Posted on 12/15/2005 4:53:48 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Overcoming internal opposition, House Republicans on Thursday began debate on legislation intended to shut down illegal immigration and require employers to verify the legal status of their workers.
After GOP leaders appealed for party unity, the Republican-controlled House voted 220-206 to approve a parliamentary measure needed to move ahead on the bill.
The dispute slowed action on the measure, which was expected to be completed Friday at the earliest.
Late Thursday, the House was working its way through amendments, including one that would require construction of fencing along parts of the U.S. border with Mexico.
On voice vote, House members approved an amendment requiring Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the United States. Rep. Rick Renzi (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., said they are now made in Mexico, possibly posing security problems.
One of the most contentious that could be considered Friday would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.
"Those people who are against this bill don't want any changes in the existing system except perhaps amnesty, or, excuse me, `earned legalization,' or perhaps citizenship for those who have broken the law," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a chief sponsor.
Supporters defended their approach of acting to cut off the flow of illegal entrants before turning to the tougher issues of a guest worker program or other means to fill the jobs that now attract millions of undocumented workers.
"Until the borders are protected we cannot have any kind of meaningful immigration reform," said GOP Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record) of New York, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Almost all Democrats, and several border-state Republicans such as Rep. Jeff Flake (news, bio, voting record) and fellow Arizonan Jim Kolbe, pushed for a more comprehensive measure that would deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S.
The GOP bill "does nothing to solve the real problems of illegal immigration," Kolbe said. "In fact it's worse than nothing."
The White House said in a statement that it strongly supported the House bill, while adding that it "remains committed to comprehensive immigration reform, including a temporary worker program that avoids amnesty."
President Bush almost two years ago urged Congress to enact a guest worker program. He repeated that message during a recent visit to the Mexican border.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., says the guest worker issue will be on the table when the Senate takes up immigration overhaul in February. The main dispute is over whether the estimated 6 million illegal workers should have to leave the country before applying for a temporary worker program.
The House bill combines the work of King and Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
The border security aspects, King said, include requiring the Homeland Security Department to employ the personnel and technology needed to secure the border; ending the "catch-and-release" policy for non-Mexicans; and requiring the Pentagon and Homeland Security to come up with a common plan on the use of military technology to stop illegal crossings.
The bill also outlines increased penalties for smugglers and those re-entering illegally; authorizes police along the border to enforce immigration law; and makes illegal presence in the United States, now a civil offense, a misdemeanor crime.
The bill originally made illegal presence a felon. Sensenbrenner's spokesman, Jeff Lungren, said that was being changed because felonies require jury trials and consume too many resources.
Most significantly, the bill requires all employers in the country, more than 7 million, to check on the legal status of workers.
Randel Johnson of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday that the House bill was unacceptable to businesses because of "huge concerns" that the requirement to submit Social Security numbers and other vital statistics to a central database would not work. Companies that do not verify the legal status of workers would be subject to penalties.
"We would be more comfortable if it was just applicable to new hires for several years," he said.
Acting House Majority Leader Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said Republicans would work with their business allies on the verification program. But, he said, "this is an issue that really they don't get to determine."
Critics of the bill also predicted that increased penalties and provisions for expedited removal of illegal entrants would drive those in the country illegally further underground.
Bishop Thomas Wenski of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops questioned whether criminalizing illegal presence could implicate the good Samaritan who gives an illegal immigrant a glass of water.
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Associated Press writer Jim Abrams contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
Information on the bill, H.R. 4437, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/
Holy cow! Could it be they're actually going to do something useful this time??
On voice vote, House members approved an amendment requiring Border Patrol uniforms to be made in the United States. Rep. Rick Renzi (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., said they are now made in Mexico, possibly posing security problems.
It boggles the mind, I tell ya!
One of the most contentious that could be considered Friday would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to illegal immigrants.
I say it must be done. Unless DNA tests can show that one of the parents is a native or naturalized American, back to their country of origin they go!
WTF?
The more you say it the more surreal it seems....criminalizing illegals, criminalizing illegals, crim...Denny Crane. Denny Crane.
Oh my gosh, criminalizing illegalities....what have we come to?
"Holy cow! Could it be they're actually going to do something useful this time??"
Dream on!
They're even liying about the actual number of illegal aliens in the States. They say it's 11 million, but I've seen munbers between 20-25 millions. Even the ex Zigler of the IRS in 2002 estimated them at a conservative 15 millions back then.
Just my observation but while driving around Northern New Jersey and Rockland county New York there has to be 11 million illegals in this are alone.
about time
I don't see any problem with uniforms made in Mexico. Sure I'd rather have them made here, but at least if they're made in Mexico, they're not being made by illegals.
I think we have to have a little common sense regarding the glass of water! I think he is thinking of the illegal dying in the desert from dehydration. Of course I would give them water! I'd get them back on their feet and then I'd deport them.
I think one problem with the whole illegal situation is the "compassion" issue. Those on the left seem to think that the only way we can be compassionate toward a Mexican is by letting them come here and work under the table, overburden the health care system, and vote illegally for Democrats. I don't think there is a lack of compassion on the right. I just think there are better ways to deal with a bad situation. Using our influence to improve conditions in Mexico would help a lot more people than letting a few of them across the border. If Mexico were not such a corrupt country, it's hardworking citizens could flourish there.
add a are area
"Just my observation but while driving around Northern New Jersey and Rockland county New York there has to be 11 million illegals in this are alone."
And another half that much here in Westchester County.
Partial solution: see my tagline.
Gee, I wonder if they'll ever get around to funding CIS to process these 6 million "guest worker" visas; propose a method to handle the 1.5 million legal applications currently in backlog (the tough ones which CIS can't remove from the backlog by merely refusing to count them); and offer a plan for fairness so that current legal applications will not in any way be waylaid by the 6 million applications from illegal, lawbreaking, and dishonest "guest workers" and "day laborers".
I don't and I won't!
The problem with Bush's guest worker or "entry and exit" programs is that they're all entry and no exit. Once the illegal invaders come in, no one will be able to make them go back.
At least _some_ Republicans have a clue about this !!
Thank you.
"The White House said in a statement that it strongly supported the House bill, while adding that it "remains committed to comprehensive immigration reform, including a temporary worker program that avoids amnesty.""
This really needs to be pushed back in Rove/Bush/Norquist's face. Force them to say "no," challenge them on their misleading "comprehensive" claims.
House Repubs can increase in 2006 breaking from Bush on this, painting him with the insane dems who think their bases are against this bill.
"Holy cow! Could it be they're actually going to do something useful this time??"
Just wait and see. I have SOOOO given up on politicians. I am betting that in the end the efforts will be weak and watered down to the point of being meaningless. And they will certainly insure enough loopholes for employers (otherwise known as major contributors) to laugh it off with slaps on the wrist or extension after extension on any penalties or enforcement. They will then go back and tell their constituants "I did what I could."
Barring event that fact, the whole approach is flawed from the start since it would only give amnesty to those already here and provide no real means of keeping other illegals from coming across just like they are now.
Washington needs to get the very clear message that the strain that illegals put on our nation is just another form of taxation without representation...and we sure as hell did not vote for Vicente Fox!
That's not a proble, its a plan. This is a joke of the worst kind and GWB expects us to believe it.
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