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.
You think that's funny, do you? That 70% of the population of the United States has no representation is enjoyable for you?
Is it as commical that we have lawmakers and an administration that REFUSES to enforce existing law? In any other time, that would have constituted a constitutional crisis.
A small minority is ruling the vast majority and the vast majority has no say as to how they are governed.
I don't find that humorous.
You've been shown over and over that this disfunctional government can't find 3.6 million visa overstays now, and you condone considering them running yet another guest worker program.
I'd give my right arm to be criticizing Clinton instead of George Bush over this. So would most people here. Ask our president and senators to enforce our immigration laws if you care.
>>My prediction: We will be sold down the river.<<
My prediction: We'll take it, and we'll take it sitting down. We've all been conditioned that it is party, party, party. Party over principle, party over having to hold our noses to vote for certain candidates, party over all.
I've said this a gazillion times: There's not a dime's worth of difference between RATS and Republicans. They all play the same game, and it is designed to play on the general stupidity and short memories of the voting public while they build their careers and line their pockets.
It has always been so. It will remain so until we wake up and run every damned one of them out of office. Never, E-V-E-R, vote for another incumbent. Sit it out if you can't abide an opponent, but stop contributing to this insane scheme.
I've read the Constitution my whole life. I don't ever remember seeing in the Constitution, that the federal government is responsible for supplying free drugs to seniors. Maybe you can point that out for us.
mark my words, "you ain't seen nothing yet"
Frankly, most illegals have more disposable cash than many Americans...no taxes, no healthcare, no insurance and all the money handed to them is gravy. They don't blink an eye at the coyote asking 3 large to get them back over the border....it's all part of business, and I don't think $2000 was chosen randomly.....
Blow it out whatever orfice you choose.
Third party voters are sidelined.
You have no idea whatsoever how forcefully I am for sealing the borders.
You show me where I have ever supported GUEST WORKERS.
I'll wait.
Then why all the vitriol toward everyone who opposes Bush/McCain/Kennedy's guest worker program? Why??
By the way, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?
Well, the pubbies are giving us less and less reason to distinguish them from the Dems, especially with this.
:-)
"the unemployment rate is below the natural rate in many states"
Then they should get the labor from the states where the rate is above the natural rate, no?
And I'll leave alone your "natural" unemployment rate 'cept to say I haven't heard anyone use that theory in ages!
For such a major issue, it seems there wasn't much discussion.
Apparently, you have a comprehension difficulty.
I have not taken issue with anyone regarding OPPOSITION to McCain/Kennedy.
My mother is dead. Leave her out of your nasty remarks to me.
From FAIR -- March 16, 2006 - 3:51 pm PST
Sad, But True-Cornyn and Kennedy Team Up On Guest Worker Amnesty, Sell Out American Workers
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee met to again consider the guest worker amnesty proposal put forward by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA). No amendments were offered, only discussion of how the committee should proceed. What follows is a summary of today's proceedings.
Maybe We Should Outsource the Senate Judiciary Committee!
The session began 10 minutes late, but was well attended with most members present for most of the time.
Sen. Specter (R-PA) opened the discussion by complaining about news coverage disparaging the slow progress of the committee and the fact that in four sessions the committee was unable to agree on even the least controversial provisions of the bill.
Sen. Specter (R-PA) then suggested the committee meet again tomorrow or Monday 27th with the hope of reaching agreement on major issues and changing the majority leader's mind about bringing up an enforcement-only bill on the floor.
The members agreed that on such short notice, it was unlikely they could get a quorum tomorrow and decided to meet on March 27th.
Sen. Kyl (R-AZ), while approving of a deadline to pressure the committee to act in a timely fashion, he complained that Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) had gone a bit too far.
Sen. Kyl asked Sen. Grassley (R-IA) if the social security and tax amendments offered earlier could be moved forward in the Finance Committee expeditiously. The Senate Finance Committee claims jurisdiction over these matters and Grassley is the committee chairman.
Sen. Grassley offered that he had directed his Finance Committee staff and his Judiciary Committee staff to work with members on these matters.
Sen. Specter asked Grassley if these matters, once resolved, could be taken up in the Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Grassley responded that he had not yet decided, but that with the agreement of 11 members of the Finance Committee, he would consent to a floor amendment on these matters which would be managed by the Finance Committee.
McCain-Kennedy/Cornyn-Kyl-Who is the Fairest Guest Worker Amnesty of Them All?
