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Posted on 01/07/2004 5:02:20 PM PST by Pubbie
WASHINGTON - President Bush effectively threw support behind much of an immigration bill filed by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, when he laid out his immigration reform proposals in a White House speech Wednesday.
Although many believed Bush would model his proposals on a bill filed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and other Arizona lawmakers, the president's immigration principles were more in line with Cornyn's.
Like Bush's proposal, Cornyn's bill would create a temporary worker program open to foreigners in their native country and illegal immigrants already in the United States. But it does not give the workers a fast track to legal permanent residence.
Under McCain's bill, illegal immigrants would be eligible for legal permanent residence after six years of work.
Cornyn, who serves on the Senate Judiciary immigration subcommittee, dubbed the legislation he filed in July the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003.
"I would hope that the basic principles that the president has spoken of - which I believe are contained in the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003 - will be passed into law as soon as possible and sent to the president's desk for his signature," Cornyn said.
Cornyn spokesman Don Stuart said Cornyn consulted with former Sen. Phil Gramm, a Republican, in writing his legislation. Gramm vehemently opposed legalization and also proposed a guest worker program that required workers to return to their native country after a certain period.
Cornyn's bill gives immigrants 12 months to volunteer to be in the temporary worker program. Seasonal workers are allowed to stay nine months at a time and non-seasonal workers can stay 12 months. Both can work a maximum of 36 months and then return to their native countries.
They could apply for legal permanent residence in the U.S. back home, but their participation in the temporary work program would not give them an advantage.
Cornyn's bill would give immigrants in the temporary worker program a "blue card," allowing them to travel outside the United States, which Bush also proposed. The Cornyn proposal would give guest workers the same labor rights granted Americans and would set up accounts where employers would deposit money drawn from workers' wages in lieu of withholding the money for Social Security or Medicare. The money would be held by the Treasury and would be refunded to the worker upon returns to his or her native country.
Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., said a guest worker program would work without a means for illegal immigrants to become legal permanent residents. But he said Bush's ideas set the stage for debate.
"The president's is a set of proposals and principles, not a drafted piece of legislation," Kolbe said.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who will have a lot of say in what type of bill comes to the House floor for a vote, said guest worker programs can curb illegal immigration, grow the economy, provide homeland security and create jobs.
But he differed with the president on who should participate.
"I applaud the president for addressing this complex and important issue but I have sincere reservations about allowing illegal immigrants into a U.S. guest worker program, because it has the potential to reward illegal behavior and I am skeptical that it constitutes sound public policy," said DeLay, R-Sugar Land.
Actually, as long as the Illegals don't become citizens (And then vote Democrat) I can live with this program.
I won't be ecstatic over it, but it won't be the end of the world.
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I'm glad you can live with that because you'll still be paying for the social services they'll continue sucking up like a Hoover.
I am for the general guidlines, but Delay is signaling a need for more teeth in the reform. I expect a long period of arguement, but in the end, Delay will have his way.
I can definately go with that and I believe others will as well.
This program would (if passed and enforced with teeth), finally get some control of illegal immigration and the people that hire them.
This is what is important.
I hope you can live with all their anchor babies too.
1. Contact your congressman and Senator.
2. Vote for or write in a non-Bush candidate in your State's GOP primary or caucus.
That's good news to hear that Delay is against rewarding illegal aliens, he's got a lot of say in the legislative process.
Btw I noticed with Bush today were Larry Craig, Flake and that buckethead Chris Cannon. The three pander bears, never saw an illegal alien they didn't like. I just wonder if they forgot who they were elected to represent?
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