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.
Today I got a frantic phone call from a buddy of mine who was surrounded by truant high-schoolers in LA. He was screaming about them pounding his car, carrying Mexican flags while shouting whatever in spanish.
Punch line is, 15 years ago this guy owned a printing company that employed many Illegals. Back then I warned him, but he wouldn't listen. He said they are good, honest, blah, blah, all the usual garbage. A few years after he lost his business because of repeated slip and fall lawsuits from Illegals.
I hate to be the one to tell you, but Farmers are businesspeople like owners of gas stations, mini-markets, 1 stop shopping emporia, dress shops, etc.
Farners are not the special "backbone" of anything. ADM can harvest more in a minute than most farmers can harvest in a month.
FOTFLOL! That pigheaded poster forgot to add /sarc.
I can vouch for that poster. She was being sarcastic.
Thank you. Your final statment is much more well reasoned than your first one. I'm sorry if I came off as angry in my first post. Your initial post seemed to be condescending and patronizing and so I reacted in kind. I know that I can't think of every angle to an argument so I like to hear other peoples' perceptions.
Your point that the Congress can't do much to effect the President is true. Our Separation of Powers intentionally designed to cause this. The only powers that the Congress really can to use in this case is the purse or impeachment, but since overriding a veto and impeachment conviction both require super majorities, it is unlikely to happen. Thanks again. I appreciate your incite.
In the spirit of the upcoming new land, deberemos de empezar a escribir en español de modo de no ofender a nuestros indespensables, honestos, y educados amigos de sur.
Actually, many of them couldn´t read either language, but I thought I would try something different.
The ones that can read and understand are mostly working hard and have papers anyway, but of course with no job and on government assistance, the masses can ´march´ on the streets.
Perhaps Congress could pass a law that protest marches HAD to take place early in the morning???
We are typically at work and not as easily manipulated.
He's wrong!
Have you noticed that there are a lot of posters on this thread with numbers and letters in their screen names, who haven't set up a home page, that are basically calling for us to turn on Bush and vote for Hillary?
This issue seems to be calling out a lot of trolls.
adios troll
Our Senator Sam "Greenback" R-KS is getting all sorts of kudos from the left for seeing the "liberal light" on illegal immigration.
He's the newest left-wing media love child...hehe.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/opinion/14162783.htm
Sen. Sam Brownback is a proud knee-pad wearing, corporate whore for Agri-Business on the illegal immigrant issue.... but on other issues I tend to agree with him...hehe
Pneumonia guy. Momma told him to put on a coat, but he was much too macho for that.
too soon to tell.
I know. As a little girl, I remember CRYING over that. I felt so sorry for President Harrison.
You are funny? Please, don`t drive anywhere tonite
BTW, most of the systems used to estimate the number of illegal aliens in the country are seriously defective one way or another. The truth is, nobody knows if that 12 million figure is right or wrong.
California, with its prisons bulging with Mexican criminals, seems to be a special case, but one that could be resolved quickly if some major growers and warehouse operators were sent to prison for violating the law by hiring these guys. Betcha' simple enforcement of current law would empty the place of Mexicans.
I have been a member since 2001, voluntereed for GWB twice, and am utterly disgusted with him on many things.
Its not the MSM, its his policies. He is bi-polar or utterly dishonest, I have not figured it out. I want to believe the former, but somtimes actually believe he is as dumb as they say.
LOL -- not sure -- but there's a thought -- vote for president posthumously. I wonder who would win?
RWR is my guess.
Hmmm.. at least Bush is not wholesale killing/murdering people like both Clintons did.. But I could be wrong though..
Put me down for Reagan/Coolidge 2008
I haven't read the complete bill. Can anybody tell me:
Does it basically rewrite/erase the border between the United States and Mexico?
Is the government of the United States abdicating their duty/responsibility to protect each state from invasion?
Simple yes or no answers will suffice.
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