Senate Vote Shelves Immigration Bill

ap ^ | 04/07.06 | SUZANNE GAMBOA

[VU4G10]

WASHINGTON - The Senate sidetracked sweeping immigration legislation Friday, leaving in doubt prospects for passing a bill offering the hope of citizenship to millions of men, women and children living in the United States illegally.

A carefully crafted compromise that supporters had claimed could win an overwhelming majority received only 38 of the 60 votes necessary to protect it from weakening amendments by opponents.

Republicans were united in the 38-60 parliamentary vote but Democrats, who have insisted on no amendments, lost six votes from their members.

An alternative bill by Majority Leader Bill Frist — with no provision to let illegal immigrants stay but imposing large fines on employers who hire them — received even less support in a 36-62 test vote.

Earlier Friday, President Bush prodded lawmakers to keeping trying to reach an agreement, but both sides said the odds were increasing that a breakthrough would not occur until Congress returns from a two-week recess.

"An immigration system that forces people into the shadows of our society, or leaves them prey to criminals is a system that needs to be changed," Bush said at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. "I'm confident that we can change our immigration system in ways that secures our border, respects the rule of law, and, as importantly, upholds the decency of our country."

Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for the stalemate.

"It's not gone forward because there's a political advantage for Democrats not to have an immigration bill," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

He said Democrats perceive a benefit in having only a GOP-written House bill that criminalizes being an illegal immigrant. That bill has prompted massive protests across the country, including a march by 500,000 people in Los Angeles last month.

Democrats blamed Republicans for insisting on amendments that would weaken a compromise that Senate leaders in both parties had celebrated Thursday.

"This opportunity is slipping through our hands like grains of sand," said assistant Senate Democratic leader Dick Durbin of Illinois.

The election-year legislation is designed to enhance border security and regulate the flow of future temporary workers as well as affect the lives of illegal immigrants.

It separates illegal immigrants now in the U.S. into three categories.

Illegal immigrants here more than five years could work for six years and apply for legal permanent residency without having to leave the country. Those here two years to five years would have to go to border entry points sometime in next three years, but could immediately return as temporary workers. Those here less than two years would have to leave and wait in line for visas to return.

The bill also provides a new program for 1.5 million temporary agriculture industry workers over five years. It includes provisions requiring employers to verify they've hired legal workers and calls for a "virtual" fence of surveillance cameras, sensors and other technology to monitor the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border.

Demonstrations in support of the compromise were planned for Monday across the nation, including one in Washington that organizers claimed would draw 100,000 people.

The acrimony in the Senate at Thursday night's end was a sharp contrast to the accolades 14 members of both parties traded just hours earlier when they announced their compromise.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called it tragic "that we in all likelihood are not going to be able to address a problem that directly affects the American people."

The House has passed legislation limited to border security, but Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and other leaders have signaled their willingness in recent days to broaden the bill in compromise talks with the Senate.

But Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said anything with what he called amnesty would not get agreement from a majority in the House.

The immigration debate has given the American public a glimpse of what may lay ahead in 2008 GOP presidential politics.

Frist, R-Tenn., a potential presidential candidate in 2008, sought to establish more conservative credentials when he initially backed a bill limited to border security. At the same time, he has repeatedly called for a comprehensive bill — adopting Bush's rhetoric — and involved himself in the fitful negotiations over the past several days.

[untrained skeptic]

I'm a little confused by McCain voting against this. Isn't he one of the people who have been complaining that the "majority" supports this crap, and that it was a minority that was keeping discussion from being ended so an up or down vote could be held?

[RSmithOpt]

Good point!!!

Question?

So, if it is illegal for illegals to vote, illegal for illegals to be in this country, why would it matter other than for corrupt purposes of slave labor and improving the corporate/business bottom line?

[EQAndyBuzz]

"I hope you paid your common sense penalty before posting that. But it is always nice to see when SOMEONE GETS IT."

Not sure if you are complimenting me or putting me down with that. Been a long day.... Real long...

