Posted on 03/16/2006 1:51:16 PM PST by VU4G10
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Under pressure to produce broad immigration reform legislation by the end of the month, a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday neared agreement on a proposal that would give some of the 12 million illegal aliens living in the country an opportunity to earn citizenship.
Although no vote will be held until after a weeklong congressional recess, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday appeared ready to back a proposal by panel member Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, who has worked on the issue with his Republican colleague John McCain of Arizona.
The panel, which is working on comprehensive immigration and border security legislation, will also consider a related proposal that would allow foreigners to enter the United States as legal guest workers and then have a chance to earn permanent status.
Republicans are divided over immigration policy, and the Judiciary Committee plan is likely to spark a firestorm from conservatives who oppose regularizing the status of illegal immigrants, saying they would be rewarded after breaking U.S. immigration law.
But backers cite both economic and security reasons. They say that providing a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship will avoid creating a permanent underclass of workers and help bring illegals aliens out of the shadows.
Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who opposes giving permanent status to illegals, said after the meeting that the panel would probably vote for the Kennedy plan.
"The votes are there," Grassley said.
NO AMNESTY
Kennedy told the committee the proposal was not an amnesty. People seeking legal status would have to pay a $2,000 fine, apply for a six-year temporary status, have a job, pay taxes, learn English and show an understanding of U.S. government.
They would not get permanent status faster than the three million foreigners awaiting legal entry, he said.
"There is no moving to the front of the line, there is no free ticket," Kennedy said. "This is not amnesty."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, quipped that the requirements "probably exclude half of my family."
The panel also reached tentative agreement on a guest worker program sought by President George W. Bush has said he wants. A compromise struck between Kennedy and Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, would give future temporary workers an opportunity to seek permanent status after four years.
U.S. business groups favor creating a temporary worker program to help fill jobs that Americans either cannot or will not do. Both business and labor groups also favor giving current undocumented workers a way to legalize their status.
Committee members said details would be worked out during the recess.
The panel is working against a deadline set by Majority Leader Bill Frist. The Tennessee Republican, and possible contender in the 2008 presidential race, wants the Senate to take up a bill addressing only enforcement and border security. He threatened to do that on March 27 if the Judiciary Committee failed to reach agreement on comprehensive legislation.
Whether Congress will finalize immigration legislation before the November congressional elections is unclear. Both Democrats and Republicans are likely to use the issue to gain advantage.
The House of Representatives has voted for tough border security and enforcement legislation with no guest worker program. The two sides would have to work out their differences before a bill could be sent to Bush for his signature.
Sure...When they were conservatives...You may have heard that term...And if you don't know what it means, you can look it up in a Funk and Wagonall...
I don't believe my two senators will vote for this sell out.
What are your two senators going to do?
So who as conservative enough for you? Reagan? The man who himself had an amnesty program.
They would not get permanent status faster than the three million foreigners awaiting legal entry, he said.
"There is no moving to the front of the line, there is no free ticket," Kennedy said. "This is not amnesty."
This is not going to work, either. 12 million illegals are going to voluntarily do all this? Sure, sure. And why should they? Without complete control of the borders, and a credible threat to deport all of them, what stops them from doing just what they are doing and have always done, ignore the current law, much less this unworkable nonsense? Silly, to even discuss it.
It'll take a terrorist attack traceable to the porous border. President Bush missed the golden opportunity to seal the borderS on 9/12/01. Nobody, save for the ACLU, would have dared to complain.
Is this not LEGAL IMMIGRATION?
All the people talking about "viable" 3rd parties - as if there is such a thing - had best remember just how we got snookered into 8 years of having to say "President Clinton."
How would you like to say it for another 8 years?
This is all about America's future, its not about Bush`s future. Bush will be gone in less then three years. We can't afford to have the Feds make the same mistakes with illegal immigration that have been made over the last 20 years. Now, if you want to talk about how conservative Bush has governed, all you need to do is look at the trillion dollar prescription drug program for seniors. Nothing conservative about the federal government subsidizing drugs for old folks.
Agreed.
Huh. You'll have to point out my post where I said this was about Bush's future.
We heard this loud and clear the last time, when Reagan signed the immigration reform you dreamed up last time. (Barf)
Any Kennedy-McCain plan, by definition, cannot be any good. I'm very, very skeptical.
Uh Ronald Reagan signed real amnesty back in 86.
You guys are so funny when you post to try to divide conservatives.
We would certainly be in a better political position to do so than we are right now.
That argument has been covered thousands of times here...The issue is not Reagan, or Clinton, or Kennedy...The issue is our National Sovereignty, NOW...And the people we put into office that control the direction of that sovereignty...NOW...
I don't care who's president...When he goes against the American people and America, I'm against him...
If we make them Americans, will they still do the jobs Americans can't or won't do?
They'll probably vote for it but whatever they do I'll have to look at the other option on voting (which I always do) but will probably have to choose the lesser of two evils but I'll vote.
That argument carries no weight with me. I've concluded that both parties are going to destroy this nation. The Dims might do it faster and by different means, but the destination is the same.
I, and those who have taken the same stand I have taken, are not the ones who will be bringing the Dims into the majority; it's the Republicans who are intent on voting wrong WRT key issues, like immigration, who are sealing their own fate.
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