Posted on 01/27/2005 7:15:50 PM PST by neverdem
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 - The battle within the Republican Party over immigration policy was joined Wednesday as President Bush vigorously promoted his proposal for a guest worker program and conservatives in Congress introduced an alternative proposal to tighten immigration restrictions.
At a news conference, President Bush said again that he considered his guest worker proposal "a priority" even though Senate Republicans left it off their list of top goals. "A program that enables people to come into our country in a legal way to work for a period of time, for jobs that Americans won't do, will help make it easier for us to secure our borders," Mr. Bush said, adding: "I know there is a compassionate, humane way to deal with this issue. I want to remind people that family values do not end at the Rio Grande border."
Party conservatives, however, have strenuously opposed a guest worker plan since Mr. Bush introduced the idea in 2001, even staging a losing revolt over its inclusion in the party platform at the 2004 Republican convention. Many conservatives call the president's ideas "amnesty" - a term Mr. Bush disputes - because his plan includes ways for currently illegal immigrants to obtain temporary worker permits.
On Wednesday afternoon, Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the Wisconsin Republican who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, again introduced a measure to block illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses.
At a news conference, he said the committee would not consider other immigration proposals, implicitly including the president's, until his own measure passed. A similar measure was removed from a bill to enact the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission last year. Senator Jon Kyl, Republican of Arizona, is expected to introduce a driver's license restriction this year.
Mr. Sensenbrenner said his bill was primarily directed at border security, distinguishing it from other changes in immigration policy. "Immigrants are not terrorists, except a few of them," he said. "The legislation that was introduced today is designed to get the bad apples out of the barrel before the barrel was spoiled."
He said a group of House Republicans had written a letter to Mr. Bush urging him to provide full financing for provisions in last year's antiterrorism bill doubling the number of border patrol agents and tripling the number of beds for detaining illegal immigrants over the next five years. The Department of Homeland Security said recently that it was planning a smaller increase in financing, drawing the ire of advocates of tighter immigration laws.
Asked about the president's proposal, Mr. Sensenbrenner said his committee was "going to be plenty busy with other priorities, a lot of which are the priorities of the White House."
In an interview, Representative Chris Cannon, a Utah Republican who supports the president's plan, said a guest worker program would not amount to an amnesty because it would include a monetary penalty for currently illegal immigrants. "The people who want to kick them all out are not reasonable people," he said.
But Representative Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado and chairman of the Congressional immigration caucus, vowed to defeat any program that in his view would reward lawbreakers, even questioning the president's motives. "Could it be just the corporate interests, the money interests that rely so heavily on cheap labor?" he asked
Denny Crane: "I want two things. First God and then Fox News."
Been drinking, huh? Do you think using a term like wetback strengthens your argument or are you just trying to get a rise out of people? (Its rhetorical). Racism doesn't shock me. The complete lack of a response from our fellow Freepers does shock me. Not even a comment that your words are in poor taste. sigh
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Some rats will vote with the President but I can guarantee Sheets Byrd will vote with your side.
Do you feel that our current immigration laws are racist? If not, do you feel that the enforcement of those laws are racist?
Dubya has cut taxes several times now. Think for the first time.
It is an advantage to all narrow wisdom and narrow morals that their maxims have a plausible air; and, on a cursory view, appear equal to first principles. They are light and portable. They are as current as copper coin; and about as valuable. They serve equally the first capacities and the lowest; and they are, at least, as useful to the worst men as to the best. Of this stamp is the cant of not man, but measures; a sort of charm by which many people get loose from every honourable engagement.
Edmund Burke
This must be a very scary world for you.
Idiots often agree with other idiots. The number of people attacking bayourod indicates how forceful his argument are. When people ignore you it is also an idication of the strength of your argument.
You used the phrase "damn Mexicans" in your post #199.
well said
well said
You'd get a lot more traction if you would tone down your name calling and condescending attitude. I read your "about page" and you make some very sensible points about immigration - I think they're wrong, but still they are well written and appear to be well thought out.
If you approached posting in the same manner, you there could be a proper discussion rather than a fire fight.
One of bayourod's forceful arguments was that illegal immigrants don't hurt hospitals - his reasoning was something along "Hospitals don't go out of business because they have too many patients, they go out of business because they don't have enough".
This argument is in no way living in reality as hospitals go out of business because patients don't pay. Hospitals are forced to provide emergency care to illegal but they have no way of collecting - this drives emergency rooms out of business.
Look, I know from your "about page" that you feel that we were all immigrants at one time and that the ones that want to crack down on illegal immigration just don't want to share the American Dream with anyone else. This isn't about being selfish, its about controlling our borders and protecting our country from the unfair trade practice of "dumping".
Mexico and the United States are two different sovereign nations. If their citizens want to immigrate to the United States, they should get in line along with everyone else. Mexico sure protects its southern border from illegal immigration - why do you think that is?
He contributes logic to the discussion. What is your excuse for existing?
What the heck!?! It says Freerepublic atop my browser but this is pure socialist claptrap. Workers are rewarded on the basis of their productivity...not because they were born in America. There is no right to a good paying job for the lazy or stupid...even in America.
If an American can't compete with an uneducated spanish speaking illegal then the American should be deported for being a drain on our resources.
Isolationist xenophobia is not conservative.
Yeah! Not valid sources like NYT and Washington Post.
Maybe it isn't bayourod who is tolerated at FR. Maybe we tolerate you.
Americans are subject to social security, medicare and income tax withholdings. Americans must also claim their income or be imprisoned for tax evasion.
Then let's do something about socialism services that my tax dollars pay for, not kick out the guy who cleans my toilets at work.
on housing,
You lost me on this. Could you please explain?
on transportation,
I don't know why my taxes fund public transportation either.
on securing vulnerable facilities from terrorist attacks and so on.
There are 10-15 million illegals in the country now. I'd prefer our government went after the few terrorist instead of sending the Dept of Homeland Defense against the terrible dangers of Pedro and his plunger.
Have you ever seen housing in parts of the country where several families share it?
If the money weren't spent on illegal aliens, our infrastructure would get the upgrade and maintenance its in bad need of.
Yes... because our government refuses to make an effort to deport them. And the fact we're ignorant about why they're here means we have no way of knowing who is here to seek a job and who is here to do the country harm.
Denny Crane: "I want two things. First God and then Fox News."
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