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  1. #1
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Senators file hundreds of amendments to immigration bill

    Senators file hundreds of amendments to immigration bill

    Published May 08, 2013
    Associated Press

    A landmark immigration bill in the Senate is facing a critical trial -- whether it can survive hundreds of amendments from the left and right and still emerge relatively intact.

    The test will begin Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. As of Tuesday evening's deadline for filing amendments, some 300 had been offered by Democrats and Republicans. A number of them, particularly from the GOP side, would strike at the heart of the bill in a way supporters say would destroy the fragile agreement between four Republican and four Democratic senators who wrote the legislation.

    These include measures by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to limit the number of immigrants gaining legal status under the bill and to require control of the border before anyone can receive legal standing. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, would tighten criteria for legalization and require a new electronic employment verification system be implemented more than twice as fast as the bill contemplates. Grassley, the committee's top Republican, filed the most amendments -- 77.

    Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, filed an amendment to greatly increase the number of new, lower-skilled worker visas under the bill -- a figure agreed to in arduous negotiations between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO.

    "The intent seems to be to upset the careful bipartisan balance negotiated by the Gang of Eight in hopes of sinking the bill," said Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a pro-immigrant group. "The good news is this: If the pro-reform Republicans and Democrats on the committee hang together they should be able to stave off the attacks by opponents."

    The immigration legislation, a top priority for President Obama, aims to strengthen border security, create new programs to allow tens of thousands of workers into the U.S. legally while requiring all employers to verify their workers' legal status, and give eventual citizenship to the 11 million immigrants now here illegally.

    The Judiciary Committee includes four of the eight senators who authored the bill, and they plan to try to vote together in the committee to stave off poison pill amendments from either side that could upend their deal.

    However, as of Tuesday afternoon these lawmakers -- Democrats Chuck Schumer of New York and Dick Durbin of Illinois, and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona -- had not decided how to proceed on all issues.

    That left some unanswered questions leading into the committee meeting.

    Perhaps the biggest potential trouble for the bill loomed from the Democratic side, in the form of two similar measures filed by Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to extend immigration rights to gay citizens and permanent residents, allowing them to petition for U.S. residence for their partners just as straight married Americans can.

    All four Republican members of the Gang of Eight have voiced serious concerns about such a provision, saying it could kill the bill or cost their support. Those objections are why it was left out of the bill in the first place, despite vigorous advocacy from gay-rights groups.

    As of earlier this week, Leahy still was refusing to tell reporters whether he intended to offer a gay marriage amendment during the committee meeting. (Filing the amendment doesn't necessarily mean he'll officially offer it.)

    And the two senators whose votes would be key -- Schumer and Durbin -- refused Tuesday to say whether they would vote for it if Leahy did present it, though both have expressed support for the goals of the provision.

    "I don't know how serious it is, but I know there are some problems on the Republican side when it comes to dealing with these issues," Durbin said. "It could be problematic. But let's see if it happens and what it looks like."

    Another potential point of contention surrounds visas for high-skilled workers, known as H-1B visas. These have long been sought after by high-tech companies such as Microsoft, and the bill greatly increases their availability, while also including conditions aimed at ensuring Americans get the first shot at jobs and limiting the use of H-1Bs by companies that would bring workers to the U.S. only to train them here and then return them overseas.

    High-tech firms, while generally supportive of the immigration bill, are chafing at some of the conditions put on the visas, including how they must advertise jobs. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a high-tech champion, is offering a number of amendments aimed at addressing those concerns and giving tech companies more flexibility.

    Hatch is seen as a potential swing vote on the committee, so members of the Gang of Eight may be eager to court his support by accepting his amendments. But Durbin has been the primary advocate for controls on H-1B visas and may frown on changes to the program.

    "We want everyone as a `yes,' but I hope that we don't end up adopting amendments in the vain belief that picking up one more senator on one side or the other will pass the bill, and lose our basic agreement," Durbin told reporters. "We've got to keep the strength of this core agreement in place."

    Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is not a member of the Judiciary Committee, but he's the Gang of Eight member working to corral conservative support for the bill, and has said repeatedly in recent days that the border security provisions of the bill must be strengthened in order to ensure its passage. Rubio is likely to advocate for some amendments making changes to the border measures, including requiring double-fencing along certain sections of the Mexican border, and toughening restrictions against allowing anyone with a criminal record to seek legal status.

    It's not clear whether others in the Gang of Eight would accept all the changes Rubio is pushing.

    Amendments also were offered to respond to the Boston Marathon bombings, allegedly conducted by two brothers of Chechen origin who sought asylum with their family years ago. An amendment by Graham would strengthen security screening requirements for immigrants from countries or regions thought to pose more of a risk to U.S. security.

