Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Posted on 03/15/2006 1:44:52 PM PST by dennisw
Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, frustrated by the sluggish debate over immigration reform at the committee level, plans to introduce a bill that deals solely with border security as early as today. Mr. Frist's bill, according to aides on both sides of the aisle, does not include a guest worker provision or a process for handling the 12 million illegal aliens already in the U.S., divisive topics that have stalled immigration legislation in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill would beef up security along the U.S.-Mexico border, provide funding for thousands more border patrol agents and build small sections of fencing in areas of key traffic. The Tennessee Republican, who is widely believed to be seeking the Republican nomination for president, had promised conservatives that he would bring up an enforcement-only bill and begin debate on the topic on the Senate floor by March 27.
Mr. Frist's bill, according to aides, would simply take Mr. Specter's proposal and strip out the guest worker plan and provisions dealing with illegal aliens already in the U.S. Mr. Specter's legislation has stalled in committee over his proposal to criminalize illegal aliens already here as well as other issues. His bill would allow employed illegal aliens to remain in the United States indefinitely, although it would require them to return home before applying for permanent citizenship. Mr. Frist will use the rarely employed "Rule 14" that permits him to introduce a bill and bypass the committee process so that it goes directly to the Senate calendar. After winding through several days of parliamentary procedures, Mr. Frist may call that bill to the floor for debate. During this morning´s Judiciary Committee meeting, Mr. Specter hinted that Mr. Frist would move ahead on his own if the committee didn't arrive at some consensus.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
He's going to by default, unless some other Republican can get himself mentioned almost nightly on the news between now and primary season. I'll give Frist credit for trying to do something on an issue that cuts across party lines. The Rat politicians are the ones in the hard place here, they cannot risk losing the blue collar voters that are still stupid enough to vote for them, and they dare not risk pissing off the liberals who funnel money to them, if they bash illegals.
Running on securing our borders from wage-draining illegals is a winning issue for Republicans, I guess it's good that Bush doesn't "get it", with his popularity, prospective Republican candidates need something to push off from as they distance themselves from the President.
You get it.
Btw, Feds = Executive Branch.
Absolutely. Since we know no congresscritters ever have a backbone, I will take any step in the right direction. After a number of steps, we might even get the whole enchilada.
Just wait, next the other candidates will each try to outdo each other on Border Security.
It will be Run for the Border '08!
I will second that and I am no where near the border. I say pander pander.
What am I missing here? If the bill allows them to "remain in the United States indefinitely", why would they ever want to return home and come back for "permanent citizenship", especially since they already enjoy "temporary" citizenship.
What advantages would they gain as permanent citizens that they do not have already? Just exactly will they be able to do as a citizen that they can not do now?
Illegals get drivers licenses.
Illegals vote
Illegals get mortgage loans
Illegals get free public education
Illegals get lower resident tuition at state universities
Illegals get medical treatment
We have to start deporting illegal aliens and fast as well as greatly reduce legal immigration and be far more selective who is allowed into this country - too many from hostile countries or those unwilling to so much as learn English are roaming across the land.
I agree... I find it encouraging that border issues are shaping up to be key issues for upcoming elections. That's a good thing.
I would not vote for McCain if he had brain surgery. I would vote for him if he died on the operating table though.
He almost gets it. This will shift traffic patterns somewhat, and possibly slightly slow the flow. That's about all I can see it doing.
I'm not a Frist fan, but if he gets a full-border fence built, I'll punch his ticket for POTUS, and do my level-best to get the guy's face added to Mt. Rushmore.
So, Spector's payment to the President for support on re-election is letting himself get hung out to dry (as the Ogre so to speak) on this bill?
Not a bad payback, but it speaks for small-minded policy formulation on the part of the Republican Party leadership. Too bad they have to do this, but there is absolutely no hope of any bi-partisanship on the part of Democrats.
I'd vote for him if the alternative were Hillary Clinton. I'll vote for almost any Republican provided they will nominate a conservative to the Supreme court. We can't afford to lose sight of what is at stake if we get angry and vote in protest and lose any chance of replacing Souter, Breyer, or Ginsberg. I think McCain is going to lose all his liberal friends come 08 because it will be the last time he will be running and he can only win by running as a real conservative Republican and he knows it. He tried to split the difference when he ran against Bush and failed and I don't see him doing that again. What I do see him doing is saying what ever he needs to win the Presidency.
It's still all talk unless something concrete is done. Hey - what about a concrete fence? Oh, wait - they've already rejected that one...
"Since we know no congresscritters ever have a backbone"
Not quite true. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), has been pushing this issue hard for about 10 years now. He's a good part of the reason the debate ever made it this far.
He's been hinting at a run for POTUS, but was blocked by party leaders from participating in the SRLC preliminaries (because he would have smoked the field, perhaps?)
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Well said! You're absolutely right.
Doubt it. He wouldn't have needed this long to oppose a "guest worker" program. Tancredo was pretty open some three years ago. Frist is desperate for the nomination.
Huh??? Nope, he doesn't get it.
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.