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.
You're for vigilantes? You're against enforcing the law in a rational way?
Does the quote say "Lawdog"? I remember when President Bush said it... as to a complete transcript if you want to dig it up go find it..
When asked about the minutemen, he responded by talking about vigilantes.
Look at it this way, if someone asked Dan Rather, "What do you think about George Bush" and Rather replied with "I don't think that evil, racist men should be president", how would you interept it?
Would you say, "well Dan is right, we shouldn't have evil racist men as president" or would you rightfully and intelligently make the connection that he was calling Bush evil?
YOu can't blame this on one person, one adminstration or one term. this has been building for years. We elect people to represent us.
Did I blame only Bush ?...No but he is the current President and he is for a "guest worker" program which is "stealth amnesty".
Bush is president and the leader of the majority party. It is mainly up to him to set the agenda.
Sure, other presidents have been asleep at the wheel as well, but Bush actually encourages illegal immigration. The laws are already on the books but he refuses to enforce them.
When asked about the minutemen, he responded by talking about vigilantes.
If I remember correctly, the transcript showed that the reporter never asked specifically about the Minutemen.
And he's only one branch of our fed government. What about the other 535+9?
It's not a citizenship amnesty. That was my biggest realistic concern.
Mexican President Fox asked Bush, not a reporter. Here is the transcript:
FOX (through translator): And President Bush, I want to ask you about your opinion about those people who are hunting migrant people along the border.http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0503/23/ldt.01.htmlBUSH: I am against vigilantes in the United States of America. I am for enforcing law in a rational way. That's why we have a Border Patrol, and they ought to be in charge of enforcing the border.
The laws against illegal immigration are already on the books. It's the executive branch that refuses to enforce them.
*ding ding ding* (bell rings)
we have a winner. Follow the money almost ALWAYS works when the fortune 100 (or 500) is involved.
DOBBS: And it's been well out of hand for some time. The irony of the president saying it is the Border Patrol's job and yet, in his budget, as you know, Casey, providing for only 210 additional Border Patrol agents when his own administration was saying 2,000 were needed this year alone.
That's why I said "ruling class"... apparently if President Bush said the sun rises in the west...plenty of freepers would not only believe it but would gleefully damn anyone who did not...
Other congresses haven't? What about state and local governments? Does everything have to be a fed issue? What happened to individual responsibility? Including state and local representation? I know everyone wants a scapegoat, so let's pile on Bush, who else is there? It's the topic du jour. But, come on, is it really Bush's fault, he's only been in office 5 years, Clinton never had illegals? Bush I never had illegals, Reagan, Carter, Ford? Give me a break. And were where the counter organizers of these rallies? Probably keyboard commanding on FR.
Border patrol is exclusively a federal matter. The immigration laws are already on the books and the only branch of government that has the power to enforce them, the executive branch of the federal government, has chosen not too.
great post, keep up the good work man :)
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