Guest worker plan pushed by Cornyn falls short of Bush's

Houston Chronicle ^ | July 10, 2003 | KAREN MASTERSON

[sarcasm]

WASHINGTON -- Texas Sen. John Cornyn introduced guest worker legislation on Thursday that would allow illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States for three years, but falls short of a plan President Bush is preparing to unveil.

White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said Bush administration officials have met with Cornyn, a Republican, to discuss his bill, but did not commit the president's support.

Rather, Bush is set to pursue bold policies similar to those he had advocated to boost relations with Mexico early in his administration.

Those discussions, which included possible amnesty for some illegal immigrants, came to an abrupt end on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon.

"We are working with Mexico toward more orderly, humane, safe and legal migration, as well as consideration of a new temporary worker program that provides some path to citizenship," Mamo said of the White House's plans to restart negotiations with Congress over immigration proposals.

Cornyn's bill would allow illegal immigrants to temporarily work legally in the United States through employer sponsors. But instead of providing those workers with eventual amnesty, they would have to return home after three years. Once there, their applications for green cards would receive expedited consideration.

Cornyn acknowledged he would need the president's support to bolster his bill, but said he chose not to wait for Bush to unveil his immigration proposal because the time was right to begin pushing the issue.

Mamo did not know when the White House would officially release its plan, but sources in the Republican congressional leadership said there have been initial discussions with the White House over what might be possible in time for the 2004 elections.

Republicans hope a renewed interest in immigration issues will persuade Hispanics to support GOP candidates and not only help the party solidify its hold on Congress but also deliver Bush an easy re-election victory.

The goal may not be so handily won.

There are few issues that fracture Republicans more than immigration. And it is unclear whether even their popular president can move those in the GOP who have made a career out of opposing legislation that would give amnesty to illegal immigrants.

"We should never, ever, ever reward people for illegal behavior," said Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, the House's most outspoken Republican favoring limited immigration.

His biggest fear, he said, is that Bush will use his popularity from the war with Iraq to push through a guest worker program on what Tancredo called the false assumption that Hispanics will "automatically respond to that kind of pandering."

Opponents of guest worker programs also charge that guest worker programs of the 1950s and 1960s opened the doors to millions of workers who ultimately continued to live illegally in the United States.

Tancredo has a strong bloc of more than 100 Republicans who back his approach to immigration policy.

Late last month, 102 Republicans, including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, supported a Tancredo amendment that would have withheld homeland security funding from communities that do not force police, teachers and medical personnel to turn in illegal immigrants. Tancredo said that vote, though unsuccessful, suggests he has enough support to defy even the president on this issue.

On Thursday, however, DeLay said some kind of guest worker program is needed. He declined to discuss details.

Such a plan will need Democratic support to make up for the scores of Republicans likely to vote against it. But Democrats, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, have said any immigration legislation will need to include broad amnesty for at least some of the estimated 4 million illegal immigrants living in the country.

"There must be a mechanism in which you can ultimately earn your legalization ... by virtue of your labor," said Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., the highest-ranking Hispanic in the House.

Bush's initial proposals in 2001 would have met some of those Democratic demands. During a visit by Mexican President Vicente Fox to the United States just days before the terrorist attacks, Bush said Americans need to "think creatively" to develop a guest worker program that links U.S. employers with Mexican workers, including undocumented immigrants who are already here.

But at the time, Bush also cautioned that workers who arrived illegally should not be placed ahead of those who have waited their turn.

A Mexican government official said Thursday that the United States recently has revived its interest in immigration reform talks, apparently motivated by the May deaths of 19 illegal immigrants who were locked in the back of a tractor-trailer abandoned near Victoria.

An immigration accord is "on the negotiating table," the official said. Bush and Fox are expected to "have a very specific discussion" about immigration before the end of the year, she added.

Cornyn hopes his proposal to give guest workers favorable treatment once they've returned home will satisfy enough moderates on the immigration issue to get a bill through the Senate.

He also hopes to garner White House support by couching his bill as pro-homeland security because it would crack down on employers who hire foreign workers without first sponsoring them. Cornyn said such a policy would root out terrorists "hiding the shadows" of the illegal cash economy, while protecting migrant workers by giving them a legal way to enter and work in the United States.

Chronicle reporter Jena Moreno contributed to this story from Mexico City.

[texastoo]

Oil contracts???? The Pemex oil was supposed to be a part of the original NAFTA treaty. Mexico refused. They will refuse again and again and again.

Our supposedly leaders of both parties, Republicans and Democrats alike, are all eating S&&t from Fox.

[DoughtyOne]

I have never seen a darker time in US history. During past war-times we at least pulled together as a nation. Now the Dems use wars as a time to undercut the President. Then our side praises him for doing the wrong things.

We are being cut down from within. And yes, George Bush needs to go. Sadly we'll be offered no alternative.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree with both of your comments.

[Wolfie]

The only real difference between the two major parties is based on morality. If you're the type to be bothered by what others do with their genitals, you vote Republican, if not, you vote Democrat.

[DoughtyOne]

And the SCOTUS just shot down that arguement didn't they. There's no difference now. LOL

[Wolfie]

Yeah, but you know, now there's yet another "elect us and we'll set it straight" issue to hoodwink voters with.

[Sabertooth]

WASHINGTON -- Texas Sen. John Cornyn introduced guest worker legislation on Thursday that would allow illegal immigrants to work legally in the United States for three years, but falls short of a plan President Bush is preparing to unveil.

