I just had a vision. 'The Bride' doing to Congress what she did in the Nightclub in KB2.
(the final showdown would be with San Fran Nan)
Posted on 06/23/2007 6:54:12 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Procedural snares and ``killer'' amendments threaten to disrupt the fragile coalition in the Senate that's holding together the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. immigration policy since 1986.
Supporters are scrambling to address the legislative obstacles before debate resumes next week. Opponents plan to try to derail the legislation by using procedural delays and offering poison-pill amendments that may split the coalition that sustains the measure.
Passage of the legislation would give 12 million undocumented immigrants a chance at legal status while handing President George W. Bush a victory on his top domestic priority.
``This is a delicate balance. The wheels could come off,'' said Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, the Senate's No. 2 Republican.
To get the measure back on the Senate's agenda after it was temporarily shelved earlier this month, lawmakers agreed to hold votes on two dozen amendments proposed by both Republicans and Democrats. The list includes some amendments whose passage might doom the legislation.
``It won't take much for this to come crashing down,'' said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, a Washington group that backs the legislation. ``Every day we wake up trying to figure out how we're going to navigate.''
Legal Status
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that one amendment would gut the system for companies to verify that employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S. Another proposal would alter a program to give preference to immigrants with job skills, which Republicans demanded.
The outcome will depend on whether the bill's backers can allow some amendments to be adopted, while rejecting those that would split the bipartisan group that has kept the measure alive.
Republican drafters of the legislation will also seek to add tougher enforcement measures to address concerns the plan won't stem illegal immigration, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl told reporters today.
``I understand the criticism of people who think we haven't been serious about enforcing the law,'' said Kyl, the chief Republican sponsor. ``We need to respond to that.''
The tougher measures would include detention of foreign students and tourists who overstay visas. In addition, a requirement that undocumented aliens return to their home country before applying for citizenship would be expanded to include anyone seeking permanent legal status.
Democrats
Kyl said the Republican-drafted amendment will have the support of Democrats in the bipartisan group that wrote the legislation. A spokeswoman for Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the chief Democratic negotiator, didn't immediately return a request for comment.
With more than 20 amendments, the outcome is too uncertain to predict, said Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat. ``If there are amendments offensive to Democratic senators, we won't produce'' enough votes to conclude debate, he said. ``If there are amendments offensive the other way, you can imagine the result.''
Sharry said he regards many of the other amendments still being drafted as ``deal killers.''
One proposal, by Iowa Republican Charles Grassley and Democrats Max Baucus of Montana and Barack Obama of Illinois, would eliminate the requirement that employers verify the legal status of every worker in order to detect employees who are undocumented immigrants.
`Onerous and Unnecessary'
In a June 20 reply to Chertoff, the three lawmakers called the provision mandating the verification of current workers an ``onerous and unnecessary requirement'' on employers.
Under the amendment, current employees would only undergo checks if the Social Security number on their pay stub didn't match the one assigned to their name or was used by multiple people.
The amendment also would ease identification requirements for U.S. citizens and lawful residents to get jobs. And it would prohibit the sharing of citizens' tax information and Social Security data with immigration authorities after five years.
In a June 19 letter urging its rejection, Chertoff warned that the amendment ``eliminates needed tools'' to enforce the law and would ``continue a flourishing market for fake documents and identity fraud.''
South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, a Republican supporter of the immigration overhaul, said he is concerned that the amendment would render the legislation's enforcement mechanism unworkable.
``If you want employer verification that works, it's incumbent to have tamper-proof ID,'' Graham said.
Senator Bond
Another amendment, proposed by Missouri Republican Christopher Bond, would prohibit the 12 million people in the U.S. illegally to ever seek U.S. citizenship. Some supporters say the plan threatens a core principle of the legislation.
Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar, said Bond's plan ``would probably be a deal killer.''
Bill supporters had managed to defeat other poison pill amendments, such as one that would have ended the chance for undocumented workers to get legal status.
An amendment by New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez that would change the point system under which applicants for immigration are to be evaluated ``would be a material change'' to a carefully crafted provision in the bill, said Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter.
Supporters of the overhaul will probably be able to defeat the amendment, Specter said.
Radical Shift
Immigration-advocacy groups that oppose the new point system call it a radical shift from a policy that has allowed the migration of families to a merit-based system based on job skills and educational achievement.
Menendez's proposal would award points for siblings and adult children of legalized immigrants and naturalized citizens who want to come to the U.S. This would include relatives of the estimated 833,000 people who applied for immigrant visas since May 1, 2005.
Kyl said today the Menendez amendment would ``substantially upset the rather delicately balanced merit-based point system.''
Menendez disagreed, telling reporters that his amendment would only provide ``a fighting chance to a family member who had other skill sets.''
This thing needs to be killed alive!
(that was a term a Chinese friend used for “gruesome murder”)
I just had a vision. 'The Bride' doing to Congress what she did in the Nightclub in KB2.
