Thread: Busy agenda clouds hopes for immigration reform

Busy agenda clouds hopes for immigration reform
Reuters


By Tim Gaynor – Thu Nov 19, 4:21 pm ET

PHOENIX (Reuters) – Some U.S. Democrats see momentum building for an overhaul of immigration laws that would legalize millions of undocumented workers, but analysts say a crowded agenda and struggling economy may once again sink hopes for reform next year.

Representative Luis Gutierrez says he will introduce a comprehensive reform bill in the Democrat-controlled Congress in December, offering a path to citizenship for law abiding undocumented workers.

"It's my feeling that we just can't wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a clear pathway to legalization for those who have earned it," the Illinois Democrat said.

Gutierrez was speaking in a conference call on Wednesday, which organizers said reached 60,000 participants gathered at house parties in 45 states.

Democratic officials in Washington, however, are skeptical there will be enough time or political will to tackle the issue next year although it could be on the agenda in 2011 or 2012 depending on the outcome of congressional elections next year.

Immigration is a divisive issue in the United States where some 12 million illegal immigrants live and work in the shadows and where Hispanics, the largest immigrant group, are an increasingly weighty voting bloc.

CHANGING CLIMATE?

President Barack Obama, who was backed overwhelmingly by Hispanics in his election last year, says he wants to see legislation by early next year. His predecessor, President George W. Bush, tried and failed to get reforms passed.

Obama supports the idea of offering citizenship to illegal immigrants in good standing while cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers as well as hardening the porous border with Mexico.

Representative Nydia Velazquez, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and who also spoke in Wednesday's call, said she believed legislation would be passed before Congressional elections in November 2010.

Senior White House advisor David Axelrod told CNN on Sunday that Democrats and Republicans in Congress were working together to craft an immigration reform bill that could become law as early as next year.

That echoed a statement by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who said last week that factors like a big decline in illegal border crossings had altered the political climate, making an overhaul "attainable."

She said there were signs that more Americans want the broken immigration system fixed and there had been vocal support from law enforcement officials, clerics and leaders from business and labor.

LIMITED BANDWIDTH

A House Democratic leadership aide was less optimistic. "I think it is pretty unlikely. Our members had to take a lot of tough votes this year -- on healthcare and energy -- that they are getting beat up on."

The aide, who asked not to be identified, added: "My sense is that there isn't going to be much enthusiasm in the rank and file to take up another issue that is going to require more tough votes."

Analysts cautioned that the Congressional agenda was already packed with pending healthcare and climate legislation, as well as measures to tackle the sliding economy.

"Between focusing on the economy and other public policy priorities, it's hard to see Congress having the bandwidth to take on a big-ticket immigration reform as well," said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.

Analysts said lawmakers facing re-election next year may be reluctant to vote for a bill legalizing millions of illegal workers at a time when unemployment is above 10 percent, and businesses were struggling to emerge from a deep recession.

"There is zero appetite for this, particularly among Republicans, almost uniformly, and also among Democrats who are in marginal districts," said Steven Camarota, research director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Ethan Siegal of the Washington Exchange, a private firm that tracks Congress and the White House for institutional investors, said: "I think the chance of major immigration reform next year are well under 50-50."

(Editing by David Storey)

http://news.yahoo.com

Immigration is a divisive issue in the United States where some 12 million illegal immigrants live and work in the shadows and where Hispanics, the largest immigrant group, are an increasingly weighty voting bloc.

Stop saying "12 million illegal immigrants". Please STOP IT!!! Twelve million - that number has been used for the past 5 -10 years now, at least. Think about it, please! You're supposedly a Reuters reporter. Do you investigate anything you write??!!

If its still 12 million, then we've had NO new illegal aliens sneak across our borders for the past 5 to 10 years!! How likely is that??!! You robotic moron.

The American people deserve the truth about how many illegal invaders are occupying their sovereign nation.

