Kennedy discusses immigration reform legislation during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 14 2007. From left are, Los Angeles radio host Eddie “El Piolin” Sotelo, Kennedy, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif.
Senators to Revive Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON – Key senators tentatively agreed on a plan to revive a stalled immigration bill on Thursday, aided by President Bush’s support for a quick $4.4 billion aimed at “securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site.”
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Republican and Democratic supporters of the bill were presenting their proposal to the Senate’s top two leaders, who in turn arranged an early evening meeting to discuss it.
Precise details to be presented to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were not disclosed.
In general, according to officials familiar with the discussions, Republicans and Democrats would each be accorded roughly a dozen chances to amend the measure, with the hope that they would then combine to provide the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by die-hard opponents. The officials who described the emerging plan did so on condition of anonymity, saying the negotiations had been conducted in private.
The legislation has generated intense controversy, particularly for provisions envisioning eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million immigrants now in the country unlawfully. The bill also calls for greater border security and a crackdown on the hiring of illegal employees.
“We’re going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept,” Bush said, two days after launching a personal rescue mission.
Any agreement is subject to approval by Reid, who has said repeatedly it is up to Bush and Republicans to line up the votes needed to advance the measure if it is to be brought back to the Senate for debate. Reid, who has expressed misgivings about elements of the bill, sidetracked it last week after supporters gained only 45 of the 60 votes needed.
Republicans accounted for only seven of the 45 votes, and Reid said earlier this week, “We’ll move on to immigration when they have their own act together.”
Bush’s decision to personally announce support for the accelerated funding reflected concerns expressed by Republican senators at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Several told him their constituents doubted the government was capable of following through on a commitment to enforce immigration laws.
In a letter sent to Bush before the meeting, Georgia Republican Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson wrote,
“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.”
Under the legislation as drafted, money for border enforcement would be collected gradually as illegal immigrants pay the fines and fees needed to achieve legal status. The letter asked Bush to secure the border before other elements of the immigration measure go into effect, and the president agreed in his remarks to the Associated Builders and Contractors.
“One common concern is whether the government will provide the resources to meet the goals in the bill. They say, `It’s fine to talk about it, are you actually going to do something?'” he said.
“To answer these concerns I support an amendment that will provide $4.4 billion in immediate additional funding for securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site,” he said.
“By matching our benchmarks with these critical funds, we’re going to show the American people that the promises in this bill will be kept.”
Two Republican supporters of the legislation, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jon Kyl of Arizona, had previously proposed advanced funding.
“The moment the presidential signing pen meets the paper these funds will be available,” Graham said in a statement welcoming Bush’s remarks.
But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an opponent of the legislation, took a different view. “I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there’s simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill.”
Even a decision to return the bill to the Senate floor does not guarantee its passage, given the intense opposition. “We’ve got people out there on both sides really ready to burn the place down,” said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the second-ranking Republican. “I don’t think we ought to let that happen.”
The calendar, too, presents obstacles to any attempt to pass the measure before the Senate begins a scheduled vacation in two weeks. Should they choose, critics of the immigration measure could slow progress on other measures Reid wants debated in the next two weeks. The effect would be to further reduce prospects for passage of the immigration bill.
Wild Thing’s comment……….
If we thought if was over, it only just began. This is the height of arrogance! They’ve basically declared war on the electorate. They do so at their own peril…..they have already been warned there will be political consequences for their actions.
When this ends and I hope it does in doing the right thing, we are going to find out one way or the other which of these Senators cares for the American People and who cares for violating American Laws.
Even a decision to return the bill to the Senate floor does not guarantee its passage, given the intense opposition. “We’ve got people out there on both sides really ready to burn the place down,” said Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the second-ranking Republican. “I don’t think we ought to let that happen.”
Gee whiz Senator Lott why bring back the bill then? He hears the people telling him that he ought not sell our country down the river but proceeds full steam ahead. Sh*t happens Senator Lott and I hope you get your fair share of it.
Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity
Precise details…were not disclosed.
The officials who described the emerging plan did so on condition of anonymity, saying the negotiations had been conducted in private.
Who the hell do these senators think they are?,on both sides of the aisle.
“Precise details to be presented to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were not disclosed.”
The “details” are obvious. Republicans can present 10 amendments that Kennedy knows will be voted down. Dummies can present 10 amendments, pre-approved by Kennedy, that will all get majority approval.
Then, both sides will agree that the process was fair and the bill should get an up or down vote.
Sure looks fair to Kennedy!
But Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., an opponent of the legislation, took a different view. “I appreciate the effort to fund border security, but there’s simply no reason why we should be forced to tie amnesty to it. If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill.”
Thank you, Sen. DeMint, for declaring what thinking citizens everywhere know.
The elitists in Washington believe we’re going to swallow this last-ditch attempt to force shamnesty down our throats. They really have contempt for us.
(*Senators up for re-election in 2008)
* Alexander (R-TN)
Bennett (R-UT)
* Cochran (R-MS)
* Coleman (R-MN)
* Collins (R-ME)
* Cornyn (R-TX)
* Craig (R-ID)
* Domenici (R-NM)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
* McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
* Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stevens (R-AK)
* Warner (R-VA)”
A Kennedy went back to LA? Teddy doesn’t remember his brother Bobby’s trip to LA? Sirhan-Sirhan anybody? BUILD the freaking WALL x 800 miles and ENFORCE the laws already in the books my fellow gringos! One more thing: Sirhan-Sirhan killed RFK, Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK and Teddy killed Mary Jo Kopechne! End of the Kennedy trilogy?
