According to my friends who work in the Senate, the provisions he cites are all in the “agreement” bill.
Statement from Sen. Sessions in Response to Senate Immigration Debate Announcement
Statement from U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) regarding Majority Leader Harry Reid’s announcement that he will call up immigration legislation in the U.S. Senate next week:
Friday, May 4, 2007
“Sen. Reid announced this morning that he will be moving to an immigration bill on Wednesday. I understand that bipartisan negotiations are still ongoing, but new legislation is not yet ready for the floor.
“Sen. Kennedy and Sen. Reid have indicated that without an agreement on a new bill, Sen. Reid will reintroduce last year’s fatally flawed bill, which seems to be Sen. Kennedy’s preference.
“Dealing seriously with our failed immigration policies is critically important. The stated intention of Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid to bring up next week this extensive legislation - it was just under 800 pages last year - without hearings, without working through the committee, and without following the outline being discussed in ongoing bipartisan negotiations, will be totally unacceptable to the American people who are rightly cynical and distrustful of the Congress on this issue.
“Sen. Reid is squandering a historic opportunity for bipartisan support for comprehensive immigration reform that will actually work. He appears to be allowing the wishes of the special interests that forced last year’s legislation to chart the course again this year. In my view, that is simply unthinkable.
“The Democratic leadership acts like this is just another piece of everyday legislation, but it is not. The immigration bill is one of the most important to come through the Senate in the decade that I have been here.
“We certainly need comprehensive reform of our failed immigration system. But reform legislation cannot be a sham; it must be carefully drawn so that it will actually work. Surely the 1986 ‘reform’ taught us that.
“The good news is that with real effort, the bipartisan outline that has been discussed in recent weeks could actually work. To go back to last year’s fatally defective legislation is truly heartbreaking, especially when we are squandering a framework that could make us proud.
“I cannot fathom any rational basis for forcing this process to the floor next week.”
http://sessions.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=273607
Statement of U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions on Immigration Negotiations
Friday, May 18, 2007
U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) made the following comments today regarding comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the Senate:
“I will not vote for, and will actively oppose, immigration legislation that does not meet the expectations of the American people on important issues such as border security, citizenship, and a transition to a merit-based ‘points’ system.
“I am deeply concerned with the compromise announced yesterday. Both the process by which the bill will be considered in the Senate and the content of the proposal are troubling. Supporting an agreement on such a complex and important issue cannot be justified when legislation has not yet been written. I will be carefully reading the bill, expected to be about 800 pages, to determine whether the details of the legislation have merit.”
http://sessions.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=274652
It was my understanding this latest Senate version was nothing more than last years (2006) Senate approved version on steroids.