averaged around 1.4 million per year, about half a million of whom entered or stayed in the country illegally.

Bush, who won around 35 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2000, would like to raise that proportion to 40 percent or higher this year. Even if he does nothing to push the proposals, the President will be able to incorporate them into his campaign message aimed at Hispanics.

"This makes no sense except political sense. It reeks of bad policy but screams of politics," said David Ray, assistant director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group campaigning for sharply reduced levels of immigration.

FAIR argued that the plan undermined homeland security, granted an amnesty for law-breakers, established a back door immigration program and threatened the jobs and wages of American workers.

On the other side of the debate, immigration backers were disappointed that the plan offered no clear path for illegal immigrants to become citizens.

"The initial proposal falls short in helping newcomers become fully integrated into our society, but we look forward to working with the administration and Congress to shape the final legislation," said Leonard Glickman, president of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the country's oldest migration organization.

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg	Freepers/Avg	Monthlies
57	Australia	10.00	1	10.00	47	0.21

Contact these GOP Congressmen - we need to flood their Fax machines and phone lines!

***REPUBLICAN HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS***

*Chairman Of The Committee, James Sensenbrenner*

Washington, D.C. Office
To write about issues pending in Congress, internships, flags, or tours, contact:
2449 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4905
Telephone: (202) 225-5101

My e-mail address is sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov.
If you contact me through e-mail, please include your postal mailing address.

*Henry Hyde*

Washington D.C.
2110 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4561
Fax: (202) 225-1166

*Howard Coble*

Washington, DC
2468 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-3306
Phone: 202.225.3065
Fax: 202.225.8611

EMAIL: howard.coble@mail.house.gov

*Lamar Smith*

Washington D.C. Office
2231 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-4236
202-225-8628 fax

*Elton Gallegly*

Office of Congressman Elton Gallegly
2427 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515-0523 Phone: (202) 225-5811
FAX: (202) 225-1100

*Bob Goodlatte*

Washington, DC Office:
2240 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5431
(202) 225-9681 fax

*Steve Chabot*

Washington Office

129 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

(202) 225-2216
(202) 225-3012 (fax)

*Bill Jenkins*

Congressman Bill Jenkins
1207 Longworth Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone No. (202) 225-6356
Fax. (202) 225-5714

*Chris Cannon*

Washington Office
118 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-7751
Fax: (202) 225-5629
Email: cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov

*Spencer Bachus*

Washington, D.C. Office
442 Cannon Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202 225-4921 phone
202 225-2082 fax

*John Hostettler*

Washington, DC Office
1214 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
TEL: (202) 225-4636
FAX: (202) 225-3284

Email- John.Hostettler@mail.house.gov

*Mark Green*

Congressman Mark Green
1314 Longworth Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5665
Fax: (202) 225-5729

Mark.Green@mail.house.gov

*Ric Keller*

Washington Office:

419 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone (202) 225-2176
Fax (202) 225-0999

*Melissa Hart*

Washington, DC Office
1508 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph. 202-225-2565
Fx. 202-226-2274

*Jeff Flake*

Washington, DC Office Address:

424 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-0301

(202) 225-2635 - phone
(202) 226-4386 - fax

*Mike Pence*

In Washington DC
1605 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-3021 office
(202) 225-3382 fax

*J. Randy Forbes*

WASHINGTON DC OFFICE
307 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-6365
Fax: 202-226-1170

*Steve King*

Washington, D.C. Office
Office of Congressman Steve King
1432 Longworth Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
(202) 225-4426
Fax: (202) 225-3193

*John Carter*

Washington, D.C. Office
408 CHOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-3864

*Tom Feeney*

Washington, D.C. Office

323 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
phone:(202) 225-2706
fax:(202) 226-6299

*Marsha Blackburn*

509 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
202-225-2811
202-225-3004 fax

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