Thread: Frist: Odds Less Than Even for Immigration Bill

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006 ... 5856.shtml

Friday, July 14, 2006 2:53 p.m. EDT
Frist: Odds Less Than Even for Immigration Bill


U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Friday gave less than even odds that Congress would pass an immigration law overhaul before the November congressional elections.

The Tennessee Republican said that election year politics and lack of movement by the House toward a comprehensive approach sought by the Senate and President Bush complicate negotiations for final legislation and that odds for a bill this year were "less than 50-50, realistically."

Formal negotiations between the Senate and House to merge their vastly different bills were delayed as each side tries to win public support through hearings around the country scheduled through August.

The Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive bill that combines tougher enforcement rules and border security with a guest worker program and a plan to give many of the more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the country a path to U.S. citizenship.

The House-passed bill focuses solely on border security and enforcement. A solid group of House Republicans oppose the Senate bill, calling it an amnesty that rewards people who broke U.S. law. Many senators say they cannot accept the House's enforcement-only approach.

Frist said lawmakers were talking informally about how to proceed but right now "nothing's emerged."

He said lawmakers are looking at a comprehensive bill that would phase-in the guest worker and legalization program after border security and enforcement measures are put into place.

He said lawmakers are looking at a comprehensive bill that would phase-in the guest worker and legalization program after border security and enforcement measures are put into place.

Not acceptable. Why can't the Senate hear the American people? We keep telling them, no amnesty and no path to legalization for those whom illegally entered this country. Are they not our elected representatives? Oops, shame on me - I already know the answer to that question. They represent corporate America, not middle class America.

True but keep in mind it's the American people who can still vote them out of office.

Like I said before in another thread:

They keep pushing and pushing. Not good.

I really hope the House is going to keep sticking to their guns on this one. I have a bad feeling that once the House reps are re-elected (or if) they will compromise a piece of S&@# bill comparable to the Senate's bill, just to get this problem off their plate.

I hope I'm wrong...Maybe I've just read too many Clancey books.