Exactly. This bill won't make it out of committee.
Posted on 05/06/2008 12:20:54 PM PDT by Delacon
Senate Republicans are set to announce Wednesday the hardest-hitting package of immigration enforcement measures seen yet -- one that would require jail time for illegal immigrants caught crossing the border, make it harder for them to open bank accounts and compel them to communicate in English when dealing with federal agencies.
Most of the bills stand little chance of being debated in the Democrat-controlled Congress, but the move by some of the Senate's leading Republicans underscores how potent the issue of immigration remains, particularly during a presidential election year.
The bills give Republicans a way to put pressure on the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to take a tougher stance on immigration. They also reflect a shift toward harsher immigration rhetoric and legislative proposals from both parties since Congress failed to pass a comprehensive overhaul in 2007.
The package, an enforcement smorgasbord assembled by at least eight lawmakers, consists of 11 bills, but could expand to include as many as 14. Some elements echo House bills, but others go beyond House proposals.
One would discourage states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants by docking 10 percent of highway funding from states that continue to do so. Another would extend the presence of National Guard on the border and a third would end language assistance at federal agencies and the voting booth for people with limited English ability.
A bill by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who is leading the effort, would impose a maximum two-year jail sentence on someone caught crossing the border for a second time.
"The point is to reinforce the idea that most of us here feel that we need to make enforcement and border security a first step to solving the overall problem," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., one of the sponsors.
Although Congress usually avoids tough legislation during an election year, Vitter insisted that he and his colleagues could still get something done. "There are concrete steps we can take. None of us see any reason to waste this time," he said.
Other bills in the package would:
Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Republican proposal "falls far short of what is needed." Democrats want to combine enforcement with a guest-worker program and a way to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Reid "continues to support legislation that is tough on people who break the law, fair to taxpayers and practical to implement," Manley said.
But Democrats also have begun embracing a tougher stance on immigration as well. A confidential study assembled for the Democratic leadership earlier this year urged them to start using tougher language. Democrats have focused on offering opportunity to immigrants, but the study by two think tanks urged them to begin speaking in terms of "requiring" illegal immigrants to become legal and about what's best for the United States.
Many House Democrats have gone a step further, endorsing an enforcement-only bill by freshman Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina that would bolster border security and require employers to verify their workers' legal status with an electronic verification system.
The SAVE Act has drawn 140 co-sponsors, 48 of whom are Democrats, many of them vulnerable freshman who won seats from Republicans.
The Democratic leadership dislikes Shuler's bill and has refused to schedule a debate. Republican leaders are considering collecting signatures for a special petition that requires House leaders to bring a bill up for debate if 218 members sign. There are 198 Republicans.
Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center, said Senate Republicans might be trying to match their House colleagues. "They might feel they're being upstaged by House Republicans," she said. But she also suggested the Senate bills could provide political protection to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the likely GOP presidential nominee.
Conservatives consider Republican front-runner McCain soft on immigration. McCain, along with the Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, has backed giving illegal immigrants some form of legal status, which conservatives consider "amnesty."
If McCain endorsed the Senate package, that could "create a platform for McCain to look tough on immigration, create distance from Ted Kennedy and erect a shield around the amnesty charge," Kelley said.
Besides Sessions and Vitter, the bills are being introduced by GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, John Barrasso of Wyoming, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
“A confidential study assembled for the Democratic leadership earlier this year urged them to start using tougher language.”
That right there is how the Dems hide from everything they don’t want...talk...BS...spin...diversionary rhetoric...make it SOUND tough, as though they are doing something when in fact they aren’t doing anything but stalling until they think they can put in place their agenda when nobody is looking.
NOT holding my breath for any of these bills success while any Democrat is in any leadership position. I despise those B-stards like nothing else on this Earth.
I don’t care who came up with the bill. This is May of an election year with a lame duck President and a Congress and Senate controlled by the other party. It is what it is.
