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.
5. End the Anchor Baby status. Only citizens can have baby citizens. (otherwise multiply 20 to 30 million illegals by 5 X)
I agree with you they are making us look bad as Republicans. Rewarding people for breaking the law — disgusting!
OK just passed the toughest state laws on the books against illegals and as a total red state for Bush, you would think he would get a clue when this State turns against him on Immigration.
Lets just fire their backsides for not enforcing the current laws on the books.Clean out the rinos and take our party back from the elites.
bush bot is going to elect hillary yet.
In my humble opinion, the biggest problem with our elected politicians is they have no common sense plus they want to be reelected. Doing what they are doing, they will not get reelected. Unfortunately, living in the State of Confusion, California, the big cities LA and San Fran-freak-o get what they want during elections. Conservatives are out-numbered and out-gunned here. What are we to do??
It's worse than that. What was the first thing that came out of the WH on election night after the GOP lost it's majority in both houses? They said 'we congratulate the democrats on their victory and the President feels that he now may have a congress he can work with to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform'!! The VERY night that we lost he started pushing for this monstosity! George Bush stabbed us in the back, I'll never trust him or support him again and I won't cry foul if the 'Rats try to impeach him. He is derelict in his duty by his refusal to protect our borders. He is also incompetent and completely disloyal to those who serve in his administration. Ask Scooter Libby or Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compeon. I'm sick to death of George W. Bush.
Fixed it for you.
Oh, no. Now it’s in my head (Temptations, not the Stones). And it pushed aside Sunshine Superman, which has been in there annoying me all day.
Thanks forth Link & Article-
Here’s another site I stumbled onto when looking at the Mamaroneck Town lsoign it’s Police’s Right enforce the law in their town.
Half a Million Dollars they now have to pay according to the Federal Judge- to the LAWYERS of those who “Represented” those who ARE Illegally here.
NOTHING was done Legal wise-Arrested=deportation-to those plantiffs ORGIONALLY who were asked BY the Hispanic Union Lawyers to go ahead and FILE the original lawsuit.
The LAWYERS from them got it all!
Article:
http://wcbstv.com/watercooler/local_story_162145921.html
Day Laborers Sue Mamaroneck Police
Workers No Longer To Be Asked About Immigration Status
(CBS/AP) WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. Day laborers who successfully sued a Westchester village have won a tentative agreement that prohibits police officers from routinely asking their immigration status or otherwise discriminating against them, their lawyers said Monday.
In addition, the village must pay more than half a million dollars of the workers’ legal fees, they said.
DA
What’s worse? A RINO? or one that you just found out YOU voted in as Presdient?
THAT is very good! Can I get your permission to print it and send it to the White House?
One thing is for sure , I will NEVER vote for any politician of any party , that was for this bill....never....
ps: the RNC has lost my financial support over this issue too.
It doesn't have to be. Just enforce the dang law, already!
"It's a highly emotional issue," said Bush...Amen!It doesn't have to be. Just enforce the dang law, already!
[quote]Being a hard core (REAGAN) CONSERVATIVE, I do NOT approach NATIONAL INTERESTS from an EMOTIONAL point of view. Rather, I do so from an INTELLECTUAL stand-point.
INTELLECT tells ME that PRESIDENT BUSH is DEAD WRONG on this issue!!
YOU NEVER REWARD BAD BEHAVIOR!!
To do so will ONLY ensure more BAD BEHAVIOR!
RESIGN NOW, PRESIDENT BUSH!![/quote]
I’m with this post.. 110%
ROFL! I can beat that.
After reading "Rudy and the Bots" in conserv8ive1 's tagline,
I now can't get "Benny and the Jets" out of my head!
Maybe he needs hormone treatment so it’s less emotional for him. ;-)
>>>”Fourteen percent of the Republicans supporting the president’s bill won’t do the trick,” he said<<<
Do you ever just wish you could slip into a press conference, just once, and ask the obvious question. When only 14% of your party support legislation and that 14% is composed to members with the absolute lowest scores given to your party by the American Conservative Union, that ought to tell you something. Right? Or am I missing something?
Geez, Bush really just doesn’t care at all, does he?
The simple answer is they can't. The worst part is they won't and never had any intention of doing so.
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