Posted on 04/05/2006 4:20:11 PM PDT by Libloather
Senate Stuck on Quarrels Over Immigration
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent
25 minutes ago
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, pray in Los Angeles Wednesday, April 5, 2006, with Cardinal Roger Mahony, who was delivering a special Mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to offer prayers for legislators who are debating immigration legislation this week. (AP Photo/Ricardo DeAratanha/Pool)
WASHINGTON - The Senate swung between compromise and gridlock Wednesday on the most sweeping immigration bill in two decades, the future of an estimated 11 million illegal aliens at the mercy of unpredictable election-year maneuvering.
Key senators haggled over a proposed deal to confer legal status on a large majority of the 11 million men, women and children, but compromise remained elusive. "We've got a ways to go," said Sen. Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M. after one bargaining session in the Capitol, although he added that the talks were "moving in the right direction."
But with Democrats adamantly refusing to allow votes on politically charged amendments, Majority Leader Bill Frist sounded a pessimistic note hours later on the Senate floor. Barring a dramatic change, said the Tennessee Republican, "The course we're on is to leave here in a few days having accomplished nothing for the American people."
Democrats seemed untroubled by the prospect.
They set up a test vote for Thursday on legislation that cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee more than a week ago with a bipartisan majority before it ran into Republican resistance on the floor.
"This is a vote that for millions of Americans is a question about whose side you're on," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, adding that unless legislation clears the Senate this week, it may be doomed for the year.
But it appeared destined to gain far fewer than the 60 votes needed to advance, and perhaps less than a majority that would give political bragging rights to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The bill would strengthen border security, regulate the flow of future foreign workers and open the way to citizenship for many immigrants who are in the country illegally.
With the floor vote looming, several officials said the compromise under discussion would allow longer-term illegals to seek citizenship after meeting several conditions, including the payment of fines and any taxes they owed. Immigrants in the United States illegally for less than five years but more than two would be required to travel to a border point of entry before they could re-enter as legal temporary workers. It was not clear whether they would have to physically leave the United States as part of the process.
Immigrants in the country less than two years, an estimated 2 million people, would be "in a little bit of limbo," said Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., not entitled to automatically return to the country if they made their presence known to authorities.
Officials said the talks had bogged down on the fate of the more than 3.5 million immigrants in the country between two and five years. Many Democrats and much of organized labor oppose temporary guest worker programs, arguing that they condemn individuals to a second-class existence subject to exploitation by their employers. And while those in the group would be given legal status, it was not clear how long they would be required to remain in a temporary status before they could receive so-called "green cards."
Under a scenario that had been under discussion, the government would grant 390,000 green cards a year. But critics pointed out that could leave some individuals in a temporary status for as long as 10 years, and only then be eligible to begin a six-year process of gaining citizenship.
Supporters countered that anyone covered by the proposed compromise had been living in the United States illegally, and would benefit from gaining legal status, even as temporary workers.
If the issue was hard to resolve, the politics were intense as both parties struggled with internal divisions.
Among the Democrats, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and others were actively involved in the compromise talks. But Reid and others told associates they were less interested in an agreement.
Sentiment was divided among Republicans, as well.
"I think we will soon be at the point where he (Frist) has to pull the bill and ask the Judiciary Committee to have intensive hearings and call a bill back up in some weeks or months," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., an outspoken critic of the legislation.
WHAAA??##%!
If anything, longer term illegals should be punished MORE because they've committed a bigger crime by being here longer and gaming the system longer.
Anyone who votes for any amnesty, no matter how long the illegal has been here, must be booted from the government, pronto.
Go figure.
Does it take new law to implement the system to check ID's and SS #'s to detect fraud?
And a Vichy RNC, and darned near an entire Vichy Senate. Not quite so funny as the Vichy FReepers.
If you make the Military Work that Mexicans Do, no one but Mexicans will do it. We will have a foreign standing army. A terrible terrible idea.
Even if this Congress passes only one smidgen of an amnesty for illegals, whether for one percent or 99-percent, a new wave of illegals will come flooding across the border beginning the day after passage of the bill in the hopes that they too can game the system.
Fake paycheck receipts are not that hard to get, especially when you have millions of employers who are ILLEGAL themselves.
I heard on the radio today from a former INS agent that perhaps 40 percent of employers WHO HIRE illegals are themselves illegal, and not just Mexicans or Latino but often Korean, Chinese or Asian.
all of a sudden religion is okay with the dems, and breaking the law is okay, and we should support all the illegals breaking the law it is NOT the fact people come here I am a first generation american it is the fact of they come here illegally.As a Catholic it makes me upset that the cardinal is promoting breaking the law. I have watched C-Span all day and if we can't protect our boarders what good does it to grant amensty again and again and again and I will tell you 30 years from now your kids (because I dont have any) will be faced with the fact that people who were illegally want there back pay and than we will have a person in Washington like Conyers we wants the United States to pay every Mexican in the United States back money for making them work for slave wages and frankly i dont think we can afford that
Paging Mr C.O Jones who knows what borders, language and culture mean....if there is such a senator
Yes, as in the fall of the Roman Empire.
Unfortunately, it does. There is currently no legal requirement for employers to verify the immigration status of their employees. That, and the beefed-up border security are the two most important provisions of HR 4437.
Brit's panel are either lib or full blown RINO over immigration.
Barnes...sos
Kristol....now I know why folks hate him
Brit is arguably the most conservative but he's still Beltway
the only leaders in this are some talk radio and some House members
the rest rank from outright sellouts to handshakers
we need a better Congress and POTUS to deal with this issue
unless they will just enforce existing law
which they won't
what an utter failure of policy
A foreign legion would not be such a good idea. I don't want radicals to be trained in how to kill.
I prefer thisaway:
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The general requirements for administrative naturalization include:
* a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States;* residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing;
* an ability to read, write, and speak English;
* a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government;
* good moral character;
* attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution; and,
* favorable disposition toward the United States.
In wartime helots served as light infantry and as rowers in ships. During the Peloponnesian War they also fought as heavy infantry, and helots who excelled in battle could earn their freedom. Some 2000 were freed and reputedly later assassinated.
Good- hope they pass nothing.
that's the concensus
nothing is better than amnesty
There should be no quarrel, enforce existing law. If you won't, get out and let someone else serve that will.
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