And at Right Wing News, John Hawkins reports what his Senate source is telling him about the backroom negotiations:
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2007/06/the_inside_story_on_whats_happ.php
First off, it does look like the Senate immigration bill is coming back. The conventional wisdom seems to be that it’s going to be brought up right before the July 4th break, so that the Senate Republican leadership can try to use that as leverage to get votes (in other words, “vote for the bill or we’ll have to waste your vacation time until you do”).
This is despite the fact that the conservative leaders of the anti-amnesty movement are refusing to cooperate, and won’t give Mitch McConnell a list of amendments that they want considered. My source tells me that the reason for this is that the game has now been rigged. McConnell is essentially promising to bring the amendments up in exchange for cloture votes, but he’s publicly saying that they will strip any problematic amendments out in committee.
In other words, if the bill gets through the Senate and the House, the Democrats and the open borders Republicans will work together when the bills have to be reconciled in committee to strip out any amendments that the “grand bargainers” don’t like. Therefore, at this point, it doesn’t matter what amendments pass, because any tough enforcement provisions slip through will be rendered toothless when the bills are reconciled.
My source also noted that the cloture vote to end debate will be the “real” vote on the bill because if debate is closed off, the bill is sure to pass. Then, what will happen is that the votes for the bill will be counted, and a few Senators who are afraid that their election prospects will be jeopardized by a “yes” vote, will be allowed to vote against the bill. This enables those Senators to tell their constituents that they voted against the bill, but it will still allow them to collect campaign contributions from lobbyists who have a better understanding of how things work, and know that the bill couldn’t have been passed without their support. Put another way, they get to reap the rewards of supporting amnesty while telling the voters in their home states that they opposed the bill.
Can anyone say “the fix is in”?
Looks like its time to tell your house rep(s) that they can join their senate butties picking vegetables if they vote contrary to the wishes of the Americans that gave them their job in D.C.
You don’t keep trying to revive a dead man.
It’s over–they lost.
Now let’s do the right thing and get it done.
Obey the existing laws and build an electrified fence.
And stop the “catch and release.”
There are plenty of internment camps and old military bases no longer in operation we could use to house them.
And cut off the sending of money home to Mexico.
I’m sorry they’re poor and down and out, but they’re causing that problem here, too.
And who knows what diseases these unclean illegals bring with them.
Let’s take care of us for awhile–we have children in poverty here who are Americans and we need to take care of them.
No it is not over, don’t even think that for a minute.
Of all the arrogant things to do, Bush just threw the American people, primarily his base, a bone, to the tune of 4.4 billion dollar for securing the border. A piece of tainted meat to assauge the us peons that are now dissatisfied with his performance, the ones who voted him into office.
Now we are to believe he is serious about border security. After 9-11 one would think secruing the border would have been Item ,first, on the to-do list but no making deals with Vincente Foxe had priority to securing the border.
Does throwing us this bone, now mean we are no longer racists and biggots ?
No it means (he really thinks we are that stupid) if we fall for this one then we deserve what we get. This offering is a poison pawn sacrifice of the worst kind. Take it and we lose the country to 40 million Illegals, whose sole intent is to live off the American Taxpayer, sponsored by Bush-Kennedy-McCain. If we blockade it then we still have a chance.
Why can’t these people be upfront and honest about what they are going to do ? Again, they have been deliberating, meeting and conspireing behind closed doors, and hiding what is really going on. The joke is on us, La Raza, gets veto power over this garbage the American Citizen gets squat, er… the bill. This is Bullshit.
Its time for a recall election for all 535 of them.
NO!!!
This is our elected government at it’s worst. Shady backroom deals covered by lies and doublespeak to the electorate. The arrogance of our permanently elected “representatives” has surpassed the tolerance zone. And, don’t forget the pork added on clandestinely.
This bill should be dead. Any amendments added by anyone is just to fine-tune the bill to their individual preference and ultimately to try to fool us.
The Republic has lasted 200 years, the normal expiration date for republics. Our present infected leadership seems hellbent making the Republic stale and evolving it into a socialist republic. It is close to time for the Second American Revolution. Hopefully it will occur at the ballot box thru new honest, patriotic, constitutional leaders who understand the Bill of Rights. We the people understand the Bill of Rights, especially the Second Amendment.
Darth Yesss anything connected to them is from the dark side and nothing good can come of it. Including this bill.
Dan amazing, thank you, that is how it feels too “the fix is in.”
Lynn great comment!
Mark that is one of the many things that really burns me up. The lies, the back door stuff, the closed door talks, then when we want laws to be obeyed to call us rascists and bigots.
They are giving us, the middle finger so to speak, and calling us stupid too.
Jack I agree, a resounding NO.
Tom, I am glad you mentioned that. I read something last year about how important the 200 year mark has been and how it always comes to a turning point. When I heard that the first time I sluffed it off like oh but not our country.
Now I see it is true and like you said those doing this are bound an determined to ignore the will of the people, the laws of the land and the Constitution.