Posted on 03/27/2006 4:08:50 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved election-year immigration legislation Monday that clears the way for millions of undocumented workers to seek U.S. citizenship without having to first leave the country.
After days of street demonstrations that stretched from California to the gounds of the U.S. Capitol, the committee also voted to strip out proposed criminal penalties for residents found to be in this country illegally.
The panel's vote cleared the way for the full Senate to begin debate Tuesday on the emotional immigration issue.
"All Americans wanted fairness and they got it this evening," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), the Massachusetts Democrat who played a pivotal role in drafting the legislation, approved 12-6.
Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., voted for the bill but signaled that some of the provisions could well be changed by the full Senate.
In general, the bill is designed to strengtehn border patrol, create new opportunities for so-called guest workers and determine the legal future of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.
At several critical popints, committee Democrats were united while Republicans splintered. In general, GOP Sens. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Sam Brownback of Kansas and Mike DeWine of Ohio, who is seeking re-election this fall, sided with Democrats.
That gave Democrats a majority that allowed them to shape the bill to their liking.
I admit I am not a conservative in every sense of the word. I do believe that the rich take advantage of the middle class and poor in this country. I make no bones about it. I also believe that Corporate America is greedy and has no real allegiance to the people of this nation.
"the employers who currently hire illegals in the undergrouond economy - don't want legal guest workers, they want the underground undocumented workers they have right now. and that demand will continue to be filled by illegals. "
My thoughts 100%
Well said.
Come on! That is a sign that things have degraded to a dangerous point.
Haven't you heard? Brownback wants to destroy the country.
So does George W. Bush. That's been his plan all along: squeeze out all those white Protestants with brown Catholics.
Ooops!! Bush is Protestant. Guess I'll have to revise that.
That is an elusive statement.
"stupid us"
There are some on this forum who will be delighted.
Believe me, I will be calling, writing, and emailing every Congressman I can. I will also do my best to make sure others do as well.
It is a dark day for America.
I am ready to fight.
I fear that blood will run in the streets before this is over.
A Look at Major Immigration Proposals By The Associated Press
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060328/ap_on_go_co/immigration_glance;_ylt=AqRWKGfyBYOJX37tebfT90ayFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
Highlights of major immigration proposals in Congress:
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Senate Judiciary Committee's bill:
_Allows illegal immigrants who were in the United States before 2004 to continuing working legally for six years if they pay a $1,000 fine and clear a criminal background check. They would become eligible for permanent residence upon paying another $1,000 fine, any back taxes and having learned English.
_New immigrants would have to have temporary work visas. They also could earn legal permanent residence after six years.
_Adds up to 14,000 new Border Patrol agents by 2011 to the current force of 11,300 agents.
_Authorizes a "virtual wall" of unmanned vehicles, cameras and sensors to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border.
_Creates a special guest worker program for an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers, who can also earn legal permanent residency.
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Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's proposal:
_Requires all employers to verify the identity and immigration status of their employees through an electronic system.
_Assesses civil penalties of between $500 and $20,000 against employers for each illegal immigrant they hire and criminal penalties of up to $20,000 per illegal immigrant hired and up to six months in jail for engaging in a pattern of employing illegal workers.
_More than doubles the number of employment-based green cards, from 140,000 to 290,000, and makes more employment based visas available to unskilled workers. It also would free up other visas by exempting immediate relatives of U.S. citizens from being counted in the annual pool of 480,000 visas, and increase country-by-country ceilings on family sponsored and employment-based immigrants.
_Cancels visas of immigrants who have overstayed their visas and requires them to return to their home country to undergo additional screening at U.S. consulates.
_Makes it a misdemeanor crime for an immigrant to be in the country illegally.
_Increases the number of visas available for high-tech workers.
_Does not address President Bush's proposal for a guest worker program.
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House bill passed in December:
_Requires all employers to use within six years a database to verify Social Security numbers of employees or face civil or criminal penalties for hiring illegal workers.
_Requires mandatory detention for all non-Mexican illegal immigrants arrested at ports of entry or at land and sea borders.
_Establishes mandatory sentences for smuggling illegal immigrants and for re-entering the United States illegally after deportation.
_Makes illegal presence in the country a felony.
_Makes a drunken driving conviction a deportable offense.
_Requires building two-layer fences along 700 miles of the 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the United States.
_Does not address President Bush's proposed guest worker program for illegal immigrants already in U.S.
Bye-bye troll.
Did not say he was alone. He had to browbeat Specter just to get Alito past the judiciary committee. Point is, Bush has had to fight the RINOS in his own party in addition to the demonrats. And EVERY big Demonrat broadside has fizzled. From NSA hysterics, to Guantanamo hysterics, to cut and run in Iraq hysterics, to ANWR hysterics, to Bush Lied hysterics, to you name it. Seems he ain't such a weak politician afterall.
Folks, this is THE END OF THE USA! It was a good 230 years but USA has managed to destroy itself through crooked politicians from both sides of the isle.
Within the next 20 years, this country will split. Bye-bye USA!
Good. I'm glad. That person was not good for our case.
This used to be called slavery ~ so it's not surprising to see the South Carolina senator favoring it, and the Texas President supporting it, and the Arizona cotton plantation senator writing in the critical phrases, and the man representing the big land interests in Nebrasks falling all overhimself to get this POS onto the floor.
It's time to refurbish the 13th Amendment, Fur Shur.
AM: I see my post criticizing Pukin Dog's theatrics was removed. Can I please know how the language used in my post was any more intemperate/obscene than the lingo used by PD here?
The House bill you refer to allows 9.5 million immigrants over the next 10 years.
The Senate versions (I have not seen this one) allowed anywhere from 23 million to 30 million immigrants.
This bill will not see the light of day because it can not pass and the Senators do not want to vote for a loser going into an election year.
The unfortunate part of this is that we get no reform or enforcement improvements as was possible with the House bill.
We have to take the momentum back. If everybody that is passionate about this issue, and the numbers are on our side, contacted thier reps and senators we could turn it around. This is a battle for the soul of the Country and if we allow the narrative to be perverted into a multicultural, pc abyss than our future is the past and that is the Roman Empire.
Exactly how do they do that?
I also believe that Corporate America is greedy and has no real allegiance to the people of this nation.
Other than providing jobs, selling stock, and paying taxes (lots of taxes).
You're a Democrat, aren't you?
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