Keep your powder dry, folks, this is probably good news.
What it MEANS is that the Republican Senators have looked at the polls, listened to their constituents, and realize that they are going to LOSE CONGRESS if they don't get a Border Fence.
They have a delicate dance to do here, because the President's been talking about amnesty and guest worker. There will probably be SOME of that in the reconciled bill.
But the big thing will be a lot of extended fence, a lot of high tech sensors on the border, vastly expanded border enforcement.
What will probably come out is a bill that essentially CLOSES the border and steps up enforcement, and oh-by-the-way has a generic sort of slow amnesty and discussion of some sort of guest worker program.
Remember: the KEY to the whole thing is getting the border closed. And that's almost certainly to come out of this bill.
If that's there, Border Conservatives will have something important to defend, and will need to vote GOP this fall.
That is a very optimistic assessment given the past performance.
Exactly. I suspect that some sort of guest worker and proposed citzenship proposal will be a part of this. However, if we can get tough border security that is something big.
I hope you're right, but why aren't they talking about this? They always focus on their shamnesty agenda instead.
They have lost all credibility unless they actually take steps to close off the border to any further illegal immigration. Talk is cheap.
I think you are mistaken. The key to this whole thing is ongoing and thorough employer sanctions. If there is not reason to come, the illegal would be worker would not jump the border.
We have to close the border to drug dealers and terrorists.
I think you are mistaken, The KEY to the whole thing is ongoing and thorough employer sanctions. If there is no work for the illegal he will not come and the excess of them will go home.
We need to close the border because of drug dealers and terrorists.
I'm sure they are getting pressure but I doubt they view this as some dire emergency they feel they have to fix or they are toast. It's just another issue and they have to sort through it and find a way to strike a deal.
There will be no publicly financed fence. You can forget that. That's because people will demagogue it to death "Mr. Bush - tear down this wall" etc etc So that will never happen. However, privately financed fences will go forward so there will be sections of walls across the border.
They will go after businesses, fund more border enforcement and figure out rules for what to do with the illegals already here. There will be no plan to round them all up and send them back. That will never happen. I expect they will cut some deal for a selective earned amnesty approach.
"What it MEANS is that the Republican Senators have looked at the polls, listened to their constituents, and realize that they are going to LOSE CONGRESS if they don't get a Border Fence."
That is the optimistic view. Unfortunately it is not yet a done deal.
That gives our genius doctor and our immigrant pandering administration plenty of time to make a further mess of it.
Speaking as a SoCal native: We have a lot of experience with this ussue. Most other regions just got blessed since 1986.
With 11 million inside our borders, continued anchor baby rule, continued family reunification rule, little will change, regardless of what Congress passes.
"Remember: the KEY to the whole thing is getting the border closed. And that's almost certainly to come out of this bill."
Bush could close the border today without waiting for Congress by declaring a border emergency and deploying troops. The passage of an immigration bill shouldn't be a precondition for closing the border.
I hope you are correct, but I fear it will be a bait-and-switch like the thousands of new BP agents that were approved, but never funded or the current employer fines that are rarely invoked.
I'll believe it when the Feds are stretching the chain link and pouring the concrete, not gassing about "virtual fences" and unmanned drone enforcement without actually doing it.
The fact that Reid has capitulated to allow a vote on a Senate bill along with debate on extensive amendment indicates that he is feeling political pressure. Meanwhile, Frist's statements have emphasized the need for border security and enforcement.
It is entirely possible that the Senate will pass a bill which includes a guest worker program. But it is likely that it will be cut out in conference.
Bottom line: this could turn out to be a good thing folks.
I do hope you are right.
The article includes: "The agreement doesn't involve provisions of the law,"
And you say "Remember: the KEY to the whole thing is getting the border closed. And that's almost certainly to come out of this bill."
What it really means is that they came out with an amnesty program with no consideration at all for enforcement. This is a sham, and apparently it is working. Notice Reid and Frist avoiding the word amnesty, and that enforcement is not discussed, other than some observation technology on the border (= pork).
They have all the necessary laws NOW for border enforcement. They don't use them. What makes you think that they will enforce a bunch of new laws?
Better start learning Spanish so you can gain favor with your future masters.
You must have Bush confused with Reagan. And I am all for the fence. That is Tom DeLay's answer and it is mine. Not the total answer, but to stop the bleeding at the borders. Let the private sector and volunteers build the fence. Save some money and keep the Feds from mucking it up.