Posted on 06/23/2007 3:39:30 PM PDT by Baladas
Washington, D.C. (AHN)-President George Bush called on Congress to muster the "political courage" to pass an immigration overhaul that has foundered for weeks in the U.S. Senate.
"We have an obligation to solve problems that have been piling up for decades," President Bush said in his weekly radio address. "The status quo is unacceptable."
The proposed legislation, drafted by a small group of senators and White House negotiators, would create a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million immigrants in the United States illegally.
The proposal has been derided by opponents as an amnesty program. Among the sticking points is a provision that would allow illegal immigrants who entered the country before Jan. 1 to apply for Z visas, which would enable them to live and work in the United States legally.
Critics have also charged that the bill does not do enough to secure the nation's borders.
"I understand that many Americans have concerns about immigration reform - especially about the federal government's ability to secure the border," President Bush said. "So this bill puts the enforcement tools in place first."
On June 26, to move the bill forward, 60 senators will have to vote to resume debate on the politically contentious issue.
To attract the 15 additional votes needed to advance the bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has suggested that the Democratic and Republican caucuses would each be able to put forth 12 amendments.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, speaking to Bloomberg Television on Friday, said Republican support of the proposal is waning, despite it being one of the President's top domestic priorities.
"We're beginning to see some of the people that would have ordinarily voted to proceed with the bill to say, `hey, this process is not fair, it's not transparent,''' Senator Cornyn said.
Among those Republicans who Senator Cornyn cited: Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia.
Actually Jorge, it takes more courage to stand up against the evil that you and the other traitors are trying to do to America!!
You seem to forget that YOU and the RINO TRAITORS have an obligation to US, NOT to Mexico!!
...THIS is what Bush is pimping to the Senators? Each Senator should ask just one question: do I want to vote YES on this and forever after be labeled a traitor?
If they do....it's good bye America.
I've been pondering this and most of the reasons I come up with aren't very good.
Tony Snow is a bright guy. He knows the lay of the land. Other presidential advisers are smart folks. Why on earth antagonize the base just two months before you are really going to need them?
The problem is enforcement now would run $250 billion. This year and for many years. The funds have to be in the correct line item, and saying it will be spent in another line item or even in other agencies than FedGov agencies or in the private sector does not address the fact that Congress has to allocate to get the funds into the correct line item.
That's what Tea Parties are for. Law suits are for people who like dealing with lawyers. People who fail to learn from history tend to repeat it.
Without question.
I still contend that if enforcement was started, many illegals would self-deport, costing us much less than anticipated.
You said it. He is listening but he doesn’t care. We are speaking and he doesn’t want to hear it. I’m afraid he has made one huge mistake here. He has lost a lot of people who were on his side. I was too. Now? I simply don’t care.
No doubt. $250 billion to get this going. First year.
Sad, but true. He's so disgustingly disingenuous that I prefer NOT looking at his pictures or listening to his voice. I tend to stay away from people who arrogantly make fools of others. I do not access the daily "Pray for President Bush" thread out of respect to the FReepers who still manage to revere the man (even though we're supposed to pray for our enemies).
Pretty sad, huh?
I really wish he would just drop it.
He’s asking them to be traitors to conservatives and america.
I don't think so.
If the spigot of freebies, including public education, was dried up, the border traffic would be drastically reduced. Start a guest-worker program that utilizes the legal crossings, and then the BP would have only criminals to deal with.
I used to defend the White House when people called them arrogant. Now, I agree with them. Bush and his "people" could not care less what we think. It's simply arrogance to a new level.
Easy for some cheap, $**^&&#^@$ political hack, who can't run for re-election to say.
I'm rapidly coming to the conclussion that GWB is the worst president since Clinton!
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