Posted on 05/17/2007 10:16:31 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators reached agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border against new ones.
One of the key negotiators, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects President Bush to endorse it.
The deal came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.
It set the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities.
This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic senators huddled Thursday trying to close in on an immigration compromise to grant quick legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants while fortifying U.S. borders against new ones.
A group of lawmakers that has been haggling over the terms of agreement for weeks were reviewing language negotiated Wednesday night in efforts to nail down a deal. Among the final sticking points was a stubborn dispute over how much family ties count toward green cards under a new "point system." The plan prioritizes advanced skills and education levels for future immigrants.
Two of the lead negotiators, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., booked time for Thursday afternoon in the Senate's radio-TV gallery for an announcement.
But Kennedy said some were hanging back as an agreement inched closer.
"There are just some people who don't want to close on this. There comes a time in every negotiation where people have to close," Kennedy said. "Today is it."
Kennedy said Thursday was likely the last chance for a compromise before senators scattered for a three-day weekend.
"The immigration reform legislation has come to a boiling point," Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., said just before going into Thursday's meeting. "We've tried to come to a consensus and I think we are very, very close, but every time we grasp it, it eludes a final resolution."
If no deal emerged, Senate Democrats were to vote Monday evening to bring up an immigration measure that passed last year over the objections of most Republicans, who have said they will block it. That would be a highly partisan start to the immigration debate, which divides the two parties and exposes fissures within their ranks.
Even with a bipartisan agreement, the immigration debate could easily devolve into a free-for-all in the unruly Senate.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., has said he wants to complete a bill before Memorial Day, and President Bush says he wants to sign one by summer's end.
You know, now I'm really considering enhancing my Spanish-speaking skills - and moving to Mexico. Ought to be a nice country once all their liberal freeloaders have moved up here!
I have a better plan than the idiots in DC. It would involve a more limited
legalization with far stricter new rules for immigration.
1. Legalize those who can prove they have had continuous employment for at
least 7 years. Employer would have to come forward and verify employment and pay a fine of $5,000 per employee for every year they were employed. The fine would be paid to the State the company resides in not the Feds. They will have a waiting period of three years to make sure the border security plan is working.
2. In order to continue being eligible for citizenship in addition to the 7 years
employment not one person in the family will have been convicted of any
criminal offense and the children must not be registered as gang members. Any gang affiliation will lead to immediate deportation. Applicant must be able to read and write in English and the children must be doing well in school.
3. All border security proposals must be included in this bill and must be proven to be effective within 3 years or the amnesty provision is off the table.
4. A change in the law that states that a child born here is automatically an
American citizen. That will no longer be the case.
5. A guest worker program for Farm workers only, not leading to citizenship and the Farm must provide housing.
6. For every Illegal made Legal there will be a concurrent reduction in the
number of Legal Immigrants into this country. For instance if 10 Mexicans
become Legal, 10 fewer Mexicans will be able to immigrate to the country under the Legal Immigration system. That goes for every nationality.
7. The number of Legal Immigrants is reduced from the current 1 Million to
300,000 per year to reduce overpopulation growth.
8. Skill sets will take precedence over family, and Chain migration will be ended.
9. Nationalities that were heaviest represented in the last 30 years will be
reduced and those countries underrepresented will be increased.
10. National IDs instituted that will enable employers to easily identify Legal
Immigrants and American citizens. Heavy fines for employers who continue to
hire Illegals.
11. Declare English the Official Language of the United States.
12. Put in writing a specific ban on any future mass illegal alien amnesty.
Thats my plan. Not all will be able to become citizens. Those that cannot will be
given 90 days to leave the country. If they do not and we catch them they will
not be able to reenter this country for any reason, even to visit.
Fred Thompson, hopefully, who IS electable....or, whatever RINO from the remainder buys the nomination, then loses to Hillary.
Oh cripes! You're lecturing me about wasting my vote and you're counting on someone who isn't even in the race. You could have at least said Duncan Hunter.
And short of that, elect a RINO president and watch as the Republican party falls apart. Weak candidates are why conservatives stayed home and gave the House and Senate to the Dems. RINOs aren't the solution to that problem.
The whole thing may have been rigged in 2000, 2004 and now 2008.
jveritas, you’ve called everyone and anyone involved against illegal immigration a racist or ‘hater’ for 4 years! That is until you were banned for it and returned on the promise you would stay off such threads? Need a memory refreshing?
On the plus side, if this country gets lousy enough, people won’t want to come here anymore.
On the plus side, maybe we will decide it’s time to throw tea in the harbor again.
Better yet, let’s send the folks in Washington to fight in Iraq, right alongside the paid mercenaries (actually, not much difference). If that doesn’t work, how about mandatory military service for every illegal? If they want to be in this country so badly, make them fight for it.
Bush’s insanely indignant lame slacker attitude toward the rule of law is in such stark contrast to the office of trust that he holds, thereby ratchet-ing down ( in wild proportion) the impact of whatever he has to say on any subject.
(The smoke-filled room into which he picks to convene for immigration policy must have an unusual extra dosage of cannibis fumes that waft over to the senate chamber.)
Oh, my.
Oh well, you should know by now - never trust anyone in DC.:)
I thought that nut Ron Paul was the first to blow his candidacy but I see McCain got inside the rail to pull out the win!
Bye, bye John McInsane.
And yet another stab in the back from G.W. Bush. Where is Nixon when you need him?
Buchanan was dead on about the "Death of The West".
Perhaps that's WHY he is loathed by many - for speaking the truth in terms they don't want to hear.
- John
What an outrage! This is unbelievable. Are American citizens being represented or dictated to? Thank goodness for those who voted NAY! The rest should personally support with THEIR $$ the folks they are pandering to.
And it is beyond comprehension why citizenship is at play in this problem. Deportation or temporary visas, at worst permanent residency; these solutions I can understand, if not like. But, citizenship! That is a play for a voting bloc and each party is willing to sacrifice our culture because each party sees voters. What a display of total disregard for the values of this country. Pathetic.
And did you see the politicians that formulated this act prancing around for the press and congratulating one another? The only time I want to see Ted Kennedy in front of a camera is when he is going to apologize for his behavior in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. I don’t want to hear how hard he worked on this, or that they put in two hours a day for weeks. The are getting paid nearly $150,000 to do a job that they spend little time doing and that has more time off than a teacher.
Make those calls and write those letters.
Hayworth made one fatal mistake. He voted against HR4437, the enforcement bill. He said he did so because it didn’t go far enough, but his opposition just said he voted agaisnt enforcement and it cost him big time.
And now conservatives refusal to vote Republican in the last election is coming back to bite them in the rear. Those who stayed home share a lot of the responsiblity for the inevitable passing of the new amnesty bill since they helped hand the Demorats the candidates they needed to ensure its passage. And some here seem intent to make an even worse mistake next year by crowning the Hildabeast our new president.
sw
Thank you very much for all your support.
>Ronald Reagan also granted amnesty to illegals yet he is rightly considered one of our nation’s greatest presidents.<
Well, of course. Reagan also fattened the government quite a bit, but he had his priorities right, and the courage of his convictions when it came to the cold war, and about peace through strength. He also had a great way of getting his ideas across. Most of them were right on.
But Reagan was not a globalist. His country came first.
Reminds me of another Californian who served with him.
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