Thread: Kennedy Says Immigration Bill will Happen

Monday, March 19, 2007
Kennedy says immigration bill will happen

California's Assembly Speaker meets with veteran lawmaker as part of Washington lobbying trip.
By DENA BUNIS
The Orange County Register
WASHINGTON Just because a comprehensive immigration bill has not yet been introduced in the Senate that doesn't mean the issue has gotten off the track, Sen. Edward Kennedy said today.

The Massachusetts Democrat said bipartisan negotiations are continuing both among the members of the Judiciary Committee and with the White House. The veteran lawmaker has made the calculation that it's better to get as much agreement on the elements of what is likely to be a complex and controversial bill before it gets introduced than after.

"It is the judgment of those who want the bill that the way we are following is the fastest way of getting the legislation,' said Kennedy. "Obviously we have to consider it on the floor in May or no later than June.''

Kennedy spoke to reporters about the status of an immigration bill this afternoon after a meeting with California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines. More than 30 state lawmakers are spending three days in the nation's Capitol, lobbying federal officials on issues ranging from education to the environment to immigration.

"We believe states like California are disproportionately affected by immigration since we have such a large population of undocumented in our state,'' said Nuñez. "But we also believe these undocumented immigrants, whether they come here legally or not are a contributing factor to California's economy. We have hundreds of thousands of families that are looking forward to a comprehensive solution to immigration reform. "

Villines attended the meeting with Kennedy but skipped the following news conference.

"If is doesn't happen it isn't going to be for a lack of effort,'' said Nuñez. The Assembly leader plans to meet today with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and he said he will make it clear that this is a top priority for state lawmakers.

When asked, Pelosi has said she supports a comprehensive bill but it is not an issue she often mentions when enumerating her top goals. A bipartisan group of House members are working on their own immigration bill, which could be introduced as early as this week.

That measure, as well as any bill Kennedy is a part of, will likely include increased border enforcement, a new guest worker program, and a computerized program to verify employment status and a path to legalization for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants here now.

President Bush supports such a plan despite vocal opposition from members of his own party.

Kennedy has spent months negotiating a broad overhaul bill with his partner thus far in this effort, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. But last week, after it became clear that there were still significant details the two could not agree on, Kennedy said he instead planned to bring back the bill that was voted out of the Judiciary Committee last year.

Also complicating the deal making this year are separate talks among a group of GOP senators and the White House. Several of the Republican senators involved in the talks are known not to be willing to vote for a bill that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Asked whether he is concerned about such a proposal, Kennedy indicated that such a bill wouldn't work.

"If the constituency groups and the stakeholders are not interested in this then the legislation isn't worth the paper it's printed on,'' he said.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., recently said she believes the best route to take may be to pass a bill that would affect the five million agricultural workers and do that as a first step towards a broader solution.

But Nuñez said he doesn't favor such an approach.

Nuñez said the labor needs of the inner cities in California and around the country wouldn't be taken care of if just agriculture is addressed.

"If you take care of the ags piece I fear it will be a long time before you get comprehensive reform in the other areas,'' Nuñez said. "Our hope obviously in California, is that we can solve this problem in its entirety and do it in one effort."

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Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ne ... 624369.php

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., recently said she believes the best route to take may be to pass a bill that would affect the five million agricultural workers and do that as a first step towards a broader solution.

Here's comes the liberals with their old standby--incrementalism.

We can't let one piece go through or before you know it, we'll have the whole deal!

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., recently said she believes the best route to take may be to pass a bill that would affect the five million agricultural workers and do that as a first step towards a broader solution.

5 million AG workers are they here already or is this counting the 1 1/2 milllion new ones she wants and does she want citizenship for them. Her and Kennedy must have fallen of the same boat, their both idiots.
God help us we are going to need it!!!

You know we need more of this in the media, people don't believe it unless they hear it on the news. Maybe we should start hounding the msm. I don't know but we better think of something big. Hope you think tanks are working on that!!!

I think Feinstein is afraid of the whole enchilada so she is zeroing in on the agworkers (guestworker theory). It's Kennedy who is shoving the whole gagging thing down our throats!

Originally Posted by ShockedinCalifornia

I think Feinstein is afraid of the whole enchilada so she is zeroing in on the agworkers (guestworker theory). It's Kennedy who is shoving the whole gagging thing down our throats!

that's right. break it down into easy to swallow kid-sized pieces to make America think your fixing their problems... then they will never notice until it's too late and Michigan is the new Texas.