Thread: Congress fails to pass immigration bill, problem grows worse

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1217671.html

WASHINGTON -- Left for dead a week ago, legislation to strengthen border security while bestowing legal status on millions of illegal immigrants is showing signs of life. President Bush said Friday it's time for Congress to act.

"Each day our nation fails to act, the problem only grows worse," the president said at the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. "I will continue to work closely with members of both parties, to get past our differences, and pass a bill I can sign this year."

Senate leaders announced plans Thursday night to revive the White House-backed measure as early as next week, although neither Majority Leader Harry Reid nor his GOP counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, made any predictions the bill ultimately would pass.

Instead, they issued a statement that said in its entirety: "We met this evening with several of the senators involved in the immigration bill negotiations. Based on that discussion, the immigration bill will return to the Senate floor after completion" of sweeping energy legislation that has occupied the Senate this week.

There was no immediate reaction from the bill's numerous Senate critics, who have consistently attacked the legislation as conferring amnesty on the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the country.

Bush, at the prayer breakfast, said, "We must meet our moral obligation to treat newcomers with decency and show compassion to the vulnerable and exploited, because we're called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy.

"Most Americans agree on these principles," the president said. "And now it's time for our elected leaders in Congress to act."

The immigration legislation's revival represented at least an interim victory for Bush, who returned home from Europe earlier in the week and plunged into a campaign to rescue his top domestic priority.

On Tuesday, the president made a rare visit to the Capitol to ask Republican senators to give the bill a second chance. Two days later, responding to a request from pivotal GOP senators, he threw his support behind $4.4 billion in immediate funding for "securing our borders and enforcing our laws at the work site." As drafted, the legislation called for the money to become available over a period of several years.

Under a plan that key lawmakers presented to Reid and McConnell, Republicans and Democrats each will have 10-12 opportunities to amend the measure, with the hope that they will then combine to provide the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster by die-hard opponents.

Officials said the Bush-backed plan for accelerated funding would be among the changes to be voted on. So, too, a proposal by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to toughen a requirement for illegal immigrants to return to their home country before gaining legal status.

But in a gauge of the complexity of the rescue effort, officials said the Senate's decision last week to terminate a temporary worker program after five years would not be subject to change before a vote on final passage. Many of the bill's strongest supporters opposed the five-year provision.

Also to be protected from immediate change is a provision giving law enforcement agencies access to personal information that immigrants provide on their applications for legal status.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the confidentiality of the discussions.

The bill was sidetracked last week after it gained just 45 of the 60 votes needed to advance. Republicans accounted for only seven of the 45 votes, and Reid said, "We'll move on to immigration when they have their own act together."

The bill includes measures designed to seal the border to future illegal immigrants, while cracking down on the hiring of workers who are in the country unlawfully.

But the provisions relating to the legal fate of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants has drawn the most controversy.

The bill allows illegal immigrants who were in the country as of Jan. 1, 2007, to come forward, pay fees and fines, pass a background check and receive an indefinitely renewable four-year Z visa to live and work legally in the U.S.

Ultimately, holders of Z visas could qualify for citizenship if they learn English and hold down jobs. Heads of households would have to return to their home countries, whether or not they sought a green card bestowing permanent legal resident status.

The bill also creates a new employment-based point system for new immigrants to qualify for green cards based on their education and skill level, and eliminates or limits visa preferences for family members of U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents.

Bush, at the prayer breakfast, said, "We must meet our moral obligation to treat newcomers with decency and show compassion to the vulnerable and exploited, because we're called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy.

Great.
What I want to hear is our President say...

We must meet our moral obligation to treat American Citizens with decency and to show compassion to our most vulnerable and exploited, because we're called to answer both the demands of justice and the call for mercy.

Try again Mr. President. You almost had it right.

Bush, at the prayer breakfast, said,

Proud, I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty sick of Bush and his photo ops, political fundraising, and general ineffectiveness as the leader of the free world! With all the serious threats to our nation and our world, how is it that he has all this free time to float around like a social butterfly? What we need is a leader who prefers kicking a butt over kissing one!

Originally Posted by tiredofapathy

Bush, at the prayer breakfast, said,

Proud, I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty sick of Bush and his photo ops, political fundraising, and general ineffectiveness as the leader of the free world! With all the serious threats to our nation and our world, how is it that he has all this free time to float around like a social butterfly? What we need is a leader who prefers kicking a butt over kissing one!

I would try to put into words how utterly inept he is as a leader but I just can't do it.
He is just so wrong for our nation at this time.

He is risking our very lives with this stubborness on holding our borders open to push for amnesty.
He has allowed our food to be contaminated by the Chinese with no consequences.
We are in the middle of a terrible civil war that is spinning out of control. He has lost the good will of most of the world and most of his own countrymen and women. He is signing presidential directives. He is ignoring the voice of the American people and name calling.
Just so much so wrong on so many levels.

There is just this abusiveness and bullying in his nature that just makes me nervous.

He is like someone that has low self confidence and so tries to destroy the other person to make himself feel better.
Maybe he has issues and guilt about all of the wealth he has been handed and he is unable to see that it is what he dislikes about himself and he projects that onto the American people as a whole. And sees the illegals as the poor downtrodden.
I don't know but I do know that something is very very wrong there.

That will never happen because Bush will not admit his short comings.

He must admit that he did not secure the border or enforce the laws so he's going to force amnesty on us because of his pride.

"Pride cometh before a fall".

Dixie