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.
That's what I figured he'd do. This is mostly a democrat monster with some RINOs helping them out so maybe one of the good guys can get a filibuster going but I think ultimately our best hope will be with the House.
" Magic bullet'..."magic immigration bill"...at least he is consistent...
Screw the Republican Party. Republicans have 55 seats in the Senate, and Ted Kennedy still gets his bills through committee. Unbelievable! Meanwhile, we can't get Republicans to sponsor a bill to stop illegal aliens from voting...for their Democrat opponents! Conservatives have less representation in Congress than illegal aliens. The Republicans even admit they succumbed to mob rule. They listen to an angry mob that will never in a million years vote Republican, but they refuse to listen to their own voters. They think we're all a bunch of stupid peasants who will always vote for them, and maybe they're right. I hope all you conservatives who voted Republican to stop homosexual marriage are happy. You got neither border security nor a ban on homosexual marriage.
You are absolutely correct. Legal formerly Mexican, now American residents are not happy with this either.
A second generation family we know keeps saying this entitlement attitude is why they left Mexico and do not want it to follow them here.
Not passing any bill is the same as amnesty as far as I'm concerned. We need a good bill to pass or we vote the culprits out of office.
I think you are smarter than that sentence would suggest. No bill is NOT amnesty, and you know it. Those of you who disagree don't do yourselves any favors going off like that. Don't you want to be taken seriously?
SOON many will spit when mentioning Dubyas name..
The boy is RINO thru and thru.. UNdocumented aliens.. Pulleeess..
Any that think Dubya DON'T know whats at stake here are themselves enablers and probably ENEMIES.. If YOU know Dubya knows.. He knows MORE than you or I know.. And wants the insurgency to CONTINUE... and maybe INCREASE..
Putin has rolled back time in Russia and I suspect it is only going to get worse. They are not our friend.
So, maybe instead of me needing a dictionary, you need a review on how bills become laws, and how laws are enforced?
I think you are right about the trade issue, however, the minute I knew Putin was taking over in Russia the hair on my neck stood on end and both Russia and China were cut too much slack by Clinton and it hasn't improved a whole lot.
I just want to express my extreme displeasure with this bill!
No. But, you're more rational than many of the fire-breathers here.
Helped cover up the assissanation of a president and helped cover up the assissination of America.
Republicans will lose seats, and a lot of them, if this bill passes. Bush would sign this bill, and it passed committee with the help of Republicans.
Even though it does not matter, I am 100% sitting out 06' for federal election.
The GOP is literally no differant than the RATS.
"Passing bills is not enforcing laws."
No truer words and it applies to gun laws - Congress is always ready to pass a law for whatever real or imagined crisis of the day, but enforcement?
Congress puts enforcement in stranglehold fine print.
Your Democrat friends will have you under housearrest before the current crop of illegals gets amnesty.
Re #15 -
"...massive marches in support of the bill to counter the ones held by all the illegals over the weekend."
Not likely; most legitimate American Citizens have to work for a living, don't they? That makes it sort of hard to get a mob together, I would think.
Of course even if we did, the media would predictably ignore it.
As it seems to be coming down to a question of just whose Country America is, I wonder if enough native-born Citizens really care enough to make a difference.
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