Posted on 04/06/2006 8:33:43 AM PDT by STARWISE
WASHINGTON - In a last stab at compromise, Senate Republicans and Democrats reported progress Thursday toward agreement on legislation opening the way to legal status and eventual citizenship for many of the 11 million immigrants now in the U.S. illegally.
"There's been tremendous progress overnight," said Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada, the Democratic leader, while Majority Leader Bill Frist also expressed optimism that a long-sought compromise might be at hand.
There was no immediate reaction from President Bush, who has made immigration legislation a key priority.
The developments occurred after Frist unveiled a new bill late Wednesday night on the subject as the Senate headed into a test vote on the most sweeping immigration bill in two decades.
In general, the legislation would provide for enhanced border security, regulate the flow of future immigrants into the United States and settle the legal fate of the estimated 11 million men, women and children already in the country.
It was the fate of the illegal immigrant population that proved hardest to legislate, and it has left the Senate on the verge of gridlock for days.
(snip)
Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., as well as other key senators met before the vote to review terms of a proposed compromise.
In general, it would require illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two years and five years to return to their home country briefly, then re-enter as temporary workers. They could then begin a process of seeking citizenship.
Illegal immigrants here longer than five years would not be required to return home; those in the country less than two years would be required to leave without assurances of returning, and take their place in line with others seeking entry papers.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
THis woman on Rush is some rich whore who doesn't want to clean who own toilets. She wants as many illegals in here as possible. I can't tell if she is a dem or repub. Many people who support illegals do so for VERY SELFISH REASONS. They don't want to pay fair wages, they don't want to stay home and take care of their own children, they don't want to clean their own houses but they want someone else to do it for almost nothing.
Yeah, well, most of the Quislings are pretty quiet. They're smarter than you.
You can do whatever you want to with your vote. But I think this kind of game playing is unwise. There are other ways to make our voices heard to our party without putting Dems in power.
We all have to set our own standards for what betrayals we are willing to tolerate from our elected officials.
You just happen to be willing to put up with more than I.
Democrat rule? Republican rule? I'm not confident that we can survive either one.
Sorry, but your assumptions are not anyone's fault but your own.
The President was quite clear on how he viewed illegal immigration. He was clear enough it was the one and only time I re-considered voting for him during the campaign.
What sealed my support for him? The Madrid terrorist attacks.
On this, I will not retract my statements. There is no basis after the fact to claim betrayal or anything similiar on this issue by this President. he ran on it, folks strongly disagreed, but other issues took priority and he was re-elected for those reasons.
I get a call form the Repub committee last night saying they are in dire straits and need money fast for the upcomming races. I said no money. Later I said yes, how many pesos do you want...
Something has to give.
If the GOP thinks that it is going to continue to win elections by pandering to groups that will never vote for the Republican Party, and destroying the middle class, then it is sorely mistaken.
I'm not your pal, pal. End of conversation.
I live in metrowest MA, outside of Boston, and illegals are here in great numbers. A recent Mexican poll revealed that not only is one quarter of Mexico's population already here (the poor folk), half of those remaining are ready to pack and head north -- that's the middle class. Mexico is being depopulated, with disastrous consquences. But not only Mexico, we have Brazilians, Costa Ricans Guatemalans, Chinese. You name it, we have it -- and sooner or later they'll show up in WV. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. We have to get control of the borders.
Let the Dems get in power, and things will definitely change - for the worse.
If that's what you want, do as you wish with your own vote. I won't be following your lead.
But of course if you read the Reaganman responses to mine, just above @ 331/332, he is smart and we are all dumb and idiots.
I have no problem with a national ID card. I used a passport for years as an ID. I have no problem with putting obstacles for illegals interacting the system. I have no problem with addressing wire transfers. I simply believe that simply saying deport them all is a simplistic and absurd proposal.
You all see Frist milling about behind the podium, hiding...? If this is a sellout I sit out. We are better out of power. Clean sweep.
You all see Frist milling about behind the podium, hiding...? If this is a sellout I sit out. We are better out of power. Clean sweep.
I'm with you. - Something must give somewhere. - Someone has to emerge to champion our cause or there will indeed be a reckoning - For the whole country.
Keep your powder dry.
I'm agreeing with you, to a certain extent.
My only reservation is the degree to which he has pursued this pernicious, anti-American agenda.
I fully realized his sympathy-infatuation would be a more accurate description-for Mexico, but the degree to which he is willing to cotton to the whims of Vincente Fox is still slightly-and I emphasise that modifier-amazing.
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