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.
What a load.
Enforce the current laws.
The Conservative movement is obviously very strong if we caused the bill to die last time. Think about it. Congress, the White House, and the MSM were for the bill, but those few pesky Conservatives stopped it. We are tens of millions strong and it is time we let our voices be heard! Just think about how many red counties there are in the US! Don’t fret conservatives!
Never thought I would say this but I am considering a protestest at the WH.
What a load of crap! This illustrates perfectly why the Administration has zero credibility on this issue. If this career burearcrat can't make border security happen with the enormous resources at his disposal, will $15B more really help? Of course not. This is just the type of rhetoric I'd expect out of a Democrat. Lead or get out of the way Mr. Chertoff. On second thought, just get the hell out of the way: Resign Immediately!
Anyone got the vote counts on the Cloture, then the anticipated votes if full vote?
Makes you wonder about those who say we have lean left to win doesn’t it?
See tagline.
LOL. Those people are busy venting on the Paris Hilton/Soprano threads.
Amen.
Memo to Bush: "If you have any deep rooted complaints, start a ledger, weep them into your pillow, but don't spray them all over me. It's a bore and its tough to live with." (From: Twilight Zone, Episode 93, Little People)
Or just lay in a half mile wide mine field. It may be cheaper and probably more effective.
The real tragedy is that more GOP senators didn’t sign that letter.
I’m seriously starting to wonder if the Liberals weren’t right all along about Mr. Bush’s intelligence. The man is positively tone deaf. If he knows what he’s doing, then someone must have some real dirt on him.
1. Secure the border
2. Enforce existing immigration laws
3. Clear up the backlog of LEGAL immigrant applicants
4. Require all ILLEGALS here now to go home and apply to come back in
And DON'T tell us it's "impractical" and too costly when you've already sent our military around the planet to do the "impractical" in Afghanistan and Iraq at a cost of 3000+ of our bravest and hundred$ of billion$.
GET BUSY OR RESIGN!
Bush: STFU
Poncey?
Even the Democrats that I know are against it. The Republican party is making itself look bad by Bush and McCain et al carrying all the water for this monstrosity.
Or just lay in a half mile wide mine field. It may be cheaper and probably more effective.”
_____________________
Cheaper yet....draw a line in the sand. Shoot the first 50 that cross it. Word gets out, problem solved.
We also don’t want 12-20 million illegal aliens given overnight amnesty
Nor their employers who are dodging the tax system.
There is a legal immigration system.
NIce summation. I'd like to add that we don't want another 150 million family member who also don't want to assimilate to come and absorb tax dollars in schools, hospitals, etc.
If they were EVER illegal, they must be barred from receiving any federal money. That would discourage them from coming illegally. Damn straight it would. Cut off the freebies that I PAY FOR. Of course, the little detail that they'll be getting off from paying years and years of taxes has me pissed off too.
These senators better be looking for work.
Nevermind all...I’ve got them...
This article has the song “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” going through my head, guess we’re all unique and special after all.
Begging from Bigots, great alliteration there.
That 25% consists of 15% moonbat and 10% Bushbot.
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.