White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said Bush administration officials have met with Cornyn, a Republican, to discuss his bill, but did not commit the president's support.

Rather, Bush is set to pursue bold policies similar to those he had advocated to boost relations with Mexico early in his administration.

Those discussions, which included possible amnesty for some illegal immigrants, came to an abrupt end on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon.

"We are working with Mexico toward more orderly, humane, safe and legal migration, as well as consideration of a new temporary worker program that provides some path to citizenship," Mamo said of the White House's plans to restart negotiations with Congress over immigration proposals.

This is a named, White House source, and a named, GOP Texas Senator, talking about Amnesty by other names.

[DoughtyOne]

If you're patient and watch real close, every once in a while you'll
get a glimpse of what the Republican leadership is doing to the
rest of us.

It's doesn't happen very often, but they do get careless and slip up
out once in a while.

[sonofron]

"Tancredo has a strong bloc of more than 100 Republicans who back his approach to immigration policy. "

i guess we are making some progress, three years ago there was only a handful of republicans who supported immigration reform. i still can't believe bush wants to push amnesty.

[gubamyster]

$40 billion to the Department of Education.

$15 billion to Africa

$200 million to the PA

$400 billion medication augmentation to Medical

Don't forget:

$185 billion farm bill

I’m with you. I cannot vote for a president who grants this amnesty. I also cannot vote for a president who implements a guest worker program before addressing (at a minimum) these concerns:

- How will the illegals already in the country be rounded up and returned to their country before the guest worker program is implemented.

- What will be done to secure the border to ensure only guest workers will be entering the US and end all other illegals from entering?

- How will the guest workers be tracked? We already do not have the capability to track those with valid visas who enter our country.

- - How will the guest workers be returned to their country after their employment has ended? At whose cost? How will they be tracked to ensure deportation?

- How long do they stay in America looking for work when one job has ended before being shipped back to their country?

- Will the guest worker’s family be allowed to come to the country with the guest worker – even if the family members are not guest workers (mothers, children…) If so, then how will they be returned once the guest worker is out of work? You know the liberals will not want to deport a kid who has begun school in the US. They already don't want to deport illegals who have kids in school.

- What security /health checks will be conducted on guest workers & their families (assuming they will also be allowed to enter with the guest worker)?

- What if a guest worker has a child here in America – will these kids automatically become citizens (anchor babies)?

- Will guest workers & their families receive social services while in the US?

- Will the guest workers be subject to the labor law, benefits & taxes of US citizens? If so, then their wages will rise to be competitive to US workers – then why would anybody hire a guest worker who cannot speak English and pay them the same wage as a citizen? Guest workers will not be needed because the wages will rise and become attractive for Americans to take the jobs.

- How many guest workers will be allowed into the US & at what point (what rate of national unemployment or other factor) will the program be scaled back or eliminated? How will those “surplus” workers be sent back home to open jobs for US citizens? (BTW this assumes the canard that illegals are here to do jobs Americans won’t do which I do not believe. It is merely that they currently work for a cash wage without taxes & benefits which, I assume will not be allowed under the guest worker program.)

I don’t know if you have read this article & the comments:

Left Turn: Is the GOP conservative?

At a time when the Republicans control the White House, Senate, House, and have a conservative majority (usually) on the USSC, I would expect more of a conservative agenda to be passed.

[texastoo]

EXCELLENT!!!!!

[DoughtyOne]

Well you could ask those questions, but you know as well as I do what the answers are. This is nothing but and end run on those of us who are sick and tired of more illegals coming in. They are going to legalize the process. This my friend is 'open borders'. Don't kid yourself that it's anything else.

Remember, you won't know whether 50 or 50 million come in under this program. You'll know what they want to tell you and that's all.

Today they'll say 50,000 a year and let in 1,000,000. In a couple of years they'll be telling you we need 250,000 and let in 3,000,000.

We're being had!

[Paulie]

I'm surprised and quite curious as to why many other countries who's people are well known to illegally come here don't demand the same treatment as mexico gets. If/when they do demand the same "respect" as Fox gets, what will the Bush people do then?

[dagnabbit]

George Bush needs to go.

I agree. Aside from a few correct moves in the war on terror, he's turned out to be a real dud. And even in the WOT, he coddles the real axis of all axis, the Saudis.

Hopefully, Tancredo and Byrd (yes that Byrd) can again stop this dud from his "amnesty" assaults on U.S. sovereignty.

[DoughtyOne]

Sad isn't it. I'll bet Bush is a pretty good family man. I like him as a person but am just repulsed by his instincts politically. Yes, he has the right instincts to get elected, but what has he done with that prize. What a waste of time. No, check that. It's been a net loss hands down.

[4Freedom]

In honor of Bush's African trip, I'll take this opportunity to post

-------------THE QUESTION-------------

all of the Africans must be asking themselves after seeing Bush.

After watching him send 10's of thousands of troops to patrol borders in the Middle East and spend $4 BILLION on Iraq and $1 BILLION on Afghanistan each month, while spending not one dime on troops for our own borders, I know the answer.

[DoughtyOne]

Oh you ARE trying to get me in trouble aren't you. ;-)

[dagnabbit]

Chimp-resembling or not, I think it's an open question whether we would have been better off with Gore in office and the GOP acting like conservatives in opposition. There were no large-scale amnesties under Klintoon.

[4Freedom]

Who, me? ;^)

[4Freedom]

BTTT!

Maybe that should be www.BushorChump.com?