Hey, I don't want to be a cynic on this issue, but our politicians have proven time and time againt that my cynicism is merited. The exceptions, such as Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Jeff Sessions are in a minority too small to overthrow the large majority that wants illegal immigration.
The GOP owned the presidency, both houses of congress, and a somewhat balanced scotus, and the illegals and borders situation is worse than it’s ever been. Either (1.) the stupid party has finally synchronized into full, unmitigated, quintessential stupid, or (2.) that was the plan.
Glock’s Bombard tells me: both.
Well I’m buying your opinion on this one. You’re absolutely right. Indefensible...
Follow the money.
The republicans are no worse than the democrats. They learned how to screw the people from watching them and they are doing a great job of it.
Upset with the current candidates?
Glad you liked it!
“Either it is good public policy or it is not. This happens to be good. But blasting it now because of the timing is a pathetic and wrong-headed reaction.”
The policy is of course good. However, politics is the art of the possible. This bill has zero chance of becoming law at this point. None. Zip. Nada.
The GOP had plenty of opportunities to do something about immigration when it was in power. That it did nothing speaks tomes about it’s actual underlying intent. Conservatives are once again being played for suckers by this pathetic and wrong headed political party that is only interested in conservatives every other year during the election cycle.
“They are meaningless unless they are enforced. “
Your comment is self-refuting. It *CANNOT BE ENFORCED AT ALL*, since it currently is not in the law to do those things. That is why I brought that up. There are avenues of employer verification and enforcement that are not being pursued because they are not in law or not funded. Sessions’ bill fixes that.
This “just enforce the law on the books” is simplistic. I suggest you read the bill and get educated on what things need to be added to law to strengthen immigration law enforcement.
“The exceptions, such as Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Jeff Sessions are in a minority too small to overthrow the large majority that wants illegal immigration.”
= Yes, but why complain about this bill by Senator Sessions? He is point a way to improve things!! It doesnt matter if he has a majority right now. We lost that when the Democrats took over in 2006. It serves a purpose even if Reid wont let it pass the Senate. First, its an alternative to point to if Reid etal try any funny business again on amnesty. Second: He’s got it out there, and the next step is to ask YOUR congressman and YOUR Senator where they stand on this, so the heat to their feet can be applied appropriately. It is through that process - the election - that we can finally gain traction on this issue.
The GOP had plenty of opportunities to do something about immigration when it was in power. That it did nothing speaks tomes about it’s actual underlying intent. Conservatives are once again being played for suckers by this pathetic and wrong headed political party that is only interested in conservatives every other year during the election cycle.
“The policy is of course good. However, politics is the art of the possible. This bill has zero chance of becoming law at this point. None. Zip. Nada.”
It’s a lame critique indeed to say that it cant pass.
Really? The Republicans passed a similar bill in the House in 2005. If we get a good conservative miracle in 2008 and have a GOP majority in the Senate, the Senate could pass it in 2009.
“The GOP had plenty of opportunities to do something about immigration when it was in power. That it did nothing speaks tomes about it’s actual underlying intent.”
The GOP is not a monolith.
The GOP House passed a similar enforcement-only bill in 2005. RINO Spectre ran the Senate committee and Bush wanted comprehensive, not enforcement-only. We all know how and when things went awry, in the ill-fated attempt at ‘comprehensive’ reform.
“Conservatives are once again being played for suckers by this pathetic”
What is pathetic is your attack on good conservative Senator Sessions for proposing good public policy!
I guess we have to file this under:
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
“Senate GOP Plans to Unveil Tough New Immigration Bills”
Careful, theyt might make Juanito and his buddies at La Raza cry and stomp their hankies.
“The GOP congressional re-election campaign platform is “Mexicans and Queers”.”
You mean the committee?
Yeah I hear the casinos are being very generous to Harry these days. Nothing like a few phony tears to obscure the real reasons for the sudden change of heart...
Thank you for anything you can do or even start, senators!
Sessions is NOT a lugnut.
Exactly. This bill won't make it out of committee.
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