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.
Amazing to see that seemingly intelligent people cannot realize that giving away the nations sovereignty obviates anything positive they have previously done.
Individuals opposed to the immigration bill are opposed to border enforcement.
I just wanted to throw that out there.
Since this is true, individuals opposed to the immigration bill suffer from all the moral deficiencies and failures of patriotism noted in thousands of loathing posts inappropriately directed at President Bush and other conservatives.
The status quo has less border enforcement than the bill. That is a fact and no amount of hyperbole will change that.
The moment I cast my primary vote for Duncan Hunter, I’m ripping up my voter registration, sending it to the sh*tbags at the RNC and re-registering as an Independent.
I disagree lonestar,
The immigrations bills H.R.2202 and S.B. 1348 are attempts to supply big business with serf labor and middle class Americans expense.
Either bill’s provisions for enforcement will be enforced. How do I know that? H.R. 2202 has virtually all of the enforcement legislated to prevent border crashing but Congress and the Executive branch have chosen non-enforcement.
Therefore your post is supportive of deceiving the American people while America is transformed into a 3rd world country for the benefit of big business.
And yes there are thousands of loathing post which will equate into thousands of votes which will vote Democrats and Republican asses out of office if we see any of their names associated with this bill!
I don't think Bush cares. He's thinking dynastically (like most old money families), and he believes he has to do this to this for his newphew. Notice that the illegals who will be amnestied under this bill will become eligible for citizenship right around the time George P. will be ripe for beginning his political career (in about 12 years). I don't think that's a coincidence.
I don't think Bush cares. He's thinking dynastically (like most old money families), and he believes he has to do this to this for his nephew. Notice that the illegals who will be amnestied under this bill will become eligible for citizenship right around the time George P. will be ripe for beginning his political career (in about 12 years). I don't think that's a coincidence.
BS. The only reason there is so little enforcement right now is because the Bush administration refuses to enforce the law. Existing law (not to mention the constitution) gives the executive branch has all the resources and power it needs to enforce the border and employer sanctions. We don't a new law to have enforcement.
No, it can’t. Here is what would happen if this bill is passed: a flunky of the president will challenge the constitutionality of the funding portion on the grounds that ALL spending bills MUST originate in House and that funding will simply disappear. No fence will be built and no new border guards will be hired.
I believe you!
I believe you!
The Senate has seen the iceberg, but their answer is: “Full speed ahead”.
There'll be a lot of disingenuous waving of arms and gnashing of teeth, while the oligarchy laughs at us behind their hands.
You have a point.
The time has come to set a date for a gathering of the angry and the sick of being ignored to march on Washington, D.C. We should be able to get enough true patriots together on the mall to wake these Quislings up, and demonstrate to the whores and sell-outs that we mean business and will not let this travesty stand. Set the dates, I’ll be there.
My God... what if this is true?
You nailed it. Georgia's senator Chambliss will do exactly that. The sad fact of the matter is that Bush only needs around 15 GOP senators to vote for cloture.
The GOP should be able to get the 10-15 pretty easily and then it will only require maybe GOP 5 or 6 senators who are very safe to vote for it.
How do you figure that?
Isn't it ironic that just 4 years ago Bush was considered by many conservatives to be the best president ever and certainly surpassing Reagan.
Now the odds are very high that he will go down as the worst president ever, surpassing even Carter.
Lott is the prime reason why almost none of the provisions in the Contract With America were passed. If the senate leadership had been given to Phil Gramm in 1994 then we would all be a lot better off.
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