[Soul Seeker]

IMO, they are intentionally trying to keep the idiots in Washington unaware of the feelings of Latino's/Hispanics.

Here's one that dates into 2005 from PEW. I'm a sceptic of the fairness of PEW, but even so, they are more likely to split against the conservative position than the Dems. So the numbers are telling in that respect.

http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/52.pdf

Here's a site that dates from 2001 to the '90's about sentiments. I bring this forward because it doesn't seem opinions have shifted too much despite more focus on the issue.

http://www.npg.org/factsheets/imm_americans_spoken.html

These do seem to back up my discussions with Hispanics though. They aren't a monolithic pro- illegal immigration block as people are assuming. This is no 90/10 split as with the black community in elections.

[conservativecorner]

TOUCHE' BUMP!

[conservativecorner]

This problem will not go away though because the illegal immigrant faction, I think they call them "guest workers", has deep pockets. Check this link out for the real story on Who's Behind The Immigration Rallies?

[Soul Seeker]

Just because it's illegal for them to vote, doesn't mean Democrats don't sign them up to do so. ;-)

All the better if they can fast track them to citizenship, it would spare a step, falsification of documents, so they can ink a vote for a Dem.

Corporations, you have that nailed. Basically bottom line slave labor. Our modern indentured servant movement.

For Reps? Corporate interests/funding for campaigns/fear of losing Hispanic vote and being labeled a bigot play a role here.

For the President? best I can configure he's for it because he believes it's the humanitarian thing to do. Yeah, I think he's wrong about that...but I'll give him credit for actually believing it. 99.9% of those pushing this are doing so for purely mercenary means.

[xarmydog]

LOTS of illegals who specialize in the drug trade.Last Friday,there were 5 domestic violence calls within 45 minutes.Some had to be hospitalized.In a town of 12,000 people.Two cops recently quit the department because they were disgusted with the system.The perps were out of jail before they could finish their reports.Nepotism is rampant.Mexicans in places of importance hire their family members,even though they are totally incompetent.Don't speak Spanish,forget about getting hired in many areas of employment.The city judge gets the job with no education over people with degrees in criminal justice courtesy of an all Hispanic mayor,and city council.Her husband is a bail bondsman!I could spend all day telling true stories that would shock you.It is bad and only getting worse.The politicians need to spend some time here,and maybe it would open their eyes and minds.Being sheltered and privileged in DC,they should not even have a say in what goes on.It is obvious they don't listen to the people whose lives their decisions affect.I have two of my sisters cars in the shop right now who were rear ended by illegals with no insurance.My B.I.L.was rear ended on his motorcycle at a stop light and is in critical shape.You guessed it,illegal and no insurance.They are still here and aren't going anywhere.It has become a sad joke.

[xarmydog]

LOTS of illegals who specialize in the drug trade.Last Friday,there were 5 domestic violence calls within 45 minutes.Some had to be hospitalized.In a town of 12,000 people.Two cops recently quit the department because they were disgusted with the system.The perps were out of jail before they could finish their reports.Nepotism is rampant.Mexicans in places of importance hire their family members,even though they are totally incompetent.Don't speak Spanish,forget about getting hired in many areas of employment.The city judge gets the job with no education over people with degrees in criminal justice courtesy of an all Hispanic mayor,and city council.Her husband is a bail bondsman!I could spend all day telling true stories that would shock you.It is bad and only getting worse.The politicians need to spend some time here,and maybe it would open their eyes and minds.Being sheltered and privileged in DC,they should not even have a say in what goes on.It is obvious they don't listen to the people whose lives their decisions affect.I have two of my sisters cars in the shop right now who were rear ended by illegals with no insurance.My B.I.L.was rear ended on his motorcycle at a stop light and is in critical shape.You guessed it,illegal and no insurance.They are still here and aren't going anywhere.It has become a sad joke.

[clawrence3]

Duplicate thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1610910/posts