Posted on 05/25/2006 2:46:41 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Legislation offering millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship moved to the brink of Senate passage Thursday, a rare reach across party lines and a triumph for President Bush.
Majority Leader Bill Frist called for swift talks with the House, which has passed its own version, in what loomed as an arduous search for compromise.
Underscoring bipartisan support in the Senate, Frist, R-Tenn., and Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced in advance they would support the measure. It was months in the drafting and narrowly survived several brushes with disaster across more than a week of debate.
The legislation calls for stronger border security, a new guest worker program and — most controversially — provisions giving many of the illegal immigrants in the country an eventual chance to become citizens. Another provision would establish a new system to verify the legal status of workers, and punish employers who knowingly hire illegal laborers.
Conservatives attacked the bill to the end after trying unsuccessfully to pick it apart with amendments.
"This bill will not secure our borders," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., one of the most persistent critics.
"This is amnesty," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who tried last week to strip out provisions relating to citizenship.
Together, Sessions and Vitter echoed the views of numerous House Republicans, many of whom have vigorously denounced the Senate bill as well as Bush's call for a "comprehensive approach" to the issue.
That portended difficult compromise talks in the shadow of midterm elections, at a time when Bush's poll ratings are low, congressional Republicans are concerned and Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances at the polls.
For now, supporters of the Senate bill said they intended to savor their victory. Peppered with questions about the compromise talks ahead, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said, "I'm going to celebrate here."
The House bill, which passed on a largely party-line vote last year, is generally limited to border enforcement. It would make all illegal immigrants subject to felony charges and it contains no provision for either a new temporary worker program or citizenship for men, women and children in the country unlawfully.
Frist said compromise talks should begin swiftly.
"I think it is important on this issue with millions of people coming across our borders illegally, not knowing who they are, where they are going or why they are coming," he said.
In contrast to the House measure, the Senate bill would mark the most far-reaching changes in immigration law in two decades. Built on compromise after painstaking compromise, it was designed to appeal to conservatives and others seeking tougher border enforcement; business interests eager for a steady supply of legal, low-wage labor; unions seeking enhanced protections for migrants who often toil in seasonal work the fields and Hispanics who are on the cusp of greater political power and determined to win a change in legal status for millions of illegal immigrants.
That last group — Hispanics — comprises the fastest growing segment of the electorate, and millions made their feelings clear in street demonstrations denouncing the House measure and calling for passage of a broader measure.
Bush played a prominent role in the run-up to passage. An Oval Office speech last week made explicit his support for the Senate's overall approach. A later trip to Arizona was designed to reassure conservatives about his commitment to stanching illegal immigration.
In more than a week of debate, the Senate made a series of changes in the legislation. Still, the key pillars were preserved when opponents failed to knock out the guest worker program or the citizenship provisions. A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also survived.
To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011, and backs Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border. The bill calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers.
The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers.
A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions, envisions admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residency
Even supporters of the bill conceded the three-tiered program related to illegal immigrants was complicated.
Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English.
Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants.
An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return.
A new electronic system for employee verification is designed to hold employers accountable for hiring decisions. It provides for maximum fines of $20,000 for each worker and possible jail time for repeat offenders.
A separate controversy erupted over a call to make English the national language. Supporters said it would leave all current rights in place. Detractors argued it could undermine an executive order that mandates assistance to individuals who receive services such as health care yet lack proficiency in English.
I got a call from a young woman from the RNC today, and I just told her that her party is so cowardly that it makes me cringe!
Those ratings are rigged by the groups that make the tabulations. Members are told in advance how to vote on this or that issue to keep up their percentages. They are rigged, just like everything else in the USA these day, it seems. Is everybody corrupt?
And I can promise you I won't be voting for Mel Martinez again.
Go ahead and vote for Santorum. He has no chance, and you can tell us here on our forum that you voted for him, but that your vote didn't matter because it won't matter. One vote never decides an election, but one vote per precinct can decide elections.
I may be worng but I don't think the House will cave. We'll see.
You are a nice person, but the Republican Party is laughing in your face at your blind loyalty. It knows you will come through, but will the other dupes out there? I would think that the Democrats will gain 40 House seats, 10 Senate seats, and eight to ten governorships.
That is just crazy talk. Sen. Byrd is concerned about one thing and one thing only, himself. He is a gasbag partisan, without a sense of decency. He is an embarrasment to his state, and deserves to be defeated since he lacks the grace to leave on his own. Unfotunately barring a health problem, he will be re-elected easily, and that sucks.
His partner in crime, Sen. Rockefeller, is also an embarrassment. West Virginia can do better than these buffoons. Without the pork express, there would likely be at least one GOP Senator from WV.
Yea, even Liz Taylor figured him out before the trusting Republicans did.
Two can play at that game. All the House has to do is remind the WH that should the democrats get power the next two years aren't going to be very much fun for them.
I'm proud of Sen. Chambliss and Sen. Isakson tonight as well. They represented GA favorably today. I hope Sen. Chambliss is on the Joint Cmte.
I have voted for every Republican who has been on my ballot in every election since 1972 except for a state senate candidate who supported abortion in 1996.
But I cannot go with Perry this year. I am looking for a fifth gubernatorial candidate, but there may be none.
And I did not vote Democrat for the state senate in 1996 --just skipped that contest.
Not what I want to do! I guess I did need the /sarcasm tag :^)
I was commenting on those who suggest from thread to thread that we vote in ways to ensure a return of the DNC into real power. A "throw the baby out with the bathwater" approach that I refuse to participate in, no matter HOW upset I am with the wishy-squishy Republicans.
I agree with your approach.
It's all rigged. I think the election of GWB in 2000 was rigged too, but not because of the FL recount. It's rigged now for the return of Bill Clinton via Hillary in 2008. There is nothing we can do. It's possible Bill may take over and Hillary will "bake cookies."
You need to take a few wraps off the tinfoil, Teddy. There is no grand conspiracy at play.
Tonight feels like a low point to some, but the Senate accomplished nothing with today's votes. The House bill is irreconcilable.
Also rememember that 95%+ of Americans don't have a clue what happened today, and the Driveby Media is certainly not going to talk about how evil this mainly-Democrat bill is, so most Americans will not be affected in any way by this Senate vote that is causing such gnashing and wailing.
There are many other issues that will play out in the next five+ months that will likley have greater impact on the midterm elections.
Hillary will never be President unless McCain splits the party ala Perot when he is crushed in the primaries.
I would think that the Democrats will gain 40 House seats, 10 Senate seats, and eight to ten governorships.
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