Posted on 06/12/2007 8:10:31 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
His party divided and his polls sagging, President Bush prodded rebellious Senate Republicans on Tuesday to help resurrect legislation that could provide eventual citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
"It's a highly emotional issue," said Bush after a session in which several lawmakers bluntly told him their constituents do not trust the government to secure the nation's borders or weed out illegal workers at job sites.
To alleviate the concerns, the president said he was receptive to an emergency spending bill as a way to emphasize his administration's commitment to accelerated enforcement. One congressional official put the price tag at up to $15 billion.
"I don't think he changed any minds," conceded Sen. Mel Martinez (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., a supporter of the legislation. But Martinez added that the president's appearance had helped nudge "people on the fence" to be more favorably inclined.
One Republican widely viewed as a potential convert, Sen. Bob Corker (news, bio, voting record) of Tennessee, said he was not yet persuaded. "At the end of the day, I've got to be able to sit down and know myself that we are going to secure our border," he said. "Today, I do not feel that way."
Bush's trip to the Capitol marked only the second time since he became president that he attended the weekly closed-door senators lunch, a gesture that underscored the importance he places on passage of comprehensive immigration legislation.
Despite the president's commitment, many conservatives in his own party have criticized the measure as an amnesty for millions of lawbreakers. Additionally, job approval ratings in the 30-percent range make it difficult for the president to bend even Republican lawmakers to his will.
Compounding the challenge is a stream of statements from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., that it is up to Bush and the Republicans to produce enough votes to revive a measure that was sidetracked on the Senate floor last week. "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together," he told reporters during the day.
"Fourteen percent of the Republicans supporting the president's bill won't do the trick," he said, referring to the fact that only seven GOP senators supported a move to free the bill from limbo last week.
Several participants in the Republican meeting described the session as friendly and rancor-free, and said Bush had even made a joke at one point when addressing Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), the Alabama Republican who is one of the bill's fiercest critics.
One senator quoted Bush as telling Sessions: "Don't worry, I'll still go to your fundraiser. We disagree about this, but we are friends."
Sessions was among the senators to question the president, pointing to polls showing widespread opposition to the legislation. Bush responded that there are other polls that show support, according to participants. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing confidentiality rules covering the closed-door meeting.
These officials said numerous senators told Bush the public lacks confidence that the government would carry out the enforcement measures in the bill.
One, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (news, bio, voting record), R-Ga., told Bush that he and fellow Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson (news, bio, voting record) had sent the president a letter outlining the concerns.
"The message from a majority of Georgians is that they have no trust that the United States government will enforce the laws contained in this new legislation and secure the border first," it said.
"This lack of trust is rooted in the mistakes made in 1986, and the continued chaos surrounding our immigration laws. Understandably, the lack of credibility the federal government has on this issue gives merit to the skepticism of many about future immigration reform."
The letter asked Bush to support a spending bill to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect. It did not specify how much money would be needed, but one congressional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the advance costs could reach $10 billion to $15 billion.
"The administration should request the emergency funds, and the Senate should vote to provide them before resuming debate on the broader immigration measure," Chambliss said in an interview.
Apart from the additional funds, Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill hoped to complete work on an agreement that could free it for final passage by month's end.
Discussions center on a plan to allow votes on about a dozen Republican-sponsored amendments as well as several proposals by Democrats. In exchange, GOP holdouts would then support a move to end debate and advance the bill to a final vote.
Among the amendments was one by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, to require all illegal immigrant household heads to return to their countries of origin before obtaining legal status. Under the legislation, only those seeking green cards — permanent legal residency — would be required to return home first.
After an early evening negotiating session between Republican and Democratic senators, Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., said the group is trying to craft an amendment to assure Americans that the bill will include ample funding for tighter border security and tougher workplace enforcement. The plan could involve "pre-funding" the effort with billions of dollars eventually to be repaid through fines and fees, he said, or through a more traditional supplemental spending bill, such as those recently used to pay for the Iraq war.
Graham said the bipartisan negotiators also are looking at harsher penalties for immigrants who overstay their visas or re-enter the country illegally. "If you had mandatory jail time" for such offenses, he said, "I think it would create a deterrent."
Another possible amendment, Graham said, would ban employers from participating in a new temporary worker program if they repeatedly break the law by hiring illegal workers.
"I'm looking for ways to break the cycle of skepticism" among those who feel a new immigration law would be as poorly enforced as the 1986 law, he said.
The administration pushed back against Republican critics of the bill later Tuesday. In a letter to nine conservative senators who bitterly oppose the measure, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the administration has committed manpower and money to improving border security and enforcement, and needs the immigration bill to step up its efforts.
