Posted on 12/27/2004 9:23:23 AM PST by calcowgirl
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship. Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply.
To get the guest-worker initiative through Congress, Bush will need to go against the wishes of many Republicans and forge bipartisan alliances. That's what President Clinton did in 1993 to win approval for a free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, over objections of a large bloc of congressional Democrats.
The chance seems slim for finding common ground between those in favor of liberalized immigration laws - Bush, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for example - and those who want fewer immigrants, tougher border controls and harsher penalties.
Opposition is strongest among House Republicans.
"In our party, this is a deep division that is growing deeper every minute," says Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. He heads a group of 70 lawmakers who are against easing immigration laws.
Tancredo said Bush's guest-worker proposal is "a pig with lipstick" and will not pass.
Bush asserts that he won valuable "political capital" in the election and intends to spend it. It is not clear how much of that he is willing to spend on the immigration measure.
Higher on his list of priorities is overhauling the Social Security system, rewriting the tax laws, limiting lawsuit judgments, and making his first-term tax cuts permanent.
An estimated 10 million immigrants live in the United States illegally; the vast majority are from Mexico, with an additional million arriving every year.
A hint of the trouble ahead for Bush on immigration came this month when proposals to tighten - not ease - border restrictions nearly undermined a bill to restructure U.S. intelligence agencies.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee wanted the measure to bar states from giving a driver's license to illegal immigrants. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., said some of the Sept. 11 hijackers gained access to U.S. aircraft by using a driver's license as identification.
Sensenbrenner ultimately backed down, but only after House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill, promised that the chairman's proposal would be considered in separate legislation in 2005.
Hastert also indicated he would not move ahead on major legislation unless it was supported by a majority of Republicans in the GOP-controlled House - and that he would not rely on Democratic support to pass a bill.
Immigration overhaul is "an issue that splits both parties, and given the new Hastert rule, may never go anywhere," said William A. Niskanen, chairman of the libertarian Cato Institute. Niskanen was a member of President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers.
The president's plan would grant temporary-worker status, for three years to six years, to millions of undocumented workers. It also would it easier for those workers to get permanent U.S. citizenship.
As governor of Texas, Bush was committed to immigration changes. As president, he came close to making a deal with Mexican President Vicente Fox in the days before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Those plans were put on hold as tighter borders took on a higher priority for the United States.
As a presidential candidate, both in 2000 and 2004, Bush eagerly courted Hispanics, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the electorate.
"We will keep working to make this nation a welcoming place for Hispanic people, a land of opportunity para todos (for all) who live here in America," Bush told the League of United Latin American Citizens last summer.
Bush claimed 35 percent of Hispanic voters in 2000 and at least 40 percent last Nov. 2, according to exit polls. That compares with the 21 percent won by Bob Dole in 1996 and the 25 percent that Bush's father got in 1992.
Republican consultants suggest Bush will not make a big push for his immigration bill until he has achieved his goals on Social Security and the tax laws. They also say the president may jettison the immigration bill if it would jeopardize other parts of his agenda.
Inside the administration, nobody is suggesting that passing the immigration plan would be anything other than extremely difficult.
"We don't want to overpromise," Secretary of State Colin Powell said during a visit last month to Mexico City.
EDITOR'S NOTE — Tom Raum has covered Washington for The Associated Press since 1973, including five presidencies.
Now Bush wants to allow millions of uneducated Mexicans into the US to leech off our tax base.
The bottom line is that corporate america and liberal communists are in favor of allowing more illegals in here. The middle class working slobs and their children are the ones who suffer.
They are forcing us the way of Rome very very quickly.
Finally, you failed to put forth a single refutation of how the immigrant of today is similar to that of 1906. You can't because they are different.
I definately agree with you that the vast majority of Italian immigrants were not part of the mafia, but it seems you are more than willing to engage in the same type of rhetoric that smeared your family and heritage for decades.
We reward stupidity and those without any skills and scorn those who want to come here legally with sponsors and an education. Go figure.
Huh? Corporate America and liberal communists are on the same side?
BTW, when is Pat Buchanan going to refuse his paycheck from "corporate America"(i.e MSNBC).
The objective facts are not in dispute. I agree that immigrants of yesterday were tarred with similar labels, etc etc.
However, the fact remains that Italian immigrants did not demand that the society assimilate to them, they assimilated to it because they loved this country, as did most other groups at that time. Today, I believe, you have a different dynamic at place. Many of these wonderful workers want to exploit our system, not abide by it. They have willing accomplices in employers who want to avoid taxes that the rest of employers must pay.
However, the fact remains that Italian immigrants did not demand that the society assimilate to them, they assimilated to it because they loved this country, as did most other groups at that time
Huh, they did help elect FDR and his economic policies are what we are dealing with today.
I suspect your trying to get this thread pulled by getting personal. I for one won't be baited.
Try to debate in a civilized manor. You could start by reposting your comments on the Agriculture bill
Yes they are. Corporate America wants to bring these people in to pay low wages and liberals want them here as new welfare cases, i.e. new voters for Democrats.
God forbid an American gets decent wage to clean the S%$%^ off a toilet.
I could care less what the union bosses put out. I know what she is, but if she puts forth a good immigration reform bill, I will support it. I could care less who puts the bill on the table. If it’s good, I will support it.
If she put a tax cut bill on the table I will support it. I will support any conservative issue she wants to run with, but I will not support her if she runs for the White House.
It amazes me to watch all you Bush Bots support Bush when he push’s the Democrat socialist issues, but you won't support a Dem, when he push’s a Conservative issue.
Hypocritical and ideological; I guess that’s what happens when your lips are glued to someone else’s ass.
You are living in the past. Today is almost 2005 and we are swamped with illegal criminal aliens who refuse to assimilate, speak English, and obey our laws. If you want to discuss FDR that is fine, but I say we do so after we deport all of the convicted felon aliens first.
You agree or not????
100%. My loyalty is to this country and itsw interests, not those of GWB. If Kerry were for dropping the hammer on terrorists, deporting illegals, cutting spending, et c etc, I would have voted for him.
If GWB embarks on a course danageous to America, it is our duty to oppose him.
God forbid an American gets decent wage to clean the S%$%^ off a toilet.
And what if some paisan, found a way, instead of paying an hourly wage to clean the sh!t out of toilet, but paid the paisan or hispano for the # of toilets cleaned using technology. I surmise you would think that that paisan or hispano are evil, since it is not an hourly wage.
JMO, you shouldn't, you should learn a word called productivity, instaed of being stuck in the FDR 30's.
The AFL-CIO is all for letting these illegals get full benefits and citizenship so they would be on the opposite side of Hillary Clinton's false position on this issue.
Seems to me that there is a lot of posturing on her part but no substance.
Exactly.
You still pay dues to them.
If you were serious, IMO, you would be on FR putting threads out that FED govt. unions, screaming that FED govt. unions should be "right to work".
That's exactly what she is doing now. As I said, "if she puts a good bill on the table" I will support it.
That does not equate in my support of Hilary; that means I support the bill.
Que?
Absolutely nothing! And that is exactly where this country is heading.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.