"I look forward to signing this legislation as soon as I can," Bush said on Friday.
Posted on 05/18/2007 1:58:23 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A landmark compromise on the thorny issue of immigration came under scrutiny in Congress Friday as some Republicans slammed the plan as a blanket amnesty and some Democrats argued it did not go far enough.
"The agreement as it stands is hopeless. It is a framework that still has to be fleshed out," said Vanessa Cardenas of the Center for American Progress, after US lawmakers late Thursday struck a deal with the White House on sweeping immigration reform that could allow 12 million illegal immigrants to legalize their status.
The pact, announced by a group of Democratic and Republican senators, would provide a path to permanent residency and citizenship for the vast majority of illegal workers, establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants, and set up a low-wage temporary worker program.
It also would also provide 18,000 more Border Patrol agents, and scores of radar and camera towers on the US border with Mexico.
The deal could hand President George W. Bush one of the few successes in Congress of his second term in office; in the Senate Monday, 60 of 100 members were expected to give a procedural green light for the bill to be debated.
"I look forward to signing this legislation as soon as I can," Bush said on Friday.
Debate will get under way, a legislative source said, but stressed that was no guarantee about terms set out in the deal.
Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has said he would like to improve the deal with amendments, gave colleagues until next weekend to approve a reform plan apparently in a bid to keep the immigration issue from becoming a focus of campaigning ahead of next year's presidential vote.
Conservative Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney jumped on the issue, saying he was strongly opposed to the deal. But Democrat Hillary Clinton said only that she would analyze the deal carefully -- not if she supported it.
With critics on both sides, Democrat Ted Kennedy and Republican Jon Kyl face an uphill battle for their bill despite being backed by Bush.
"I voted for amnesty in 1986 and learned that illegality only promotes illegality. So I won't repeat the mistake," said Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, referring to a prior effort to allow people in the United States illegally to normalize their status.
Democrat Bob Menendez did not sign on either, despite the fact he was one of his party's lead negotiators on the case in recent weeks.
"I could not sign on to the agreement announced in principle because it tears families apart, says to many that they are only good enough to work here, but not good enough to stay," said Menendez.
Some Democrats have asked for reforms that would allow separated family members to be reunited, and a way for future participants in a temporary workers' program to seek permanent residency, ideas not in the current plan.
Lawmakers and the White House will have to narrow the divide over the details in a few months if they hope to give Bush a deal he can sign before year's end.
The Senate's final version of the deal, once approved, must be debated in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats hold sway. If it is revised a committee must iron out differences between the competing versions, and then put the result before both houses.
Last year immigration reform got bogged down in committee, amid opposition from conservative Republicans, and Cardenas warmed that could happen again.
"Anti-immigrant groups have a strong base that takes action, and politicians listen to them," she said.
I agree with your perspective on what has happened so far.
BUT
2.5 million is still not enough. That’s barely half the population of Atlanta.
me too
It’s good that traditional lunchbox liberals are against this. Hopefully some Blue Dogs in Congress will have 2nd thoughts.
We need to have a gimmick to show them we are serious.....would pitchforks get us arrested at a protest/demonstration? It would make great TV to have the pitchforks though..........mmmm.
We need massive demonstrations in cities across the country! MAJOR ones.......
I went over to the DUmpster and they don't like the proposed bill either. They don't like it because they think it benefits corporations at the expense of the middle class. They don't like it because W does like it. And they don't like it because it's over 1000 pages long and being kept behind closed doors until after the vote.
At this point I'm not so sure that isn't the goal.
Right. Can't quite make that leap yet, but damn, if it walks like a duck....
Democrats that aren’t Liberal may be just as upset as Republicans. I don’t think this bodes well for anyone in DC regardless of their political affiliation.
IMO, they’re all arrogant, anti-American, self-serving, ego maniacs who need to be voted OUT. Time to get rid of all of them regardless of Party. Clean house and start over. Make it known that if a candidate goes to Washington and doesn’t represent their constituents, they’re OUT next election.
Wake up America, it’s our children and grandchildren’s futures that they’re destroying for their own personal power grab.
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Thanks.
CALL, people!!! We can stop this!!!
