Thread: Democrats stymie Republican efforts to pass immigration refo

GOP senators had succeeded in attaching a pair of border security and enforcement provisions to the Senate version of the appropriations bill: one would have completed the 700-mile fence authorized along the Mexican border and the other would have permanently extended a requirement for all federal contractors to verify their employees through a government database.

But Democrats stripped both provisions out in conference. They did extend the verification program by three years along with several expiring visa programs, including one for international medical graduates in rural states and another for religious workers.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6258 ... n-measures

Actually, there were four amendments by GOP Senators, and three have been either removed or amended (E-Verify). The first removed was one which would have required the Social Security Administration to reinstate the sending of "No-Match Letters" to companies as was instituted by the Bush Administration.* Another not mentioned was offered by Sen. Grassley (R-IA) to allow companies to run current hires in addition to "new hires" through E-Verify.
*See "Obama drops rule aimed at immigrants' bosses":
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-964778.html#964778

Quote:
They did extend the verification program by three years along with several expiring visa programs, including one for international medical graduates in rural states and another for religious workers."


One tiny step forward and how many back? I read that the visa program for "religious workers" is the most fraud and corruption-ridden program within our entire visa programs system. And no investigation ever has been announced into the corruption which we were told last year evidently is rampant throughout our U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS), which is in charge of issuing all U.S. visas, or establishment of an organized campaign into cleaning this up. Perhaps Obama and Napolitano ought to be working toward establishing some more "transparency" into our visa system - for the benefit both of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants themselves - rather than trying to block all efforts to legally enforce our immigration laws!

The whole article.

Democrats stymie Republican efforts to pass immigration reform measures

By Walter Alarkon - 10/11/09 06:30 PM ET

Republicans failed last week to keep provisions addressing illegal immigration in the Homeland Security spending bill, the latest sign that Democrats want to hold off on that debate until next year.

GOP senators had succeeded in attaching a pair of border security and enforcement provisions to the Senate version of the appropriations bill: one would have completed the 700-mile fence authorized along the Mexican border and the other would have permanently extended a requirement for all federal contractors to verify their employees through a government database.

But Democrats stripped both provisions out in conference. They did extend the verification program by three years along with several expiring visa programs, including one for international medical graduates in rural states and another for religious workers.

"Clearly in our bill, we assumed nothing was permanent," said Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee for Homeland Security. "We took some stop-gap measures."

Lawmakers, Price said, know that immigration won't be a top priority in coming months, when Congress is looking to pass bills on healthcare, climate change and financial regulations, and address the struggling economy. Price said he believed Congress had the political will to tackle immigration early in 2010 but that it would be hard to pass anything once campaigning for the mid-term elections begins next summer and the presidential race begins in 2011.

Leaving the provisions out will give advocates for a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in they country more leverage to win over centrists once the immigration debate begins.

The most recent immigration overhaul stalled in 2007 when lawmakers couldn't agree, even though the effort was supported by President George W. Bush, Democratic leaders and centrist Republicans.

The path to citizenship, which was in that bill, ended up being a dealbreaker for conservatives, who view it as amnesty.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.), one of the Republicans who backed the immigration overhaul, said that the 3-year extensions of current policies were good steps but no substitute for broader reform.

"You may extend a program or two, but you're never going to solve this problem piecemeal," Graham said.

He suggested that compromises will be necessary to pass any legislation that realistically deals with the millions in the country illegally.

"I think America is ready to embrace give-and-take politics on this issue only if you can convince them that this will solve the problem," he said. "That's our challenge, to convince the American public that the border is more secure."

Republicans who opposed the last immigration overhaul are again pushing for increased immigration enforcement provisions in the 2010 spending bills.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) failed to get an amendment attached last week to the Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill that would have barred local law enforcement groups from receiving federal money for community policing programs if they refused to report illegal immigrants they encountered to federal authorities.

Large police departments, including those in New York City and Philadelphia, have long objected to the proposal to end “sanctuary citiesâ€

"I think there's very much still the same divide in Congress," Vitter told The Hill. "And I think there's still very much the same support among the American people for getting serious first with enforcement."

That's it in a nutshell. I would just add that the same divide in the population still exists too. 80% for enforcement first!

We need to make our organiztions better known.

We have to get rid of Democrats in the White House and the US Congress. We do not want illegal aliens in this country. We do not want amnesty. Don't you get it Barack Obama and you politicians? Deport all illegal aliens now.

We have to get rid of Democrats in the White House and the US Congress. We do not want illegal aliens in this country. We do not want amnesty.

Agree. Republicans too, if they support amnesty. 2010 and 2012 provide our best shot for doing this. If we don't get it done then, we probably never will.

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http://www.alipac.us/article-4586--0-0.html