"Failure to act on this legislation will deny the country the safety and security provided by these enhanced enforcement measures," Chertoff wrote.
___
Associated Press writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis contributed to this story.
To alleviate the concerns, the president said he was receptive to an emergency spending bill as a way to emphasize his administration's commitment to accelerated enforcement. One congressional official put the price tag at up to $15 billion.
I'm sorry, but no amount of money on the front end for enforcement as the bill has described will actually help the law do what conservatives would expect. How about throwing $15 billion at the laws already on the books instead?
Scrap this idiotic proposal.
I’m for immigration of much of the GOP leaders...but I have just not found a planet that will take them yet.
Two Letters:
FO
How many times, and how many ways do we have to shout it? The PARTY is not divided on this issue! The leadership is disconnected from the base. Restraining myself from further because the mod has the duct tape out and is giving me the evil eye.
Gee, and what ever would give us THAT idea?
Being a hard core (REAGAN) CONSERVATIVE, I do NOT approach NATIONAL INTERESTS from an EMOTIONAL point of view. Rather, I do so from an INTELLECTUAL stand-point.
INTELLECT tells ME that PRESIDENT BUSH is DEAD WRONG on this issue!!
YOU NEVER REWARD BAD BEHAVIOR!!
To do so will ONLY ensure more BAD BEHAVIOR!
RESIGN NOW, PRESIDENT BUSH!!
It's not the issue that raises my emotions. It's the effrontery of a treasonous President that does.
This is so sickening. MR BUSH-— PUT UP THAT WALL!!!!!
“”It’s a highly emotional issue,” said Bush after a session in which several lawmakers bluntly told him their constituents do not trust the government to secure the nation’s borders or weed out illegal workers at job sites.”
Prez - I love you - however on this I will fight you tooth and nail.
Actions speak vs. words.
It’s not emotional for me - it is simple math.
I don't think Jorge would be welcome at a pig sticking in the south.
One senator quoted Bush as telling Sessions: “Don’t worry, I’ll still go to your fundraiser. We disagree about this, but we are friends.”
So, Bush does plan to punish him.
Bush is going to lose big on this issue.
It may cost him his job, we won’t stand by him while the Dems. go an impeachment fishing expedition (I won’t anyway).
I was insulted during Harriet, Dubai and now this he can kiss my ass.
There are two issues which concern me, and I’m not sure which one is more important. Illegal immigration is one, but the other is our elected representatives’ unwillingness to do what we want them to do. Are they even listening to us? Do they have a hidden agenda? Why should we trust them to do ANYTHING for us, if they won’t handle this one?
I don’t know one Republican from very conservative to more moderate that supports this bill — not one! My two Oklahoma Senators reflect the sentiments of Oklahoma Republicans — ENFORCE the laws on the books NOW!
Sorry Pres. I agree with you on all but 1% … that 1% is your latest Immigration bill initiative. Just because you have spent much of your life in Texas, your sister-in-law is Hispanic and you speak passable Spanish, doesn’t give the right to give our country over to Mexico.
Keep movin’, movin’, movin’,
Though they’re disapprovin’,
Keep them wetbacks movin’ Rawhide!
(whip crack sound, Howard Dean yell)
Don’t try to understand ‘em,
Just deport and disband ‘em,
Soon we’ll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart’s calculatin’
My true country’s ’waitin’,
waiting at the end of our ride.
(whip crack and Howard Dean yell)
Move ‘em on, head ‘em up,
Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,
Move ‘em on, head ‘em out Rawhide!
Set ‘em out, ride ‘em in
Ride ‘em in, let ‘em out,
Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in Rawhide.
(multiple whip cracks and Howard Dean yells)
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Though the Rio Grande is swollen
Keep them wetbacks rollin’
Rawhide!
(two whip cracks and a Howard Dean yell)
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin’ George Bush was by my side.
All the things that he’s forgettin’,
His legacy he’ll be regrettin’
Are waiting at the end of his ride
CHORUS
Move ‘em on, head ‘em up
Head ‘em up, move ‘em on
Move ‘em on, head ‘em up
Rawhide
Count ‘em out, ride ‘em in,
Ride ‘em in, count ‘em out,
Count ‘em out, ride ‘em in
Rawhide!
(multiple whip cracks and Howard Dean yells)
How in God's name will any department in our government be able to handle millions and millions of applications, registrations and paperwork? And - what becomes of this information and how does it get mananged?
This POS legislation needs to be scrapped before it will be too late to turn back.
The MSM think that Republican members of Congress are the ‘Party’.
That’s the whole problem in a nutshell.
The People are left out by the MSM.
Kiss my butt George...you New World Order POS!!!
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