Lott pushes for immigration bill

Los Angeles Daily News ^ | 05/23/2007 | The New York Times

[ER_in_OC,CA]

WASHINGTON - The No. 2 Republican in the Senate made an all-out pitch for support of a comprehensive immigration bill Wednesday as the Senate voted to reduce the size of a proposed guest-worker program, infuriating employers.

The Republican, Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, was not part of the bipartisan group of 12 senators who negotiated the "grand bargain" on immigration with the White House. But on Wednesday, Lott defended the deal, which has come under heavy fire from the right and the left.

"Is the current situation in America with legal and illegal immigration intolerable and unacceptable?" Lott asked. "Yes. Everybody would agree. Is this bill better than the current law? Without a doubt, yes. Are we going to have another opportunity to do this better next year or the next year? The answer is no. We've got to do it. We've got to do it as good as we can. We've got to do it right now.

"The only thing that's unacceptable is to do nothing," said Lott, the Senate minority whip.

Lawmakers of both parties said they had been flooded with telephone calls from constituents complaining about a provision of the bill that would offer legal status to most of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants. Advertisement "The American people are not buying it," said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky.

Many Democrats are upset with other parts of the bill that would establish the temporary-worker program and a new merit-based system for awarding permanent-residence visas, or green cards. The point system would give more weight to job skills and education and less to family ties.

Under the guest-worker program, as originally proposed, 400,000 foreign workers could have come to the United States each year on two-year visas, and the number could have increased to 600,000 in response to the demand from employers.

By a vote of 74-24, the Senate approved an amendment cutting the annual limit on temporary workers to 200,000.

Democrats and labor unions said the temporary workers could be easily exploited and would adversely affect the wages of American workers.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who proposed the lower limit, said he doubts that the temporary workers would leave when their visas expired. And he said the bill is flawed because it provides no opportunity for them to become lawful permanent residents or citizens. "The guest-worker program is unproven and untested, and I'm very concerned what it will do to wages in our country," Bingaman said.

[ER_in_OC,CA]

Looks like we've lost Lott unless some nutty amendments can sway him to voting "no." Unless his constituents change his mind, we've got to hope for the House to stop this horrible bill.

Still tracking votes here: http://votecount.blogspot.com/

[Puppage]

as the Senate voted to reduce the size of a proposed guest-worker program, infuriating employers

Tough crap!

[basil]

Lott also lost the conviction of the Klintoon’s impeachment for us. I have’t had any use for him since then.

[EagleUSA]

The Repub demographic on this horrid issue would be MUCH different, if we had a pro-American border administration.

[donna]

"The only thing that's unacceptable is to do nothing," said Lott, the Senate minority whip.

This is why we need to get rid of professional politicians with term limits. They live for new mindless legislation.

[ARE SOLE]

Chester is a worthless excuse for a man. He is the epitome of a RINO. He needs to go.

Regards

[Major Matt Mason]

Are we going to have another opportunity to do this better next year or the next year? The answer is no.

Why? Because it is an election year? If this bill passes as is, the GOP will have an election year they won't soon forget, and for all the wrong reasons. Don't rush it, get it right.

[snowrip]

WITH RESPECT TO THE SHAMNESTY PROPOSAL, YOUR RIGHTEOUS ANGER IS TIPPING THE SCALE.

We have been fighting the amnesty proposal as if the future of our country depends on our efforts... because it does. As working, voting, law-abiding, thinking Americans, we can only come to one conclusion: that those who support the Senate bill have chosen to intentionally ignore the will of the people, and have put their own political ambitions ahead of what is good for the United States of America. This agenda is unacceptable, and we have rejected it utterly. Moreover, it constitutes a direct threat to the future of this republic, because it indicates that there are members of the body politic who no longer answer to the will of the people, the Constitution, or even to rational thought itself.

Keep the pressure on, because the Senate is hoping this will all just go away if they wait long enough. Write, call, email, and fax your representatives... and DO NOT STOP. If you are unable to reach your Congressional or Senate rep, try the office of El Presidente. Contact your local and state party representatives, and the Republican and Democrat National Committees. Keep building the tidal wave that we need to KILL THIS BILL!

Links and contact info:


CONTACT YOUR REPS NOW

MORE CONTACT INFO

Stop Amnesty Now!... a must read

[NormsRevenge]

Was Lott one of the reps or senators that went in the basement of a congressional building and viewed the clinton files? only a handful did if my memory serves me well today.

When the Constitution is at stake, some turncoats never change their colors.

[basil]

I’m not sure whether he was part of that group or not.

[NormsRevenge]

It was a small number, incredibly small, imo.

A bunch of gutless , spineless bastards in the senate, most are still there.

[YellowRoseofTx]

I'm going to fax this to every traitorous Republican Senator as I find out who they are:

No
Confidence
Vote

* You make promises to get elected.
* You make law that you won’t enforce.
* You don’t enforce current laws regarding illegal immigration.
* You make secret back room deals (or allow them to happen) that undermine our country.
* You pander to the lobbyists and other “interest groups”
* You don’t stand up to the opposition.
* You ignore your oath of office to defend our country and constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic…..but you aren’t.
* You are NOT listening to your constituents or the majority of the American people.

I have lost all confidence in you and your service in Congress to do what you were elected to do and is in the best interest of “We, the People”, citizens of this United States of America.

[CDHart]

Lott is an idiot - he always was, even before he got everybody mad at him.

Carolyn

[dandiegirl]

You people in Mississippi better start calling his offices. The Repubs were stupid for giving him back his authority position.

[taxed2death]

Well, at least we’ll know what maggots are slithering around the whitehouse....and we’ll know who will vote which way to soak the taxpayer for trillions.

[Cicero]

Trent Lott is the guy who refused to allow any witnesses to testify at clinton’s impeachment trial. It’s hard to have a trial when no evidence is allowed.

[Paperdoll]

>Looks like we’ve lost Lott...<

Hey, Trent! Took a heap of hot water to reveal your feet of clay, and you’re standing knee deep in it!

[b4its2late]

Just give them the manpower to enforce the damn laws we have on the books now, along with deporting as many as possible, and see what happens.

[fantom]

This slow wit sees this as a way to get good press and to redeem his thurmond stupidity. Nothing more. Does anyone really think that he , or any hack gives a damn about you or me ?