Posted on 11/22/2004 5:26:41 AM PST by Marine Inspector
Vow comes during meeting with Mexican president in Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile -- President Bush vowed Sunday to push a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States as guest workers even though it appears less likely to win backing in a Congress that grew more conservative in this month's elections.
Bush made the commitment during a half-hour meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox in the Chilean capital, where the two leaders are attending the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. But neither Bush nor his aides could offer any details of where the plan stood on Capitol Hill.
"I told President Fox that I had campaigned on this issue," Bush told reporters as he sat with Fox in the Hyatt Regency hotel in an upscale Santiago neighborhood with views of the snow-capped Andes mountains.
"I made it very clear my position that we need to make sure that where there's a willing worker and a willing employer, that that job ought to be filled legally in cases where Americans will not fill that job," Bush said.
The encounter brought the two neighbors full circle on the most complex and contentious issue between them. Bush and Fox began their terms within months of each other promising reforms to ease the flow of migrants across their 2,000-mile border. But the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, quickly pushed immigration off a Washington agenda that came to be dominated by security.
On Sunday, Bush conceded a point that Fox and his aides have been making: that legalizing the flow of large numbers of immigrants would free the U.S. Border Patrol to concentrate on terrorists, drug smugglers and other security threats.
"We share a mutual concern to make sure our border is secure," Bush said. "One way to make sure the border is secure is to have reasonable immigration policies."
Bush said Sunday he was undeterred by congressional opposition and intended to change minds by "working it."
"I'm going to find supporters on the Hill and move it," he told reporters Sunday night, during a news conference with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos at the presidential palace.
Asked about a letter sent to him by 21 U.S. lawmakers claiming the plan was essentially an amnesty program for undocumented workers, Bush said he was unfazed.
"I get letters all the time from people that are trying to steer me one way or the other when it comes to legislation," the president said. "But I'm going to move forward. In the letter, I noticed that they said, well, this is because ... they're objecting to the program because it's an amnesty program. It's not an amnesty program; it's a worker program."
A senior U.S. official, who briefed reporters on condition that his name not be used, said the administration had begun "consultations up on the Hill, and this is going to be part of the president's legislative agenda for this coming session of the Congress."
Bush's plan, not yet written into a bill, would be the first overhaul of U.S. immigration rules in 18 years. It would allow three-year work visas for an undetermined number of the millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States.
Guest workers could then apply for permanent legal status, but their applications would have to include letters from employers assuring that the migrants were filling jobs that could not be filled by U.S. citizens.
Bush announced the plan in January, when it appeared that states with heavy Latino populations -- Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona -- would be crucial to his re-election. Republican strategists hoped that having the president back a moderate immigration policy would boost the party's performance among that fast-growing bloc of voters.
But the plan quickly came under criticism from within Bush's party. Rather than alienate his conservative Republican base, Bush did not pursue the issue in Congress and mentioned it only occasionally during the campaign, mostly to Latino audiences.
Exit polls showed the strategy might have worked, with Bush's 45 percent share of traditionally Democratic Latino vote, a 7 percent increase over 2000.
Conservatives and labor-union officials oppose Bush's plan because they believe it would help immigrants take jobs from U.S. workers. Immigrant advocates fear that the plan would give too much power to employers in deciding migrant workers' fate. And some congressional Republicans also worry that it would encourage more Mexicans to cross into the United States.
Rep. Thomas Tancredo, R-Colo., one of the leading GOP critics of the Bush plan, said earlier this month that, "without first securing our borders from the mass flow of illegal immigration, any guest-worker proposal is totally unworkable."
Mindful of such opposition, Secretary of State Colin Powell cautioned Mexican officials this month that progress on immigration issues would depend as much on the new Congress as on the administration.
"We don't want to over-promise," Powell said.
Members of Congress who support immigration reform say that no change is possible without strong presidential leadership.
Asked Sunday about the strength of Bush's commitment, Fox told CNN: "He is willing to lead and conduct ahead with the appropriate political timing. He has the will in trying to work this thing out."
Fox, who supports legalized status for the estimated 5 million undocumented Mexicans living in the United States, said he hopes to travel to Washington as early as February to "finish off some of these issues we've been discussing, perhaps putting them in the shape of some form of agreement."
Wallsten reported from Chile and Boudreaux from Mexico City.
Ping.
I do not like this. Our open borders are going to be a problem in the near future.