STOP USING THAT RIDICULOUS UNDER-ESTIMATE OF "12 MILLION" RIGHT NOW!!

Obama supports the idea of offering citizenship to illegal immigrants in good standing while cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers as well as hardening the porous border with Mexico.

WTF?!?! this is a TOTAL mixed message and oxymoron of itself! What a freaking pack of LIES! God, these subhumans in office and MSM make me want to hurl.

Yes, and I agree to the above statement about the 12 million "in the shadows" ...what a crock! At one border area in AZ there are an estimated 1000 PER DAY sneaking over our borders! Spare me! Bite ME!

Originally Posted by builditnow

Immigration is a divisive issue in the United States where some 12 million illegal immigrants live and work in the shadows and where Hispanics, the largest immigrant group, are an increasingly weighty voting bloc.

Stop saying "12 million illegal immigrants". Please STOP IT!!! Twelve million - that number has been used for the past 5 -10 years now, at least. Think about it, please! You're supposedly a Reuters reporter. Do you investigate anything you write??!!

If its still 12 million, then we've had NO new illegal aliens sneak across our borders for the past 5 to 10 years!! How likely is that??!! You robotic moron.

The American people deserve the truth about how many illegal invaders are occupying their sovereign nation.

STOP USING THAT RIDICULOUS UNDER-ESTIMATE OF "12 MILLION" RIGHT NOW!!

Exactly! There's 12 million in California.

There were "20 million or more" 5 years ago according to the Bear Stearns study.

The Congressional investigation of a few years ago claimed between 2.5 and 4 million illegal aliens entered the US across the Southern Border alone every year.

There were 8 million illegal alien household tax returns filed 3 years ago and the average household is 4 so that's 32 million filing tax returns and getting earned income tax credits and child care tax credits. Now add the ones who aren't filing tax returns.



There's over 50 million illegal aliens in the US counting their offspring, many of whom by fluke and error of policy are considered US citizens, but still in terms of population numbers, part of the total numbers problem of more people than jobs at incomes that sustain the families.

It's a huge problem.

Representative Luis Gutierrez

When this JERK up For re-election???

He's an incumbent!!!!! I looked it up!
But he gets 75 and 80% of the votes there in Illinois.

Hopefully times have changed.

"It's my feeling that we just can't wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a clear pathway to legalization for those who have earned it," the Illinois Democrat said.

What you are missing Gutierrez and "we the people" are not, is they can keep their familes together by staying in their own country. They can even take their so called American born children home with them, it is called freedom to make your own choice!

So stop the rehtoric, it is not working!

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-4725--0-0.html

"It's my feeling that we just can't wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a clear pathway to legalization for those who have earned it," the Illinois Democrat said.

I'd like to know how illegals have actually "earned it?" They didn't "earn" legalization at all. They sneaked into this country and squatted here. People who disobey federal immigration laws are not legitimate earners, they are violators.

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

Representative Luis Gutierrez

When this JERK up For re-election???

He's an incumbent!!!!! I looked it up!
But he gets 75 and 80% of the votes there in Illinois.

Hopefully times have changed.

Here's the problem:

The 4th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutierrez since January 1993.

It was featured by The Economist as one of the most strangely drawn and gerrymandered congressional districts in the country.[1] It was created to contain two majority Hispanic parts of Chicago.

This district covers two strips running east-west across the city of Chicago, Illinois on the west side continuing into smaller portion of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois' 7th congressional district. The northern portion is largely Puerto Rican, while the southern portion is heavily Mexican. The two sections are on opposite sides of the city and are only connected by a piece of Interstate 294 to the west; the highway is in the district while the surrounding areas are not. It is the smallest congressional district in area outside of New York City and San Francisco.[2] George W. Bush received 21% of the vote in this district in 2004. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of D +32.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois's ... l_district

Reggiemay. could you please do the same for Nydia Velazquez? Show her district I mean.

(I wish I could)