One thing that gives me hope is the arrogance of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and some of the other liberals. They want an even better deal for themselves, and that second bite of the apple may be their undoing. If we make ourselves heard.
Gee, ya THINK?!
This dude certainly has a talent for understatement....
President Bush Discusses Comprehensive Immigration Bill
I Can't Believe that this is what comes first!
UFB!!
President Bush on Thursday said, "Immigration is a tough issue for a lot of Americans. The agreement reached today is one that will help enforce our borders, but equally importantly, it will treat people with respect. This is a bill where people who live here in our country will be treated without amnesty, but without animosity." 
En Español
Fact Sheet: Border Security and Immigration Reform President's Statement on Bipartisan Immigration System Proposal In Focus: Immigration
And La Raza had veto power during negotiations. We’ve been shut out.
Para su publicación inmediata
Oficina del Secretario de Prensa
17 de mayo de 2007
Declaraciones del Presidente Sobre Inmigración
South Lawn
3:25 P.M. EDT
EL PRESIDENTE: El Secretario Gutiérrez y el Secretario Chertoff me acaban de poner al corriente respecto al proyecto de ley integral sobre la inmigración, cuyas negociaciones concluyeron hace poco en el Senado. Primero que nada, quiero agradecerles a mis secretarios por participar en el proceso, por abocarse de lleno a este importante asunto y ayudar a lograr avances en el proceso. Felicito a los miembros del Senado, a ambos partidos, que decidieron que era tiempo de trabajar juntos y redactar un proyecto de ley integral sobre la inmigración a fin de resolver uno de los principales problemas que enfrenta nuestro país. Después de varias semanas de arduo trabajo, estas negociaciones han finalizado con éxito.
Quiero agradecerles a los miembros del Senado que trabajaron arduamente. Agradezco las demostraciones de liderazgo de ambos lados del pasillo. Frente a este logro tan importante, el primer paso y el más importante hacia un proyecto integral sobre la inmigración, la reflexión que me viene a la mente es que me recuerda cuánto agradecen los estadounidenses el hecho de que podamos trabajar juntos. Cuando trabajamos juntos, ven cosas positivas.
La inmigración es un asunto difícil para muchos estadounidenses. El acuerdo al que se llegó hoy ayudará a resguardar nuestras fronteras pero, lo que es igualmente importante, también tratará a la gente con respeto. Éste es un proyecto de ley donde la gente que vive aquí en nuestro país no recibirá amnistía, pero tampoco será tratada con animosidad.
Entonces, quiero agradecerles a ustedes, muy especialmente, por representar a la Casa Blanca. Agradezco la ardua labor de los senadores. Espero una votación positiva ante el plenario del Senado de Estados Unidos tan pronto como el Líder Reid pueda poner el proyecto de ley en movimiento, y luego, por supuesto, esperamos trabajar con la Cámara de Representantes para llevarles este primer paso y convertirlo en un exitoso segundo paso. Realmente estoy ansioso de promulgar un proyecto de ley integral sobre la inmigración lo antes posible. Hoy dimos un paso firme en esa dirección.
Muchas gracias.
END 3:27 P.M. EDT
“I would prefer that Bush spend the rest of his term on vacation..”
I want him to go to Crawford, Texas and stay there and return the money I so foolishly spent on supporting his first campaign. I feel cheated.
This should hurt anybody who votes for it and this should help anybody who votes against it.
Apparently, unlike you policy matters to me, not party.
“Woot” is really “Bang, America is dead.”
The alternatives were McCain or algore for President in 2000. You don’t want to hear this now, as seething as you are, but in 2000 there’s no question you did the right thing...
Remember:
September 11, 200l aftermath.
Surveillance against the terrorist enemy.
The Patriot Act.
The removal of Saddam Hussein.
Tax cuts making a sinking economy sing again.
Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court.
No fed. money to stem cell research that creates life in order to kill it in research a la embryonic stem cell.
Signed ban on partial birth abortion.
Refused to accept the Kyoto Treaty.
Refused to make the American military subject to international war crimes tribunals.
Guantanamo Bay.
Is not a looney bin like John McCain.
I could go on and on but the point is made.
You make me feel so good.
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