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 ...
But, how do you keep that bright-eyed Mr-Smith-Goes-to-Washington 2012 favorite of yours from falling into the same incumbent trap that currently exists???
The problem is not getting promising conservatives in, but keeping them on the conservative reservation once they are immersed in the corrosive acid bath of DC. The "let the dems win and we'll elect our guy in 2012" strategy admits that you don't have a strategy for 2013, 2014, 2015 anymore than you have a strategy for handling Dewine in 2005, 2006....
I just know how to play to win.
So where we're at now you consider a "win?"
If a person is wounded and losing lots of blood you deal with the major wound first before worrying about a scratch that wouldn't even require a bandaid.
I've never heard of a hospital closing down because illegal chinese are abusing the emergency room.
Capt. Dale Dye is actually in favor of having illegal aliens earn citizenship through military service.
He'll do a perfectly good job losing all on his own.
Is my Anxiety level appropriate? I need help from long time Freepers....Im thinking its over..you know the American experiment?
Is this going to happen and what is the appropriate response?
Thanks in advance.
He and my prize Senator (Spectator) are going on Easter vacation for 2 weeks. I sure hope it will be a time for all good men (& women) to want to have a Personal chat with them and let them know how strongly we feel. I think they owe us as much attention as they have been giving to (non voting) lawbreakers. Sigh!
OK, so we don't worry about anyone but mexicans.
LOL!
The vast majority of Americans who eat vegetables are "cretins"?!
No one is advocating voting for Demcrat.
We're just saying that it's a damaging to the nation in the short and long term to vote for a Democrat that just happens to have an (R) next to his name.
That's all I can tell you.
This is not over by a long-shot. Even if the Senate passes this compromise, it must be reconciled with the House, and their is every likelihood that the entire matter will explode.
I suppose the capitalist thing to do is to start a business making phony documentation.....
(yes, I'm kidding)
susie
>There are other ways to make our voices heard to our party without putting Dems in power.
good post. Thanks.
Keeping the status quo is far better than HR 4437.
I think it's very bad for the country, for numerous reasons.
These people are here and have to be dealt with. My original comment is that there has never been any real penalty for sneaking into this country so it's like giving amnesty to a parking violation. Not going to change our lives one way or another.
Agreed, but REWARDING criminal behavior won't STOP criminal behavior...it will INCREASE that behavior, not only with the illegals, but also those who employ them. (Would you reward your toddlers with snacks when they break your rules? What do you really think you're 'teaching' them when you do that but to keep doing the "bad" thing some more?)
California is the main magnet and they have proven time after time that they have no intention of enforcing the laws nor limiting the benefits.
Add to that Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, New York....they may start in California and Texas, but illegals are throughout the United States, and throughout the United States, nothing is being done. Law enforcement won't pick them up because the Feds have basically told them not to, "unless they've committed a violent crime." Employers are not being fined much less imprisoned, for knowingly hiring illegals, much less verifying that they're legally allowed to work.
Whose boss is the Fed's? The Attorney General, who has ties with La Raza. La Raza is in favor of shamnesty and benefits and rights for illegals. Ultimately who's the boss? The President. Yet it's he who's in favor of rewarding the law breakers (via shamnesty, by chanting "just doing the work no American wants to do") and by castigating the Minute Men (i.e., calling them U.S. citizens vigilantes).
The President is merely trying to bring these guys into society and try and get a better handle on them.
The President doesn't have to "try" to do anything. He can take a pen and sign an executive ORDER, and the illegal problems could begin to be fixed. But he refuses.
Where there's a will, there's a way. The President and elected officials have neither when it comes to LEGAL IMMIGRATION.
By its very definition, an ILLEGAL immigrant is somebody who came here by crossing the border without officially going through a customs and immigration office. In other words, the guy who arrived from Mexico last week could just claim to have been here for over 5 years and get put on the track to citizenship. Since he's illegal there is no record of the exact day he crossed our border and no way to prove when he arrived.
No! You stop the guy that's shooting first!
I want to stop the ALL.
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.