Hastert May Block Version That Divides House GOP-Immigration Bill Expected To Pass Senate This Week

washington post ^ | May 23, 2006 | Charles Babington

[Sharks]

Backers of President Bush's bid to revamp immigration laws scored another small victory in the Senate yesterday, but they are increasingly concerned about a House Republican policy that could block final agreement even if a bipartisan majority is within reach.

Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's insistence that major legislation reach the House floor only if it appears to be backed by a "majority of the majority" could throw a high hurdle in front of efforts to reach a House-Senate compromise on immigration later this year, lawmakers said. Hastert (R-Ill.) has invoked the policy in blocking bills that appeared likely to win approval from more than half of the House's 435 members but less than half of its 231 Republicans.

[Coldwater Creek]

We need a new GOP Speaker!!!!!!!

[NapkinUser]

Hell no.

Thank God for Hastert.

[petkus]

Hastert is doing the right thing by insisting a majority of Republicans in the House Back the Bill!

The House is the last best hope for dealing with this illegal alien because this gives the conservatives the best leverage that they have in negotiating with the Senate.

By utilizing this strategery, the Senate cannot use the Democrats in the house to adopt the RINO/Democratic legislation of the senate.

Hastert has the Senate by the "cajones", now the senate will have to play by the Conservative rules if they want illegal alien legislation!

The House does not have to give into the demands of the Senate.

Paraphrasing Rush Limbaugh, the House is our best hope for implementing conservative values.



The arrogance of Lindsay Graham, John McCain, Chuck Haegel and Ted Kennedy in creating this amnesty debacle & telling the American people what they think is best for them.

The Senate will pass a bill for border security but will never provide the funds to implement it.

HASTERT IS LOOKING OUT FOR CONSERVATIVES AND PROTECTING THE COUNTRY FROM THE ILLEGAL ALIEN AMENESTY OF THE SENATE.

[armydawg1]

Someone in DC has to stand up to Fox.....er Bush, on this and say hell no, we arent going to bow down and let our country be overrun by these people.

[Kakaze]

"The job of speaker is not to expedite legislation that runs counter to the wishes of the majority of his majority."

Three cheers for Hastert!

Not just because I'm against amnesty either.

I'm surprised to see a politician in the republican party actually act like a party leader. Hastert is doing what his party backs even at a times when he disagrees. Instead of being obstinate he's doing his job.

If only Frist wasn't such a pansy he's have used the senates version of this ( the nuclear option) on judges. Then we might actually have one party rule.

[DustyMoment]

Hastert and Frist are both weak "leaders". Hastert's doing ok for now but, in the long run, he will cave to the Senate (and Bush) and give us one of the worst pieces of legislation since Prohibition.

Once that happens, the only way left to save this country will probably be through violence. So far, peaceful means and the voicing of our opposition to their plans to throw our borders wide open are falling on ears that couldn't get any deafer.

This is political arrogance that is beyond belief!!

[DumpsterDiver]

If you want to read about the political rhetoric on amnesty from 1986, read this:

Deja Vu: The JBS Was Right to Oppose Amnesty 20 Years Ago and Still Is Today!
www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1637233/posts

[ConservativeGreek]

This is how the House presses the Senate to amend its bill to make it more acceptable and attempt to force it to more closely resemble its own version of similar legislation.

Just posturing for now.

[spatso]

"Once that happens, the only way left to save this country will probably be through violence."

That's just stupid and irresponsible. How can advocates of the rule of law propose violating the law to get what they want?

I am more concerned that the House will force the passage of really tough immigration legislation that is merely window dressing that will not be enforced. If they do that the GOP will further alienate an already fragile base.

[Altair333]

The Senate passed MANDATORY job verification for employers:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/washington/24immig.html

I have to say, this would really help the situation a great deal. I still don't approve the Senate bill, but when you add up this amendment, the reduction in guest workers to 200,000 with no increases, the total of $2750 in fines illegals will have to pay, and the start of a border wall, there's a lot more to like in this bill than was the case before the amendments started.

If more concessions are obtained, I wouldn't rule out half of House Republicans going along with the bill.

[LibLieSlayer]

After Hastert shown that he had NO knowledge of what IS and is NOT Constitutional as far as william jefferson's office being searched under a Court Order; I lost every bit if faith I had in the man... because he put himself and his peers above the rest of the "People".

He inferred that Congress is above the Law, and NOT subject to the same responsibilities and rules as the rest of our Nation. I guess the House is a club that can do as it pleases. I remember the House Banking scandal, and that attitude still alive and well in Congress today.

No, Hastert must go... and he is not the only one!

LLS

[cb]

I think denny is still a little miffed over the goss firing. Bush may see a blizzard in the hot place before hastert etal are going to help him in the future. I also think that the flap over jefferson is more of the same

in my 59 years I've never seen a president in so much trouble. Nixon at least had the support of a lot of his party. bush is vilafied by all the demorats and now a significant majority of his own party. the surprising thing is how the senate is supporting him on this. I guess the prospect of all those new victim-type voters is too good to pass up.

[FreePaul]

I hope Hastert holds out against the terrible legislation coming from the Senate. Only time will tell whether he is doing a good job or just negotiating for something from the White House for his own interests.

[sure_fine]

is Hasert needing re-elected this year?

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

"But Hastert would prevent House action on such a measure under his leadership policy, spokesman Ron Bonjean said yesterday. Hastert still embraces the majority-of-a-majority rule -- first enunciated in a 2003 speech -- "and he intends to do so with any immigration bill that comes out of [a House-Senate] conference," Bonjean said."

Yes, this is great news. It means that any conference report must achieve support of a majority of GOP reps.

[polymuser]

...tough immigration legislation that is merely window dressing...

Well, what do we have now? Do we really need any new laws? What would our current laws do, if they were actually enforced (to the point of checking employers)? Then add the fence.

[WayneM]

I agree with you.

Tancredo for speaker (if Hastert caves in to the Senate and El Presedente)

[LadyNavyVet]

The entire House is up for reelection every two years, so yes.