Posted on 05/24/2007 10:23:39 AM PDT by 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.
Did that last week and I suspect most of his constiuents who wrote him opposed the immigration bill. Just as with the Senate impeachment trial, his spine has turned to rubber again. I haven’t voted for him since that botched event.
I guess someone promised him some more ships to be built by the state’s largest employer, to ensure his reelection. That’s usually how business is conducted here.
WHO’S GOING TO LEAD THE REVOLUTION?
Lott got a very nasty email from me.
The mediocrity of this debate is pathetic. Wanna do something Sen Lott? Throw yourself off a very tall building.
“Lott also lost the conviction of the Klintoon’s impeachment for us. I have’t had any use for him since then.”
How did Lott do that when the Democrats were united against conviction and Lott needed 67 votes and there were only 56 Republicans at the time?
Where was Lott supposed to get 11 Democratic votes from?
Term limits will never change human nature.
Lott’s a criminal.
Anti-Americans too.
From my other Lott thread:
>>That might be why the wealthy plantation owners picked Lott to take the lead. He will be there until 2012, and may not want to keep the office after that, and seems not to care what the people want. He is afraid, however, that others who are up for reelection in 2008 won’t touch amnesty with a 10 foot pole bean in 2008, hence the haste to get this passed in 2007.
It may be a better bet to call the Mississippi republican HQ and talk about money.<<
Well, for starters, he could have actually voted FOR it!
Amateur politicians would be less skilled at getting the job done - a good thing.
Nor have I.
He should be written up in medical journals: "Spineless man manages to walk upright."
My email to Trent
Trent,
My Wife and I see you are supporting the Amnesty Bill-—
OK
Here’s what we are going to do.
We are going to tear up our voter registrations and change to “independents” and vote against you and every incumbant in the next election.
Words fail us as we feel betrayed and ever so angry that this apostacy is being forced down the throats of patriotic law abiding Americans.
A POX UPON YOU HOUSE TRENT
Mr and Mrs John Hxxxxxx
Lott has also previously done things that have made me wonder, like during the impeachment. Now he is revealing his true self.
Lott and his Ship Building Buddies want that cheap labor. They don’t want to pay Mississippi born and raised workers a fair wage.
This bill is all about cheap labor at the expense of legal americans.
Lott shows that a lame brain can be very dangerous as well.
We never had Lott.
Any solid American who rolls over for this bill is bucking for a job in The New World Order, including Senatesitters and Congresscritters.
What am I saying? No solid American would roll over!
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