Posted on 05/17/2007 10:16:31 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators reached agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border against new ones.
One of the key negotiators, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects President Bush to endorse it.
The deal came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences.
It set the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities.
This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic senators huddled Thursday trying to close in on an immigration compromise to grant quick legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants while fortifying U.S. borders against new ones.
A group of lawmakers that has been haggling over the terms of agreement for weeks were reviewing language negotiated Wednesday night in efforts to nail down a deal. Among the final sticking points was a stubborn dispute over how much family ties count toward green cards under a new "point system." The plan prioritizes advanced skills and education levels for future immigrants.
Two of the lead negotiators, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., booked time for Thursday afternoon in the Senate's radio-TV gallery for an announcement.
But Kennedy said some were hanging back as an agreement inched closer.
"There are just some people who don't want to close on this. There comes a time in every negotiation where people have to close," Kennedy said. "Today is it."
Kennedy said Thursday was likely the last chance for a compromise before senators scattered for a three-day weekend.
"The immigration reform legislation has come to a boiling point," Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., said just before going into Thursday's meeting. "We've tried to come to a consensus and I think we are very, very close, but every time we grasp it, it eludes a final resolution."
If no deal emerged, Senate Democrats were to vote Monday evening to bring up an immigration measure that passed last year over the objections of most Republicans, who have said they will block it. That would be a highly partisan start to the immigration debate, which divides the two parties and exposes fissures within their ranks.
Even with a bipartisan agreement, the immigration debate could easily devolve into a free-for-all in the unruly Senate.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., has said he wants to complete a bill before Memorial Day, and President Bush says he wants to sign one by summer's end.
I was watching Hannity and Colmes last night and that's what Alan kept hammering Tancredo about..."oh, geez, we're cracking down now, it's not amnesty, they have to do this, that..." What you said is basically what Tancredo said. Who is going to enforce this? We can't enforce the laws we have now.
This is by FAR the worst!!
“We can’t enforce the laws we have now”
Well, I would say we have deliberately and willfully ignored the law!
LOL, Fact are facts,Hispanics and Blacks vote the majority of the time for Democrats.
You’re right, for that matter the majority of Americans are not informed enough to vote period.
Our President at the time thought he was doing the right thing going into Iraq.Intelligence all over the world pointed that way.What a shame that the Democrats and media have turned this around and the Republicans let them.
BUMP
Then we should be asking ourselves why that is and what we can do to get them to vote Republican.
Out pander the Democrats and massively expand the welfare state. Why do you think they vote “D”?
I have no desire to vote for a party just like the Democrat Party. Do you?
No, they are sticking with the “D” because “D” means poor but passing! No Republican could possibly explain to the downtrodden how he is “helping” them. Can’t be done. That old image of Mark Hanna in a suit with dollar bills pinned on remains the image of “Republican” to most of the people. And when they forgive Republicans for their past image and put them in office, the GOP digs up Nero’s fiddle. No wonder the downtrodden won’t buy the GOP appeal.
As if the first generation can read Spanish. Perhaps the Cuban immigrants are different, but lots of the Mexican immigrants in Texas are illiterate.
970 WFLA RADIO DIRECT QUOTE RNC CHAIR/FLA SENATOR MEL MARTINEZ... "We must... the deal is already done." MM
(a bloodless coup).
Don’t worry. Bray stated in another thread that he wasn’t a conservative anyway.
My Immigration Proposal-Refined
The Bill currently moving its way through Congress is a disaster, I hope you agree.
I cannot believe they are actually going to grant legal status to those who have been here only a year! How do we know what their backgrounds are? How do we know they are not criminals? If a compromise must be made I think bottom line that anyone who entered the country illegally after 9/11 should automatically be disqualified from becoming legal.
I have a Multi-Point Proposal that I believe would solve the problem. At the very least it is better than the horrible Bill thats going around.
I hope you take the time to read the proposal. Feel free to use any of this as you see fit.
1. Legalize those who can prove they have had continuous employment for at least 6 years. Employer would have to come forward and verify employment and pay a fine of $2,000 per employee for every year they were employed, capped at $10,000. The fine would be paid to the State the company resides in not the Feds. They will have a waiting period of three years to make sure the border security plan is working, and the head of the household would not have to return to their home country(this would be unfair to irish immigrants and others from overseas.
2. In order to continue being eligible for citizenship in addition to the 6 years employment not one person in the family will have been convicted of any criminal offense and the children must not be registered as gang members. Any gang affiliation will lead to immediate deportation. Applicant must be able to read and write in English and the children must be doing well in school.
3. All border security proposals must be included in this bill and must be proven to be effective within 3 years or the amnesty provision is off the table.
4. A change in the law that states that a child born here is automatically an American citizen. That will no longer be the case, thus helping to prevent anchor babies from ever being an issue again.
5. A guest worker program for Farm workers only, not leading to citizenship and the Farm must provide housing.
6. For every Illegal made Legal there will be a concurrent reduction in the number of Legal Immigrants into this country. For instance if 10 Mexicans become Legal, 10 fewer Mexicans will be able to immigrate to the country under the Legal Immigration system. That goes for every nationality.
7. The number of Legal Immigrants is reduced from the current 1 Million to 300,000 per year to reduce overpopulation growth.
8. Skill sets will take precedence over family, and Chain migration will be ended in 1 year, not 8 like the current bill allows.
9. Nationalities that were heaviest represented in the last 30 years will be reduced and those countries underrepresented will be increased.
10. National IDs instituted that will enable employers to easily identify Legal Immigrants and American citizens. Heavy fines for employers who continue to hire Illegals.
11. Declare English the Official Language of the United States.
12. Put in writing a specific ban on any future mass illegal alien amnesty.
This proposal is tougher in many ways, but would not require the main income earner to leave the country first, and would shorten the waiting period to 3 years, and the fine would be borne by the employer, not the illegal who can barely afford it. If businesses balk at paying the fine then we have proof that they can readily find employees that are not illegal. If their employees are so valuable paying a fine should not be a problem vs. going out of business.
We need to limit the number of illegals given amnesty-a 6 year requirement is extremely reasonable.
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