Posted on 06/14/2007 3:55:45 PM PDT by Alaphiah123
Key senators tentatively agreed on a plan to revive a stalled immigration bill on Thursday, aided by President Bush's support for a quick $4.4 billion aimed at "securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site."
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill were presenting their proposal to the Senate's top two leaders, who in turn arranged an early evening meeting to discuss it.
Precise details to be presented to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were not disclosed.
In general, according to officials familiar with the discussions, Republicans and Democrats would each be accorded roughly a dozen chances to amend the measure, with the hope that they would then combine to provide the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by die-hard opponents. The officials who described the emerging plan did so on condition of anonymity, saying the negotiations had been conducted in private.
The legislation has generated intense controversy, particularly for provisions envisioning eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million immigrants now in the country unlawfully. The bill also calls for greater border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal employees.
"We're going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept," Bush said, two days after launching a personal rescue mission.
Any agreement is subject to approval by Reid, who has said repeatedly it is up to Bush and Republicans to line up the votes needed to advance the measure if it is to be brought back to the Senate for debate. Reid, who has expressed misgivings about elements of the bill, sidetracked it last week after supporters gained only 45 of the 60 votes needed.
Republicans accounted for only seven of the 45 votes, and Reid said earlier this week, "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together."
Bush's decision to personally announce support for the accelerated funding reflected concerns expressed by Republican senators at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Several told him their constituents doubted the government was capable of following through on a commitment to enforce immigration laws.
In a letter sent to Bush before the meeting, Georgia Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson wrote, "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."
Under the legislation as drafted, money for border enforcement would be collected gradually as illegal immigrants pay the fines and fees needed to achieve legal status. The letter asked Bush to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect, and the president agreed in his remarks to the Associated Builders and Contractors.
"One common concern is whether the government will provide the resources to meet the goals in the bill. They say, 'It's fine to talk about it, are you actually going to do something?'" he said.
"To answer these concerns I support an amendment that will provide $4.4 billion in immediate additional funding for securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site," he said.
"By matching our benchmarks with these critical funds, we're going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept."
Two Republican supporters of the legislation, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jon Kyl of Arizona, had previously proposed advanced funding.
"The moment the presidential signing pen meets the paper these funds will be available," Graham said in a statement welcoming Bush's remarks.
But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an opponent of the legislation, took a different view. "I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there's simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill."
Even a decision to return the bill to the Senate floor does not guarantee its passage, given the intense opposition. "We've got people out there on both sides really ready to burn the place down," said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the second-ranking Republican. "I don't think we ought to let that happen."
The calendar, too, presents obstacles to any attempt to pass the measure before the Senate begins a scheduled vacation in two weeks. Should they choose, critics of the immigration measure could slow progress on other measures Reid wants debated in the next two weeks. The effect would be to further reduce prospects for passage of the immigration bill.
What, to augment the financing already approved to build a barrier which was never built?
This is rapidly going from politically comical to personally frustrating.
Those G-D globalists senators and Jorge are determined to turn over the Southwest to Mexico! I hope they all choke on the rubber chicken dinners at their freakin’ fund raising dinners!!! I am fed up with these clowns!
Gee whiz Senator Lott why bring back the bill then? He hears the people telling him that he ought not sell our country down the river but proceeds full steam ahead. Sh*t happens Senator Lott and I hope you get your fair share of it.
“aided by President Bush’s support for a quick $4.4 billion aimed at “securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site.””
Lip service. WE’RE NOT THAT STUPID, MR. PRESIDENT.
Who the hell do these senators think they are?,on both sides of the aisle.
It's time for a Third Party to get some votes,and one of them will get mine in 2008.
"The $4.4 billion would be spent immediately and then repaid out of fees and fines collected through the path to citizenship program and the guest-worker program, Mr. Snow said."
There is a disconnect here. Last week, Kennedy, Durbin, et al, said medical and social services required for the immigrants would be paid "out of fees and fines collected through the path to citizenship program and the guest-worker program".
Well, which is it? Paying for border security or medical / social services?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm
The “details” are obvious. Republicans can present 10 amendments that Kennedy knows will be voted down. Dummies can present 10 amendments, pre-approved by Kennedy, that will all get majority approval.
Then, both sides will agree that the process was fair and the bill should get an up or down vote.
Sure looks fair to Kennedy!
No donations first and no votes second.
HAHAHA ... The Democrats get exactly what they want... Red meat for the GOP.... I bet they wish this infighting lasts until right before the 08 elections.....
Well this is going to pass...there is no doubt now.
Enforcement only. Nothing else is going to fly.
One glaring problem with this promise - according to that pesky Constitution, all spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. So any amendment that promises to spend more money than is already appropriated is meaningless unless the House includes the same language in their bill. If the House passes a bill without the extra spending, they can’t just insert the Senate language into the conference report. So we never get the additional spending, but the amnesty gets passed anyway. No thanks!
Print and send to the RNC...
“They do so at their own peril.....they have already been warned there will be political consequences for their actions.”
They don`t seem to care. 99.999 % of this country could oppose it, and they would still try to ram it through.
Here is what is going to happen with the latest iteration of Fool the Yahoos. Republicans will provide enough flipped votes to prevent filibuster. Then when the bill comes up for final passage, 9 or 10 of these guys will be allowed to vote against the bill. It will pass and they will be able to tell their constituents they voted against it, figuring they are too dumb to realize that the cloture vote was the one that counts.
Now that’s witty!
They look more like the Stepford Wives to me.
I seriously doubt it. When election time rolls around, the Dems and Pubbies will roll out their standard round of "social issue" scaremongering ("If you don't vote for me, Gays will marry" or "Gays will never marry", etc.) and the base on both sides will hold thier noses and vote 'em back in.
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