Instead of guest workers, how about they earn their way through military service? All able bodied illegals can earn their way through military service.
He has yet to explain his crazy infatuation with Vicente, but I guess it defies explanation.
We need to start martialing opposition--and I think we need to develop a legal theory for the civil courts. It's time to start suing lawbreaking employers for citizen discrimination.
Good. We've got to do something about the 6-10 million illgals already here. You and your Border Patrol pals blew the coverage the last 10 years. We've got to do something to atone for your incompetence.
It's pretty simple. Oil.
You need to wake up, your still dreaming.
Sickened SoCal bttt
Americans and America first, anything less is anti-American.
W also needs to send his good buddy Vicente a bill for the cost his people are causing for services rendered. Our hospitals and jails are going bankrupt because of all the wetbacks, oops I mean undocumented workers.
Immigration is the one issue that would ever cause me to abandon the Republican party.
The D.C. Republicans have no idea what is happening to us out here in flyover country. Our jails are overflowing, our hospitals are on the verge of collapse, and are schools are busting at the seams.
The few American property owners left have watched their taxes swell for a decade to fund the lifestyles choices of "undocumented workers". In my home town we have had to build a new jail, a new high school, junior high and 5 elem. schools. We now provide breakfast, lunch, and afterschool snacks. Our town is now 60-70% "immigrant", crime has soared, businesses are closing, and the people who can afford to simply leave. Our downtown now looks like Tijuana on a bad night, gunshots ring out all over the "eastside" barrios, assault, robbery and rape are becoming rather common and people don't go out at night.
Even the restaurants are Spanish speaking only. The our drive throughs at McD's and Burger King are Spanish. "Yo quero el Whopper, por favor"
It's beyond the point of ridiculious, it's become a comic tragedy what we have allowed happen to our communities.
Why doesnt Fox take care of his own people instead of pushing them and his problems off on us?
With our looming deficit how can the government have anymore of a strain on its budget and states budgets which appear to have serious problems as well, why put more of a financial drain on Americans and America for Fox and his country?
5 million of them?
Before there is any workers program shouldn't the borders be better protected and not allow anymore in?
Wouldn't it be better if the police were able to arrest and deport the illegals that are here now? Conduct A operation roundup and get them out of here.
The so-called immigration reform doe not make any sense at all its like a bandaid on a cancer plus
they are a security risk AND a financial drain, I had heard that they cost states $15k or more per individual of which we pick up the tab
.
When did we turn into the biggest nanny state with all these giveaways? So greedy companies can hire CHEAP labor BUT we have to pay for them getting the benefit of cheap labor, they sure DONT pass the savings on to us the consumers!!
I am mad-as-h*# and something needs to be done about the administrations attitude toward this terrible mess. ENOUGH already!
5 million ILLEGALS! Doesnt that just make you be able to sleep nites and feel much more secure? NO! NOT!
Round them up and send them to Iraq first to help out our troops there and than maybe they will EARN a right to live and work in our Country. Imagine sending 5 million of them to Iraq, boy we sure would get that war over quick and it wouldnt cost the government much at all. Thats a great way to support our hardworking troops! They claim that we need more troops well there you go a SOLUTION!
Than we would see how fast all 5 million illegals would suddenly disappear. POOF! I can see them now trying to sneak back into their country.
Why don't we just scrap "Homeland Security" and stop wasting the money.
On this issue Bush couldn't be more wrong and he is spitting in the faces of most of the people who put him back in office.
The only way we can thwart bush's position is to Hammer Congress to pass the right laws to control the borders.
Even if Bush vetoes a good law his veto can be trumped by Congress.
I voted for Bush.
Your suggestion to send them to war is exactly what was done to the Irish coming here at the time of the Civil War and they were drafted a put in the Army.
A great many of them died during the war and never saw their families again.
I think your suggestion is great , GREAT.
When they are sent to Iraq put a democrat under each arm.
He did not campaign on this issue. He knew better. What BS. Blackbird.
Straight out of LEFT field, and clueless to boot ! Blackbird.
There was one Marine killed in Fallujah last week who will probably get the Congressional Medal of Honor for hording a grenade and saving his fellow Marines. Sgt. Rafael Peralta was a Mexican citizen. No doubt the border-wedgies will decry any such Congressional effort to accord honors to 'foreners.'
That's it in a nutshell. Their mutual goal is uncontrolled massive immigration from Mexico!!!
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