Thread: List of Amendments Leaked

If this has been posted previously, delete:
-------------------------------

Immigration Bill Critics to See Votes

Jun 19 07:43 PM US/Eastern
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sixteen of the two dozen amendments the Senate will consider attaching to a revived immigration bill come from senators who helped derail the legislation earlier this month.

A list of the proposed changes obtained by The Associated Press illustrates how key Republicans and Democrats plotting to revive the measure before the Fourth of July recess are trying to placate critics by holding votes to address their top concerns.

The proposals range from bids to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to gain legal status to attempts to give family members of U.S. citizens more opportunities to immigrate.

The bipartisan coalition that crafted the deal is keeping the still- tentative list under tight wraps as they scramble to fine-tune it with an eye toward attracting the widest possible swath of converts to the bill. The measure, which would grant as many as 12 million illegal immigrants lawful status while tightening border security, stalled on June 7 when just 45 senators voted to end debate and move to a final vote—well short of the 60 whose backing was needed.

The package of changes was described by three congressional aides close to the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the list is confidential and subject to change.

Under the plan, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., would get a vote on his plan to bar illegal immigrants from getting green cards. Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia would see consideration of his amendment to limit legalization to certain unlawful immigrants who have been in the U.S. four years or more.

Both voted "no" during the test-vote that blocked the bill's progress.

Also making the list is an amendment by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., that would bar illegal immigrants from collecting Social Security benefits for work done while they were in the U.S. unlawfully.

Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, one of only 11 Democrats who voted against expediting final action on the bill, would get a vote on her amendment to reduce the number of temporary workers admitted to the U.S. based on how many guest laborers overstayed their visas.

Democrats already succeeded in revising the bill to lower the cap from as many as 600,000 per year to 200,000.

There's no guarantee that such proposals would pass—nor have any of their sponsors said publicly that they would back advancing the bill if they had a chance to air their amendments. But Senate leaders in both parties believe the list will produce the 60 votes needed to reopen debate on the measure and get it to a final vote.

One senior aide close to the discussions predicted that as many as 24 Republicans would back moving ahead with the bill under the scenario envisioned—compared with just seven GOP senators who did so previously.

Also in the package, as currently drafted, are:

_An amendment by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, to mandate that all illegal immigrants return home within two years to gain lawful status. The bill only requires those seeking green cards to do so.

_A proposal by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., to increase the number of points under a new merit-based green card allocation system that could be awarded for being related to a U.S. citizen or green card holder.

_An amendment by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to condition any legal status for unlawful immigrants on the measure's border security and workplace enforcement measures. The bill would instead allow such immigrants to get probationary legal status while those so-called "triggers" were being met.

_A proposal by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., to increase penalties on employers who repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.

_An amendment by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, to replace the employment verification system with a less-burdensome alternative.

_An amendment by Montana's Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, who opposed moving to a final vote on the bill, to remove requirements that workers present "REAL ID" driver's license to prospective employers.

_An amendment by Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., to let law enforcement agencies share information about people's immigration status.

_An amendment by Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, the sole Independent to oppose the June 7 test vote, to bar companies that have had mass layoffs from hiring foreign high-tech workers.

When the bill would hit the Senate floor was in doubt amid a troublesome debate on energy legislation that threatened to push the immigration bill into next week.

Democrats have begun an elaborate series of procedural maneuvers to allow a test-vote as early as Thursday night on a new version of the measure that includes a $4.4 billion "Immigration Security Account" designed to address the concerns of wavering Republicans.

Meanwhile, GOP hard-liners urged President Bush, an enthusiastic backer of the bipartisan Senate measure, to enforce immigration laws, including those providing for expedited deportation for certain illegal immigrants.

"It's time to be resolute. It's time to show some backbone. It's time to stop amnesty," said Rep. Peter T. King of New York, the senior Republican on the Homeland Security Committee. "What we want to do is to stop the Senate amnesty bill in its tracks now."

On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a leading critic of the bipartisan bill, made the same plea in a letter to Bush.

"We're working hard to make sure we get a good bill or none," Sessions said.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... 1&catnum=0

The bill would instead allow such immigrants to get probationary legal status while those so-called "triggers" were being met.

Here's an idea, anybody who wants to enter the country, just let them on in while we check them out to see if they are qualified to enter. That makes sense, huh?? Let's make all illegals legal and THEN we will enforce the laws and do something about the border. Oh, and employer verification, what do you need that for? You just made them all legal! Problem solved. Make murderers jaywalkers, and wala, no more murderers!

To hold border enforcement hostage to illegal amnesty is CRIMINAL!!

Originally Posted by gofer

The bill would instead allow such immigrants to get probationary legal status while those so-called "triggers" were being met.

Here's an idea, anybody who wants to enter the country, just let them on in while we check them out to see if they are qualified to enter. That makes sense, huh?? Let's make all illegals legal and THEN we will enforce the laws and do something about the border. Oh, and employer verification, what do you need that for? You just made them all legal! Problem solved. Make murderers jaywalkers, and wala, no more murderers!

To hold border enforcement hostage to illegal amnesty is CRIMINAL!!

Shows that both the Democrats and Republicans have irresponsible attitudes about public safety. In reality the Department of Homeland Security must be very suspect if it is run by this gang...