Posted on 03/17/2006 2:17:32 PM PST by Crackingham
Frustrated by the Senate Judiciary Committee's slow progress on politically sensitive immigration legislation, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) introduced his own bill last night to secure the nation's borders and crack down on illegal immigration.
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Some Republican aides said they believed presidential politics were at work. Frist, a prospective candidate for 2008, left out of his bill the guest-worker program that President Bush has demanded and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- a potential White House rival -- has championed. Such a program is unpopular with many conservative voters, who see it as amnesty for illegal immigrants. Many Republicans believe a new law to get tough on illegal immigrants is one of the few pieces of legislation that must be passed before the November elections if the GOP is to maintain the allegiance of conservative voters.
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Senators from both parties have come to near-agreement on provisions bolstering the U.S. border patrol, adding new technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles and raising penalties on illegal immigrants and those who aid them. Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) neared agreement yesterday on a guest-worker program that could smooth the way to bipartisan passage of a Judiciary Committee bill when lawmakers return from a week-long break next week.
Under the deal, Kennedy would agree that illegal immigrants who qualify for a guest-worker visa would have to go to their home countries for a year before applying for a visa extension of three or four additional years. But, Senate aides said, that one-year return could be waived if guest workers' employers said their continued labor was necessary or if a guest worker could prove a consistent work history.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Those bas---ds!
We need immigration reform, we really do.
But, I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it until the borders are secure. Secure the borders, do it today, today, and then we can talk at length about immigration policy.
Don't ask me to trust you on immigration policy if you aren't willing to secure the borders.
Frist pushes for Quick Vote.....
Why does baling twine, duct tape, and safetypins come to mind??
"But, Senate aides said, that one-year return could be waived if guest workers' employers said their continued labor was necessary or if a guest worker could prove a consistent work history."
What is "necessary?" What is "consistent?" How much a work history? Who decides?
Loopity Loopholes for the semi-tough talk to appeal to the gullible.
Lets git er done, I don't like waiting to see who needs to be thrown out of office.
No kidding.
The Senate is going to sell us down the river on this one.
Sc**w Kennedy and his darn bills.....
Sounds typical socialist C**P
Frist sounds a little better
"Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) introduced his own bill last night to secure the nation's borders and crack down on illegal immigration."
Since this guy, to my knowledge, has never before shown any interest in halting the immigrant invasion, forgive me for being somewhat skeptical. When Bush tells Frist to jump, Frist merely asks "how high?". I don't think Frist is likely to come up with meaningful immigration control, as Bush would merely order him to put a shamnesty provision in.
Suddenly addressing illegal immigration is an emergency?
The GOP is up to no good, and WE KNOW IT.
The quicker they shove through this shamnesty scam, the less time it'll have to be scrutinized by p*ssed off conservatives.
His voting record on this issue does not inspire confidence.
"Many Republicans believe a new law to get tough on illegal immigrants is one of the few pieces of legislation that must be passed before the November elections if the GOP is to maintain the allegiance of conservative voters."
The ball is in their court. Let's see if they play to win, or throw the game away.
I am afraid you are right if all of us don't get on the phone, email, etc...to our Senators. They must hear from us. I have already called mine and will continue to call them.
I suggest we DO NOT show at the polls this fall.To hell with them all!!If we end up with the Dems winning,things can't get much worse with them in office
I don't expect anything out of Frist. What a total wuss. It's too late for him to act tough.
Sure. McKennedy sells us down the river in a leaky canoe with no paddle. Frist does the exact same thing, but includes a defective bilge pump. But some conservatives will crow about how shiny our defective bilge pump is, because it was the presidents idea.
I'm already off the reservation, cuz of the Ports deal. But I've didn't vote for Bush in 2000 (did in 2004, cuz of the war), so they don't much need me anyway.
If they slip amnesty in here, or in any way pretend to do something about this while doing nothing, I can't believe they'll get away with it.
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
"But, I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it until the borders are secure. Secure the borders, do it today, today, and then we can talk at length about immigration policy."
This is the proper common sense way to handle it!
LLS
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