Tancredo, 70 lawmakers strike out at guest-worker plan

The Denver Post ^ | 03/16/2006 | Anne C. Mulkern

[NapkinUser]

Washington - Colorado's Rep. Tom Tancredo and 70 other U.S. representatives sent a letter today to a Senate committee, warning that legislation it's considering allowing illegal immigrants to work legally in the country will hit a roadblock if it comes back to the House.

The Senate's Judiciary Committee for the last two weeks has been debating an immigration reform bill that includes what's being called a “guest worker” program, something President Bush said he wants.

“We are concerned that some of these proposals are fundamentally incompatible with the desire of the American public for real immigration reform and their clear opposition to reform proposals that amount to little more than thinly disguised attempts to provide amnesty," the House members said in the letter.

“If the Senate were to pass such a proposal, we believe it would doom any chance of a real reform bill reaching the president's desk this year.

Tancredo, R-Littleton, and the other 70 lawmakers were part of a group that led the passage of a bill in the House that imposes new border security measures, including increasing penalties for being in the country illegally.

The House bill does not include a guest-worker provision. The group considers allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country legally a form of amnesty.

“Rewarding persons who have broken the law with an advantage that they would not otherwise have had encourages more illegal behavior and is unjust to immigrants who came to the U.S. legally,'' the letter says.

Reps. Bob Beauprez, R-Arvada, and Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, are among those who signed the letter.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is not expected to finish work on the bill this week, which was the deadline given by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He is expected to introduce his own bill possibly today that includes border security measures and does not have a guest worker provision.

[NapkinUser]

http://www.tancredo.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1157

[ARCADIA]

Trancredo for President in 08!!!!

[capt. norm]

I had all but given up hope for this.

This is the best news all day.

I hope McCain, Specter, and even President Bush pay attention to this.

[cripplecreek]

At least Tancredo is paying some attention.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

and if one views this subversion objectively, any such bill OUGHT to originate in the House, considering the funding it will require/demand......not to mention the welfare type costs to USG that will result from it, etc etc

steenking globalists

[Fraxinus]

The immigration reform caucus should offer it's own amnesty bill. Specifically titled "Illegal Alien Amnesty Program". I propose Guest worker card available with verifiable proof that the applicant has spent at least the last year in their country of origin, and not prejudicial to permanent residency.

[sgtbono2002]

Is he talking about the bill Senator Sphincter is working on?

[Dane]

Yawn.

tancredo could have reached out to good conservatives Kyl/Cornyn and got some real reform passed.

He decided not to, because IMO, he wants to keep the issue alive to keep the funds flowing into his and bay buchanan's PAC.

[SUSSA]

He has my vote.

[NapkinUser]

"tancredo could have reached out to good conservatives Kyl/Cornyn and got some real reform passed."

Tancredo is trying to stop Specter and McCain-Kennedy's bill, which in turn helps Kyl-Cornyn. What are you complaining about?

[GarySpFc]

Compromise reached on guest-worker plan

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Judiciary Committee today reached agreement on proposals for a new guest-worker program and a plan to allow the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States to become permanent residents. Less than 24 hours after most experts and Capitol Hill watchers believed the committee would be unable to get a bill to the Senate floor by Majority Leader Bill Frist's March 27 deadline, committee Chairman Arlen Specter had brokered deals between some key senators on the complex issue. No formal votes were taken and committee staffs were preparing to spend the next 10 days drafting language that would put in place the compromises reached. It appeared that at least a dozen of the 18 members on the panel would be prepared to back this deal. The committee plans to meet first thing in the morning on March 27. It is not yet known whether Frist will allow the panel to finish and send its bill to the Senate floor or if he still plans to bring up a more limited, possibly enforcement-only measure. But even if nothing scuttles the compromise between now and when lawmakers get back from recess, and if the Senate passes a bill with these elements, there would remain a steep battle to get agreement from the House.

[SouthernFreebird]

He'd get me to the polls. Otherwise I think I'm gonna sit em out.

[TomGuy]

Related thread:

Senators near compromise on immigration reform (HERE IT COMES)

[NapkinUser]

Ping.

[cripplecreek]

I won't sit it out but I will cast some 3rd party protest votes. If the democrats win, I don't intend to back down from them either.

[CowboyJay]

"He decided not to, because IMO, he wants to keep the issue alive to keep the funds flowing into his and bay buchanan's PAC."

Suspect criticism from the same folks who've been parroting Bush's myopic call for amnesty the whole time. The fact that they and and their anti-American ilk are trying to smear Tancredo gives me all the more reason to believe they're scared to H-E-double-hockey-sticks that he's going to win this come primary time, and boot them back under the rocks from whence they crawled.

[TheLion]

Bump!

[Ben Ficklin]

"any such bill ought to originate in the House"

Immigration is part of foreign policy so it belongs to the Senate.

Border security is part of law enforcement so it belongs to the House.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"All bills for raising revenue..."

never mind......you missed my point.....you missed yours, too.