Sen. Specter (R-PA), as he has during previous sessions, voiced his view that it would be unfair to allow those who are currently present in the U.S. illegally to jump in line in front of those who were patiently applying for their green cards through legal channels.
Sen. Durbin (R-IL) asked that there be a vote on the McCain-Kennedy amnesty guest worker program as a substitute amendment for the Specter amnesty guest worker program.
Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) replied that the good work of the committee should not be effectively rejected by taking up McCain-Kennedy and that the committee should focus on the guest worker program, but not the amnesty.
Sens. Schumer (D-NY) and Durbin argued that the committee needed to decide where it stood regarding "path to citizenship" for illegal aliens-amnesty.
Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) was recognized by Chairman Specter to make a statement on a possible compromise. He gave an impassioned speech on the need for amnesty to bring illegal aliens out of the shadows. He asserted that the McCain-Kennedy bill would not let illegal aliens jump the line, because it required them to wait 6 years for green card status.
Sen. Kyl (R-AZ) rebutted the Kennedy argument by pointing out that allowing illegal aliens to stay and work in the U.S. for 6 years while awaiting their green cards was tantamount to giving them a green card at the outset.
Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) agreed with Sen. Kyl and argued that the Cornyn-Kyl amnesty guest worker bill is superior to McCain-Kennedy amnesty guest worker program and is not an amnesty.
Sen. Durbin (D-IL) asserted that McCain-Kennedy did not let people jump the line and called it "tough, but fair."
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) asked Kennedy about the background checks required by his bill and indicated she did not believe DHS could complete all the background checks under his bill.
Sen. Brownback (R-KS) commented that deferred mandatory departure in the Cornyn-Kyl bill also allowed aliens to remain in the country.
Sen. Kyl (R-AZ) replied by saying that while this is true, illegal aliens were not given the same legal status as under the McCain-Kennedy bill.
Sen. Specter (R-PA) announced that the committee would meet again on March 27 at 10:00 a.m. for another session to try and reach agreement on an amnesty guest worker bill.
Sen. Specter announced that there would be votes on a McCain-Kennedy amnesty guest worker program substitute amendment and a Cornyn-Kyl amnesty guest worker program substitute amendment to the Specter amnesty guest worker program proposal.
But We Forgot Amnesty for Agricultural Workers!
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) inquired of Sen. Kennedy why the definition of guest worker in his bill didn't include agricultural workers.
Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) replied by saying Sen. Larry Craig's AgJobs amnesty guest worker bill covered these workers and suggested that the bill would be offered as a floor amendment.
Saving the Worst For Last-A Cornyn-Kennedy Compromise Guest Worker Amnesty
Sen. Specter (R-PA) announced just before ending the session that Sens. Cornyn and Kennedy had reached a tentative agreement on a guest worker program that would allow workers to stay for 2 years, go home for 1 year, and then return for 6 years. The annual number would be capped at 400,000. Specter asserted that this agreement had 9 firm votes of the 18 members of the committee.
Keep Those Calls Coming
Be sure to contact the members of the Committee if you haven't already done so. Their contact information is listed below.
Main Senate Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
American Patrol Note: Toll Free Number is (888) 355-3588
Senate Judiciary Committee:
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) - 202-224-4254
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) - 202-224-5251
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) - 202-224-3744
Sen. Jon L. Kyl (R-AZ) - 202-224-4521
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) - 202-224-2315
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) - 202-224-4124
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) - 202-224-5972
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) - 202-224-2934
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) - 202-224-6521
Sen. Thomas A. Coburn (R-OK) - 202-224-5754
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) - 202-224-4242
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) - 202-224-4543
Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE) - 202-224-5042
Sen. Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI) - 202-224-5653
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) - 202-224-3841
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) - 202-224-5323
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) - 202-224-6542
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) - 202-224-2152
Agreed.
If the GOP keeps spending the taxpayers money like liberals, expands the federal bureaucracy like liberals,a nd sides with liberals on amnesty, a national "conservative party" is just around the corner. Timing wise, 2008 looks good.
Disgusted bttt.
He was fined $500 by the CIS for overstaying his visa, and that was it.
His employer made a copy of his brand-new Social Security card, changed his Social Security number from the fake one to the real one, and voila. He's OK now.
Our immigration system is broken. There are many loopholes, red tape galore, apathetic federal employees, unfunded services, unlinked databases, outdated computer systems, etc, etc.
Don't get me started, since I want to have a restful evening.
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