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.
test?
And this is relevant why?
Senator Sessions is my senator (lucky me) and I have called several times thanking him for his steadfast position on immigration. We need more like him.
Newbie. Just making sure I could post.
Call OTHER Senators and complain about this travesty. I just made 5 calls.
That's all you need to know. They can't tell the truth, because it stinks to high hell.
Cool
I have called him too for the same reason. I just got off the phone again and he is not my Senator. I was told he wants to be in Washington when this comes back up and that he will be there for a vote. He is carrying the whole country on his back and deserves our praise from all over the country. And YOU ARE ONE LUCKY constituent. My Senators are RATS
Watch out for George P. Bush, Jeb's half Mexican son. He's the heir apparent to the Bush dynasty. Bush is doing this shamnesty to set the stage for George P. in 8-12 years. W thinks this will deliver the Latino vote to P.
A loyal Republican for over 35 years I never thought I would see the day I would come to view the GOP as my enemy.
It has been building for a while But when Trent Lott a leader in my party says...
“The Republican whip, Trent Lott of Mississippi, who supports the bill, said: “Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem.”
He has now declared himself my enemy and an enemy of the Free Republic
It’s time for a big Change in Washington. These patronizing slobs have to go
He still doesn't get it. We don't want another promise. We expect the borders secured and the laws enforced NOW. We expect relevant action BEFORE starting a discussion on anything remotely resembling shamnesty.
With respect, I think you are being naive about immigration, and ignoring the differences between the controlled immigration of small numbers of freedom-lovers and massive invasion of illiterate illegals.
The large number of illegal immigrants from Vietnam clustered in the Silicon Valley has resulted in Vietnamese gang violence, and an alarming incidence of TB infection, among other ills. They are definitely NOT making our country "stronger and more productive."
No, I will not.
Mark Levin pretty much gave Congress and the Administration the kind of tough talk EVERY AMERICAN should be delivering to these deaf, arrogant, smug, self-centered, duplicitous, mendacious parasites.
Graham and all of the others who are for this horrific piece of legislation NEED to be voted out of office!
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