Thread: Frist still weighing vote on immigration bill

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/19/ ... index.html

Frist still weighing vote on immigration bill
Opponent predicts legislation will pass Senate next week

Friday, May 19, 2006; Posted: 5:16 p.m. EDT (21:16 GMT)

Majority Leader Bill Frist has not decided if he will vote for the Senate's immigration bill.
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President promotes immigration plan (6:15)

Some say Bush's 'virtual fence' plan unworkable (2:04)

Border Patrol would welcome National Guard troops (3:07)
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After months of intense negotiations and a week of impassioned floor debate, most U.S. senators know where they stand on the immigration bill. But Majority Leader Bill Frist said Friday he still doesn't know if he'll vote for it or against it.

"I'm keeping my options open," said the likely 2008 Republican presidential candidate, who is keenly aware that many of the conservative voters he may want to court strongly oppose the bill because they believe it grants amnesty to illegal immigrants.

He acknowledged "good progress" was made on the bill this week, and when asked if he intends to vote for it, said, "it's certainly moving in that direction." But, he said, his support "depends on how the debate and amendment process goes over the next several days."

"There's nothing I'm specifically concerned about in the bill," Frist said before ticking through several key points he still wants "to look at" -- including the temporary worker program, a citizenship program for illegal immigrants who have been in the United States for at least three years, and the question of whether immigrants need to be sponsored by a specific employer.

Frist spoke to reporters just after closing the Senate floor for the week. He said the debate is about half done and the Senate will consider 10 to 20 more amendments before a vote on final passage.

That vote should happen by the end of next week, he said.

One opponent of the legislation, Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, predicted on the Senate floor that the legislation would pass the body next week, adding "the Senate should be ashamed of itself," according to The Associated Press.

Sessions also predicted that final negotiations between the Senate and the House, which passed an enforcement-only bill in December, would fail if the Senate bill remained in its current form, the AP reported.

$1.9 billion request for borders
On Thursday, the Bush administration sent Congress a request for $1.9 billion to cover the cost of steps he announced Monday night, including the deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops to the states along the Mexican border.

"They will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, building infrastructure, analyzing intelligence, and providing training until new Border Patrol officers and technologies come online," Bush wrote in a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert that accompanied the funding request.

Bush toured the busiest stretch of the border Thursday, with stops in the Arizona cities of San Luis and Yuma, where he lauded his plan to curb illegal immigration as a "comprehensive strategy to get the job done." (Watch Bush explain his plan -- 6:15)

Last year, Border Patrol agents in the Yuma sector apprehended 70,000 illegal entrants, a 14 percent increase from the previous year, Bush said. He pushed for "full control of the border."

Bush made no mention during his trip of two competing proposals in Congress -- one approved by the House that would build 700 miles of fencing along the roughly 2,000-mile border, and one in the Senate that would build half that. (Watch whether border technology actually works -- 2:04)

Opponents contend the barriers would shift illegal immigrant and smuggling traffic to areas of the border without fencing.

Mexican President Vicente Fox repeated his opposition to barriers Thursday.

"The Mexican government has talked on multiple occasions about your construction of walls -- of barriers -- on the border. They do not offer an effective answer for a relationship of friends and partners," he said.

Senate defeats 'poison pill' amendment
On Thursday, the Senate passed an amendment to its immigration bill that would make it easier for guest workers to apply for permanent residency. It would allow immigrants who have worked in the country for four years to petition for permanent residency and acquire a green card.

The amendment would apply to illegal immigrants who entered the country before April 2001. They could move toward eventual citizenship by paying $2,000 in fines and any back taxes they owe, undergoing a background check, working for at least six more years and learning English. They would also have to wait in line behind people who applied to legally emigrate.

The House bill does not provide any possibility for citizenship.

There are about 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

The Senate reversed a previous stance that would have required an illegal immigrant's employer to apply for a worker's residency.

Late Thursday, the Senate defeated a proposed amendment that would have blocked low-skilled guest workers from getting on a path to citizenship. The proposal was described as a "poison pill" amendment by backers of the bill currently under debate.

The Senate also voted Thursday to amend the bill to make English the "national" language of the United States. Moments later, senators called English a "common and unifying language."

Bush urged the Senate to pass an immigration bill by the end of the month, so it and the House can begin reconciling their versions in a conference committee.

Sessions also predicted that final negotiations between the Senate and the House, which passed an enforcement-only bill in December, would fail if the Senate bill remained in its current form, the AP reported

Amen brother Sessions

Mexican President Vicente Fox repeated his opposition to barriers Thursday.

"The Mexican government has talked on multiple occasions about your construction of walls -- of barriers -- on the border. They do not offer an effective answer for a relationship of friends and partners," he said.

Can someone tell me about the fence around Mexico’s President Vicente Fox's official residence at Los Pinos in Mexico City, Mexico?

As for anyone not promoting a border fence I say put your money where your mouth is and take the fence down around your house. Don't forget to remove the security gate! Hypocrites.

Dixie

Someone tell Frist to shut up. NOBODY believes a word he says. He is the one that brought this amnesty bill out for consideration again.

This guy Frist really thinks he is a better liar than he is.

W

I'm just wondering How long it's gonna take the SEC to throw Frist in jail for Insider trading on his stock in the family Hospital business .

Can't wait to see HIM in a hand knit poncho

Someone should start a new website: www.takedownthefence.com and have an online petition to take down the fence around the White House, since fences don't work. They can replace it with a "virtual" fence.