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 ...
Honestly, why would they bother? They can stay here indefinitely without penalty, work or not, collect welfare, have all educational and medical expenses fully covered at taxpayer expense, and vote as many times as they want to. Somebody explain to me how this bill would actually benefit America.
Look at his voting record on immigration issues.
Not great.
Does his legislation address loopholes in the current laws, or is it same bleep, different day?
Nail on the head. The $250 fine employers face now, if they're even prosecuted, is a paltry sum and worth the risk. Jail time, seizure of assets, and multi-thousand dollar fines, on the other hand, might make a more powerful deterrent.
Yeah! After we just responsibly and humanely ship those here illegally back over the border!
I'm very skeptical.
We certainly want to support the cynical moves of politicians our way, but as for me, I'll want to know alot more before I sign on with any move by Senator Frist.
He's had his finger wetted and up in the air for quite awhile...and I don't trust 'leadership' like that.
Gonna take some study...
I hope McCain is dead from old age by the time comes that we have to make a choice. I hate the traitor.
The key phrase is "if he gets a full-border fence built"! not partially funded or any other half assed measurement, "built" is what I want to see.
me either, a McDean if you will. He looks as if he is about to spontaneously explode at any moment.
Illegals would actually lose benefits if they were to allowed to become citizens. Then they'd have to live like the rest of us, and be responsible for their own bills, buy their own food without food stamps, pay their own hospital bills, Pay property taxes, pay their traffic tickets, etc., etc. As it is, they leech off us and live like kings while many Americans who in actuality are poorer than the illegals, are in fact paying paying to support freeloaders. Illegals don't want citizenship. They want the freedom to mooch, unemcumbered.
And you are right to be skeptical.
Whatever bill that makes to the floor is going to be amended. Frist is just trying to look tough.
I agree 100%. The single most important aspect of this issue is closing the border so no more can get in. Then we can deal with those who are already here.
This could be a start in the right direction.
The first Senator to pass a bill requiring a huge fence along the entire mexican border gets my vote in the primary, my enthusiastic volunteering, and my money. I'll go door-to-door, and I've never done that before.
And I am not a Republican. I am a pro-choice Libertarian.
If that straw poll is an accurate barometer of Republican sentiment-and those things usually aren't-then there are at least four candidates more popular than McLame.
When you go back and look at the Bush-McCain race, you notice that outside of Arizona-his home state-and Michigan-which Bush would have won, if not for Alan Keyes playing a spoiler role, and the thousands of Dem. plants who crossed over to vote for his opponent-the only states he won were in New England.
Maybe I'm reading things wrong, but that doesn't seem like a good base of support in a Republican primary.
I would really like to read the proposed bill by Frist. I prefer to read the actual language (before amendments) before I would support it.
I sure hope Frist gets it. It doesn't please me to be at war with the GOP, but if they insist on that 'guest worker' program I'll be happy to hit them with the gauntlet they have thrown down.
'Trust, but verify'... so based on past behavior we should assume it's BS for Bubba.
Frist is going to have to do more than talk. And any placating of the OBL will mean he's just one more sellout.
Too little, too late and an obvious pander to the base. Give it up Frist, you have as much change as winning the nomination as John McInsane.
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