Senate blocks effort to limit benefits to immigrants

Yahoo ^

[Sub-Driver]

Senate blocks effort to limit benefits to immigrants

By Donna Smith 10 minutes ago

The U.S. Senate blocked an effort on Thursday to limit Social Security benefits for illegal immigrants who would become permanent residents under a sweeping immigration overhaul being debated by lawmakers.

The Senate immigration bill would give millions of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship as long as they pay a fine and back taxes and meet such requirements as learning English.

The Senate is considering a number of amendments to the bill and was expected to vote later on Thursday on a measure offered by Sen. James Inhofe (news, bio, voting record), an Oklahoma Republican, that would make English the national language.

President George W. Bush backs a comprehensive approach close to what the Senate is considering and traveled to Yuma, Arizona, a front line for illegal crossings from Mexico, to shore up support for his plan to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops along the border.

Bush on Thursday formally requested congressional approval for $1.9 billion in emergency funding for his border security initiative.

Mexico said it would complain to Washington about plans to build security fences and deploy the Guard. "There are 12 million Mexicans on the other side, 12 million people who live every day in anguish about the need for a reform to let them live peacefully," Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said.

The Senate also killed an amendment offered by Sen. John Ensign (news, bio, voting record), a Nevada Republican, that would have prevented immigrants who legalize their status from getting Social Security credit for work while they were illegal.

"Social Security was not intended for people who entered our country illegally," Ensign said.

[Sub-Driver]

sheesh.....

[theDentist]

WTF?

[samadams2000]

arrggg

[gubamyster]

ping

[dirtboy]

The Dems and RINOs are just passing the Bush agenda that conservatives won't pass.

[Rakkasan1]

Path to SHAMnesty ping

[The South Texan]

Spineless GOP strikes again.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Imhofe on the floor....Durbin has differences with his amendment....Live Senate thread discussing some of this....

[Wolfie]

Craziness. But I'm not surprised.

[sheana]

"Their money sits in the Social Security Administration waiting to be matched with an eligible beneficiary, and once those workers establish the eligibility, how in all fairness can we deny them the credit for their past contributions? " asked Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), a Massachusetts Democrat.

mmmm it would be forfeited since it was illegal gains............you moron!

[skeeter]

GOOD. This will force the House to reject the Senate bill even faster.

[P-40]

"Social Security was not intended for people who entered our country illegally," Ensign said.

You'd think that would be obvious...

[truthkeeper]

In a nutshell (go to the Live Thread for details):
Should they gain citizenship, illegals will get SS benefits for the time they worked here illegally, even though they were fraudulently using someone else's SS number during that time. After all, they did "pay into the system," dontcha know.

Carumba.

[Bikers4Bush]

The theft of our childrens future continues unabated.

[Wolfie]

"Their money sits in the Social Security Administration waiting...

You know, we really are screwed. We deserve what's coming.

[P-40]

"Their money sits in the Social Security Administration

No, the money has gone out the back door and been spent, same as with everyone else's money paid into that Ponzi scheme. If it was there, it should go to pay for the benefits the illegals have already collected.

[groanup]

Surprised? Congress never passes up a chance to buy votes with someone else's money.

[AFreeBird]

mmmm it would be forfeited since it was illegal gains............you moron!

Of course it would, it should be. BUT, since SS is a ponzi scheme, what ever was paid into the system went right out to current retiries. Somebody else will have to pay for all the illegals retirement.

[Antoninus]

Hey Yahoo!, where's the word "illegal" in your headline.

(The incessant Media bias drives me absolutely around the bend!)

[SerpentDove]

Debating the best way to give away the store.

Which only solidifies the idea that we are allowing a flood of Democrats into our country.

Bye bye, G.O.P.

Maddening.