Hey Pansdey, how 'bout just enforcing the laws we already have?
Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."
Posted on 06/12/2007 8:10:31 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
His party divided and his polls sagging, President Bush prodded rebellious Senate Republicans on Tuesday to help resurrect legislation that could provide eventual citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
"It's a highly emotional issue," said Bush after a session in which several lawmakers bluntly told him their constituents do not trust the government to secure the nation's borders or weed out illegal workers at job sites.
To alleviate the concerns, the president said he was receptive to an emergency spending bill as a way to emphasize his administration's commitment to accelerated enforcement. One congressional official put the price tag at up to $15 billion.
"I don't think he changed any minds," conceded Sen. Mel Martinez (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., a supporter of the legislation. But Martinez added that the president's appearance had helped nudge "people on the fence" to be more favorably inclined.
One Republican widely viewed as a potential convert, Sen. Bob Corker (news, bio, voting record) of Tennessee, said he was not yet persuaded. "At the end of the day, I've got to be able to sit down and know myself that we are going to secure our border," he said. "Today, I do not feel that way."
Bush's trip to the Capitol marked only the second time since he became president that he attended the weekly closed-door senators lunch, a gesture that underscored the importance he places on passage of comprehensive immigration legislation.
Despite the president's commitment, many conservatives in his own party have criticized the measure as an amnesty for millions of lawbreakers. Additionally, job approval ratings in the 30-percent range make it difficult for the president to bend even Republican lawmakers to his will.
Compounding the challenge is a stream of statements from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., that it is up to Bush and the Republicans to produce enough votes to revive a measure that was sidetracked on the Senate floor last week. "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together," he told reporters during the day.
"Fourteen percent of the Republicans supporting the president's bill won't do the trick," he said, referring to the fact that only seven GOP senators supported a move to free the bill from limbo last week.
Several participants in the Republican meeting described the session as friendly and rancor-free, and said Bush had even made a joke at one point when addressing Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), the Alabama Republican who is one of the bill's fiercest critics.
One senator quoted Bush as telling Sessions: "Don't worry, I'll still go to your fundraiser. We disagree about this, but we are friends."
Sessions was among the senators to question the president, pointing to polls showing widespread opposition to the legislation. Bush responded that there are other polls that show support, according to participants. They spoke on condition of anonymity, citing confidentiality rules covering the closed-door meeting.
These officials said numerous senators told Bush the public lacks confidence that the government would carry out the enforcement measures in the bill.
One, Sen. Saxby Chambliss (news, bio, voting record), R-Ga., told Bush that he and fellow Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson (news, bio, voting record) had sent the president a letter outlining the concerns.
"The message from a majority of Georgians is that they have no trust that the United States government will enforce the laws contained in this new legislation and secure the border first," it said.
"This lack of trust is rooted in the mistakes made in 1986, and the continued chaos surrounding our immigration laws. Understandably, the lack of credibility the federal government has on this issue gives merit to the skepticism of many about future immigration reform."
The letter asked Bush to support a spending bill to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect. It did not specify how much money would be needed, but one congressional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the advance costs could reach $10 billion to $15 billion.
"The administration should request the emergency funds, and the Senate should vote to provide them before resuming debate on the broader immigration measure," Chambliss said in an interview.
Apart from the additional funds, Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill hoped to complete work on an agreement that could free it for final passage by month's end.
Discussions center on a plan to allow votes on about a dozen Republican-sponsored amendments as well as several proposals by Democrats. In exchange, GOP holdouts would then support a move to end debate and advance the bill to a final vote.
Among the amendments was one by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, to require all illegal immigrant household heads to return to their countries of origin before obtaining legal status. Under the legislation, only those seeking green cards — permanent legal residency — would be required to return home first.
After an early evening negotiating session between Republican and Democratic senators, Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., said the group is trying to craft an amendment to assure Americans that the bill will include ample funding for tighter border security and tougher workplace enforcement. The plan could involve "pre-funding" the effort with billions of dollars eventually to be repaid through fines and fees, he said, or through a more traditional supplemental spending bill, such as those recently used to pay for the Iraq war.
Graham said the bipartisan negotiators also are looking at harsher penalties for immigrants who overstay their visas or re-enter the country illegally. "If you had mandatory jail time" for such offenses, he said, "I think it would create a deterrent."
Another possible amendment, Graham said, would ban employers from participating in a new temporary worker program if they repeatedly break the law by hiring illegal workers.
"I'm looking for ways to break the cycle of skepticism" among those who feel a new immigration law would be as poorly enforced as the 1986 law, he said.
The administration pushed back against Republican critics of the bill later Tuesday. In a letter to nine conservative senators who bitterly oppose the measure, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the administration has committed manpower and money to improving border security and enforcement, and needs the immigration bill to step up its efforts.
"Failure to act on this legislation will deny the country the safety and security provided by these enhanced enforcement measures," Chertoff wrote.
___
Associated Press writer Julie Hirschfeld Davis contributed to this story.
Hes gonna give us another 15 billion dollar taxpayer funded bribe? Is this clown for real? They have enough money to enforce the law now, who is he kidding?
Highly emotional issue? In other words, we, who want the borders closed, aren’t thinking, we are just throwing a fit.
It’s time for the base to send Bush a message to shut up.
Hey Pansdey, how 'bout just enforcing the laws we already have?
Lindsey Ping
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."
I like it. I’m stealing it. :)
"It's a highly emotional issue," said Bush
You are right.
After we make the RINOs extinct we need to turn to the media.
See #24. Sorry :-(
The Bush family hae been terrible for the conservative movement. What the democrats could not do to destroy us, the Bush types destroyed from within.
Ronnie must be turning in his grave.
You are also a bigot and a nativist.
Had to clear that up.
Oh and whatever else the spokesholes decide to call us this week.
This is really pathetic that the POTUS has to grovel to Senators to get some stinking bill passed. What an embarrassment. He should give up and cut his losses.
This bill stinks like a you know what that won’t flush. It just goes round and round and stinks up the place!
This is really pathetic that the POTUS has to grovel to Senators to get some stinking bill passed. What an embarrassment. He should give up and cut his losses.
This bill stinks like a you know what that won’t flush. It just goes round and round and stinks up the place!
This is really pathetic that the POTUS has to grovel to Senators to get some stinking bill passed. What an embarrassment. He should give up and cut his losses.
This bill stinks like a you know what that won’t flush. It just goes round and round and stinks up the place!
If this thing is enacted, all those that sponsored it, favored it and voted for it should be forced to leave office immediately.
CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL! AND KEEP CALLING TILL THE LINES FRY!
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti illegal immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them. This is a bipartisan issue not a Conservative or Liberal issue BUT AN AMERICAN issue.
They ignore the problem for years. When they finally act, the legislation they create is so full of Political Correctness and unenforcable BS that it will never do any good.
Next up to get this treatment: Social Security.
Too bad this POS didn’t push for Social Security Reform like this huh?
One reason the president doesn’t have any credibility on this issue is that he is holding true border security hostage until he gets his bill. Then a miracle will happen and we will suddenly stop the flow of illegals and clean up this mess.
In actuality, it will only make it worse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.