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.
We were all amazed how rapidly the Soviet Union fell from superpower status to third world country without a shot being fired.
Now it’s happening again with the USA.
I recommend learning Chinese. Maybe they will be willing to outsource some work to the lower labor costs of the third world USA.
Time to start writing the book “The Rise and Fall of the American Empire”.
“Whats been done here is the planting of a seed that will grow a civil war on the streets of America”
And it will be the ILLEGALS who start the civil war!!
Well, I ain't rolling over. I already live among the ruins of SoCal, but decided I'm going down fighting. With my dying breath!
B*****ds!
Lindsay Graham sure looks smug....good grief....
What a lowlife piece of shit he is. (I suspected as much after his role in engineering the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.)
Are you pretending that this is a list of the votes from today? First off, they’ve come to an agreement and haven’t voted yet.
Secondly, many on that list aren’t even in the senate anymore!
“Kyl led the sell out.”
I could puke!!
Sadly, our country would be way ahead if the next terrorist attack managed to take out all US senators. Hopefully the House and the recently elected Blue Dog Democrats can stop this abortion of a bill. They won their seats on this issue. I hope they can be relied upon to support building of the complete fence and stand firm against amnesty of any kind. The country is lost if this gets signed into law.
Grrrrreeeeaaaattttt...
They finally figured out a way to help the U.S. farmers out, make legal, those who are here illegally...
No where will anyone be expected to ever go back home and apply for citizenship in any numbers great enough to matter to the big issue...
Yep...
We can kiss the white house, the senate and congress goodbye in 2008...
Mark this date...
There will be no reason to build a fence, put troops on the border, or enforce any immigration law...
They might as well roll up I.C.E. now, we won’t need them anymore...
I suggest everyone go out and invest in Rossetta Stone’s Spanish CD course...English will more than likely be relegated to secondary status to a lot of things...
History in the making right here!
You can look back on this day, and tell your grandkids:
Usted sabe, recuerdo cuando hablamos inglés, votado en inglés, leyó en inglés...
Ahora, tenemos que pensar en español liberal...
“Abuelo, qué fue un conservador”?
“If this passes, and the President signs it, I have already voted for the last Republican Ill ever vote for.”
ditto
Very nice. McCain and Benedict Bush.
Wow. A real, live ‘Camp of the Saints’.
Exactly. The money we pay the government, only to get ridiculed and screwed. I have never been this angry at our leaders in all my life. I would gladly spend a night in jail to spit on my traitorous senator. The Constitution means nothing to them. Why should we follow the law?
I swear BUSH THE GLOBALIST is really simply a globalist who went under cover of being a concerned american citizen to dupe us — it seems now he is pushing as much special legislation and treaties through as he can to help us rid ourselves of that pesky sovereignty of ours! I am sick of it.
Just as strange as DeWine and Allen being allowed back in to vote!
"This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1-1.3 million
illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth.
We will never again bring forward another Amnesty Bill like this."
-Ted Kennedy, 1986
Call me a conspiracist.
But most revolutions in history were caused by mass food shortages.
Right now the IRS coupled with the Federal Reserve control and rule America.
We put up with their scam because we have plenty of food, We have pizza and football to keep us distracted. It’s the same scheme that kept Rome going with their bread and circuses.
As far as I am concerned the republicans and the democrats are two sides of the same ruling mafia. The real rulers of this country are the ones that can create moeny out of thin air and then say that inflation is ‘contained’.
We are paying more for everything, housing, gas, medical, etc. Paying more for just about everything except food.
If tomorrow we started to pay more for food the way we have to pay more for other necessities, there would be a massive revolt aimed straight at the imcumbents.
We have an aristocracy called Congress controlled by ruling oligarchs. Most of our so-called representatives are chosen by moneyed power brokers who are members of the oligarch network. The few representatives that are independent are either in rural or heartland districts or they are oddballs that are removed when the oligarchs feel they need more controlling share.
I know I am accurate here. I have a friend, an accomplished attorney who ran for Congress. He was told by the local power broker that he would not be ‘chosen’. He also said that power brokers ‘choose’ people to be members of the aristocracy.
He said they don’t control every district and they don’t have to. Like owning enough stock in a company to have a controlling interest, power brokers need only control a certain number of representatives in Congress.
That’s the way it is. And if you think about it for less than a minute you know it’s true.
Keep the masses sedated with food access and they keep their hold on power. Every other complaint is just a complaint that goes nowhere. A full belly is not going to complain too passionately about much else. But complaints about not enough food leads to upheaval.
So bring in and keep the Mexicans working in the fields. Keep the food prices low. Keep Americans fat in front of their TVs.
That would only leave seven million people in Mexico. Maybe conservatives could then move en mass down there, close the borders, and pull the old switcheroo on 'em.
Who's with me!? Arrrrrriba!
Late last year, I wrote both NC’s Senators and my Congressman about the amnesty for illegals and was assured via letters from each’s office there was no chance of any plan resembling amnesty going to pass.
Should I find out either one voted for such amnesty, I intend to publish these letters and their voting record to reveal the spineless liars they are.
WE WIN!!!!
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