(the final showdown would be with San Fran Nan)
This is a necessary requirement...has he learned nothing from pre-9/11 that gov't agencies that deal with our security in any form MUST share intelligence?
Surprise, surprise, surprise----who knew ol' Chertoff was even awake----never mind knowing that these invaders FOR YEARS have used forged documents to undermine democracy and turn our Nation into a corrupt hellhole (like the ones from which they emanate).
When will this overseer of US security realize FOR YEARS our entire system of voting has been compromised by these invaders buying/using forged documents to register to vote.
With the vote, they can raid the US Treasury for endless government benefits for themselves and their endless string of illegal children and relatives.
-------------------------------------------------
Illegal Immigrants Will Receive Welfare Under Senate Bill: Setting the Record Straight
www.heritage.org ^ | June 18, 2007 | Robert E. Rector
FR Posted on 06/18/2007 by dennisw
In criticizing recent Heritage Foundation research on the cost of low-skill immigration and amnesty, proponents of the Senate immigration legislation (S. 1348), including Administration spokesmen, have falsely claimed that the proposal would not give illegal immigrants access to the U.S. welfare system.
While provisions of the Senate bill would delay illegal immigrants' access to welfare for several years, over time nearly all amnesty recipients would be offered legal permanent residence and access to more than 60 federal means-tested welfare programs.
Specifically, Z visa holders would immediately be given Social Security numbers and would begin earning entitlement to Social Security and Medicare (which are not means-tested welfare programs).
Some ten to thirteen years after enactment, amnesty recipients would begin to gain access to a wide variety of means-tested welfare programs, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, public housing, and Food Stamps. The amnesty process under S.1348, and the different stages of the process at which amnesty recipients become eligible for different government benefits, are precisely described in "Amnesty Will Cost U.S. Taxpayers at Least $2.6 Trillion."
Got my call last night, and the earful followed. Between all the "But.."s and "I know.."s, I squeezed in my displeasure with Jorge Arbusto and the RINO's of Congress. After saying that I was strongly considering changing my affiliation to Independent, I hung up.
!
If this comes to a vote we'll really see where everyone stands on amnesty.
No, Senator Kyl, we aren't interested in your "responses" because you lied before and we will NEVER trust any of you again.
What you need to do is DEMONSTRATE enforcement of current laws for a significant period. Then we can talk.
Kyl said today the Menendez amendment would ``substantially upset the rather delicately balanced merit-based point system.''
Senator Kyl has publically stated that he would remove his support from the bill if certain amendments were added. The best thing he could do for himself would be to seize upon any amendment(s) available and declare that to be his out on supporting the bill.
Remember, Senator Kyl, we understand that a vote for cloture is a vote for the bill no matter how you vote on the bill itself.
You signed the Recall provision. Ask Gray Davis if you think it couldn't happen to you.
``This is a delicate balance. The wheels could come off,’’ said Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican.
Trent’s #2 all right.
“Bond’s plan ``would probably be a deal killer.’’”
Ah yes, Mr. Bond, “OO7”, a LICENSE TO KILL. Good hunting.
SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST!
in NJ ~ the lib/dems have not done enough to destroy this state!!!!
now menendez wants to do for the USA what he and the lib/dems have done to NJ!!!!
this bill MUST be killed!!!!
the no cajones republicans with their leader jorge bush must NOT go along with fat ted kennedy and his minions that will bring down the US!!!!
Our Sen. Smith (R-OR) is proposing a separate bill that would tell employers if name and SSN do not match, then no deduction of wages. No job, no reason to come here. This is a proposal that Lars Larson has been pushing as it was first proposed by one of the House members 4 years ago (forgot his name, sorry.) Smith is looking for a Dem co-sponsor right now. Simple concept that most folks can understand. Hopefully this will be an alternative that the Senate can find attractive.
dog-and-pony show/smoke-and-mirrors
Don’t let the phony sputtering & outrage by Dims and RINOs take you in. They will continue to `piss and moan’, but it’s all just show business.
Once the treasonous sin-ators have succeeded in following their masters’ orders, and are successful in selling the USA by granting amnesty to illegal aliens, any onerous enforcement provisions will be ignored, just like current immigration laws.
I have called seven senators about cloture this am, the response...”you have been forwarded to an automated mail center, the mailbox of senator so and so, is full. Goodbye”
We have written to our senators many times - they are McCain & Kyl - bummer..I know but when my husband called the GOP to remove our name from their membership roles, the nice young gal told us that she had removed several names the day before! :-)
“Procedural snares and ``killer’’ amendments threaten to disrupt the fragile coalition in the Senate that’s holding together the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. immigration policy since 1986.”
F the amendments. Kill the BILL!
>> my husband called the GOP to remove our name from their membership roles
Same here. I removed my name from all email lists which are a complete waste of bytes, and I’m working on removal from mail lists.
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