| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 04/04/2006 10:28:35 AM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
Pulled at request of poster. Same article here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1608974/posts |
Posted on 04/04/2006 9:49:31 AM PDT by redgirlinabluestate
Supporters of a guest worker program that would let illegal immigrants stay in the United States said Tuesday they don't have enough Senate votes to overcome objections from conservatives who oppose the measure on grounds it amounts to amnesty.
As negotiators worked on a compromise to let those who have been here longest remain, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said a majority in the 100- member Senate support his and Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's proposal to provide green cards to illegal immigrants after they've worked in the U.S. for six years.
But it takes 60 senators to overcome opponents' parliamentary tactics, and McCain said he doesn't have that many.
More than 11 million illegal immigrants are believed to be in the U.S., and Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said he and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R- Neb., are pushing a "fallback" plan that would put those who have been here the longest on a track toward citizenship but treat more recent arrivals differently. A similar approach was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week but it was revived Monday night during a meeting in Majority Leader Bill Frist's office.
About 30 Republican senators huddled for more than an hour Tuesday but no consensus emerged. President Bush has championed a program that would give illegal immigrants a legal status to work in the U.S. but has not specified whether they should have to leave the country at some point.
McCain and Kennedy deny that their proposal is amnesty, saying illegal immigrants would have to pay $2,000 in fines and any back taxes and clear background checks before they could get in line for a green card.
The proposal, dubbed the "roots concept, by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., seemed to have some support from Frist. He told CNN over the weekend that 40 percent of illegal immigrants have been in the country less than five years and "need to be dealt with in a different fashion."
The Senate is in its second week of debate on immigration-broder security legislation and there is pressure to complete a bill before Congress recesses on Friday for a two-week holiday.
A bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee _ based on a proposal by McCain and Kennedy _ would allow illegal immigrants in the United States before Jan. 7, 2004, and who have jobs, to work legally for an additional six years and eventually become citizens.
Both Frist and McCain are considered likely candidates for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.
A separate bill filed by Frist does not deal with illegal immigrants, but boosts border enforcement and cracks down on employers who hire illegal workers. The House in December passed a bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony.
Opponents consider the Judiciary Committee bill amnesty. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would give illegal immigrants up to five years to leave the country, before they can return legally to apply for permanent residence or be guest workers.
Cornyn was not at the meeting at Frist's office, but his spokesman Don Stewart was skeptical of the suggested compromise.
"It's a matter of giving amnesty to 8 million people or giving amnesty to 12 million people. It's still amnesty to millions of people," Stewart said.
An additional headline: McCain lacks votes for Presidential run.
Good. I sure hope Brownback paid attention to everyone that called his office objecting to his yes vote.
Please remove -- already posted by blue turtle.
I don't get exactly how they'd know if an illegal was present in America was six or more years.
Either way, I hope there are 41 senators who stand up and filibuster this thinly-disguised amnesty.
My day has been made BUMP! :>) !!
NEWSFLASH TO ALL:
Five years is a REDUCTION of the current TEN YEARS REQUIRED RIGHT NOW for an illegal in this country to apply for a hardship stay. Five years is even less than the six years that was previously required in the 1990's!
I think the REAL polling says very bad news for the senators.
The real translation is SENATORS ARE TRYING TO SAVE AMNESTY PROGRAM!
27 posted on 04/03/2006 10:27:25 PM CDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
Some good news...finally!
See how the AP is trying to pin this on Conservatives ONLY. From what I have been able to grasp of the reaction, it's both Liberals AND Conservatives that don't like this amnesty BS very much... but don't worry. It's just a minor detail.
GW ain't gonna be happy with this turn of events. He promised Vincente!!!! Vincente's gonna be real mad.
Liberals and RINOS VS. We the People!!!
I live in a town full of illegals.You should have heard the scanner last nite.I should tape a nite of it and send it to whoever thinks they should be welcomed with open arms.And,I live in a small town!
I took the liberty of writing to Ted the swimmer to say that I too support amnesty........especially for the next guy who plugs a Kennedy.
Pay me $2000, and I will give you hundreds of thousands of dollars over time for welfare benefits. This kind of stupidity is worthy of scum like McCain and Manslaughter Kennedy.
Mexico imports wealth and exports poverty. America is exporting wealth and importing poverty.
Some of the finest resorts and housing developments are in Mexico, appealing to wealthy foreigners; they have an import wealth campaign, as they export the uneducated and poor to America. America imports these uneducated illegal aliens at a time when the educated are being forced to move to foreign nations for good jobs.
Our nation has gone nuts and is self-destructing. China and Russia see they do not have to go to war to defeat America, just buy brooms to sweep up the dust once we self-destruct.
Yay! Guess some of our reps are starting to listen to us. Imagine! Doing their job.
I sent Senator Brownback an email describing the games that my Senator, Fat Ted, plays and advised him to read all the provisions carefully. I was going to do the same to Lindsay Graham, but it's a waste of my time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.