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...#ixzz2SiulwizP
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  2. #2
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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  3. #3
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    GOOD LUCK SORTING THIS ALL OUT. S.744 Amendments
    Leahy Grassley
    Leahy1-(EAS13369) Grassley1-(HEY13237)
    Leahy2-(MRW13335) Grassley2-(HEY13238 )
    Leahy3-(MRW13332) Grassley3-(EAS13356)
    Leahy4-(EAS13416) Grassley4-(EAS13439)
    Leahy5-(MDM13417) Grassley5-(ARM13617)
    Leahy6-(MDM13298 )9 Grassley6-(EAS13370)
    Leahy7-(MDM13374) Grassley7-(ARM13621)
    Leahy8-(ARM13607) Grassley8-(EAS13351)
    Grassley9-(ARM13539)
    Feinstein Grassley10-(EAS13352)
    Feinstein1-(EAS13279) Grassley11-(ARM13536)
    Feinstein2-(HEN13550) Grassley12-(ARM13500)
    Feinstein3-(MDM13397) Grassley13-(ARM13501)
    Feinstein4-(MDM13398 ) Grassley14-(ARM13502)
    Feinstein5-(MDM13399) Grassley15-(EAS13381)
    Feinstein6-(MDM13537) Grassley16-(ARM13504)
    Feinstein7-(MDM13459) Grassley17-(EAS13399)
    Feinstein8-(MDM13520) Grassley18-(ARM13537)
    Feinstein9-(MDM13538 ) Grassley19-(ARM13529)
    Feinstein10-(MDM13491) Grassley20-(MDM13462)
    Feinstein11-(ARM13559) Grassley21-(ARM13468 )
    Feinstein12-(MDM13492) Grassley22-(ARM13534)
    Feinstein13-(MDM13498 ) Grassley23-(MDM13394)
    Feinstein14-(MDM13496) Grassley24-(DAV13369)
    Grassley25-(ARM13549)
    Schumer Grassley26-(ARM13550)
    Schumer1-(EAS13442) Grassley27-(ARM13551)
    Schumer2-(EAS13444) Grassley28-(MDM13351)
    Schumer3-(EAS13447) Grassley29-(MDM13352)
    Schumer4-(EAS13419) Grassley30-(MDM13353)
    Schumer5-(EAS13443) Grassley31-(MDM13354)
    Grassley32-(MDM13355)
    Durbin Grassley33-(MDM13356)
    (No amendments filed) Grassley34-(ARM13474)
    Grassley35-(MDM13357)
    Whitehouse Grassley36-(MDM13358 )
    Whitehouse1-(AYO13346) Grassley37-(MDM13359)
    Whitehouse2-(AYO13349) Grassley38-(MDM13360)
    Whitehouse3-(BAG13308 ) Grassley39-(MDM13468 )6
    Whitehouse4-(ARM13611) Grassley40-(MDM13346)
    Whitehouse5-(ALB13431) Grassley41-(MDM13347)
    Whitehouse6-(DAV13388 )8 Grassley42-(MDM13348 )
    Grassley43-(ARM13616)
    Klobuchar Grassley44-(MDM13530)
    Klobuchar1-(EAS13431) Grassley45-(MRW13334)
    Klobuchar2-(JEN13517) Grassley46-(EAS13404)
    Klobuchar3-(EAS13420) Grassley47-(EAS13355)
    Klobuchar4-(ARM13508 ) Grassley48-(MDM13467)
    Klobuchar5-(MDM13503) Grassley49-(MDM13414)
    Klobuchar6-(ARM13625) Grassley50-(EAS13402)
    Grassley51-(DAV13364)
    Franken Grassley52-(EAS13415)
    Franken1-(HEY13247) Grassley53-(MDM13469)
    Franken2-(ARM13598 ) Grassley54-(ARM13546)
    Franken3-(ARM13599) Grassley55-(ARM13457)
    Franken4-(ARM13606) Grassley56-(ARM1345
    Franken5-(ARM13470) Grassley57-(ARM135458 )7)
    Franken6-(ARM13527) Grassley58-(ARM13459)
    Franken7-(ARM13584) Grassley59-(ARM13542)
    Franken8-(ARM13600) Grassley60-(ARM13461)
    Franken9-(GRA13162) Grassley61-(ARM13462)
    Franken10-(MRW13325) Grassley62-(ARM13464)
    Franken11-(MRW13326) Grassley63-(ARM13464)
    Franken12-(ARM13602) Grassley64-(EAS13393)
    Grassley65-(ARM13465)
    Coons Grassley66-(ARM13466)
    Coons1-(EAS13421) Grassley67-(ARM13467)
    Coons2-(EAS13605) Grassley68-(ARM13484)
    Coons3-(EAS13380) Grassley69-(ARM13558 )
    Coons4-(EAS13365) Grassley70-(MDM13420)
    Coons5-(DAV13374) Grassley71-(ARM13476)
    Coons6-(MRW13307) Grassley72-(EAS13382)
    Coons7-(EAS13374) Grassley73-(EAS13383)
    Coons8-(DAV13356) Grassley74-(EAS13384)
    Coons9-(EAS13423) Grassley75-(EAS13385)
    Coons10-(DAV13371) Grassley76-(EAS13386)
    Coons11-(EAS13373) Grassley77-(HEY13248 )
    Coons12-(ARM13532)
    Coons13-(HEY13243) Hatch
    Hatch1-(MDM13382)
    Blumenthal Hatch2-(MDM13383)
    Blumenthal1-(BAG13307) Hatch3-(MDM13476)
    Blumenthal2-(MDM13517) Hatch4-(MDM13385)
    Blumenthal3-(ARM13595) Hatch5-(MDM13411)
    Blumenthal4-(ARM13597) Hatch6-(MDM13437)
    Blumenthal5-(ARM13608 ) Hatch7-(MDM13393)
    Blumenthal6-(ALB13433) Hatch8-(MDM13489)
    Blumenthal7-(ARM13582) Hatch9-(MDM13519)
    Blumenthal8-(ARM13573) Hatch10-(MDM13513)
    Blumenthal9-(ALB13432) Hatch11-(MDM13514)
    Blumenthal10-(DAV13376) Hatch12-(MDM13387)
    Blumenthal11-(MDM13458 ) Hatch13-(MDM13388 )
    Blumenthal12-(MDM13543) Hatch14-(MDM13389)
    Blumenthal13-(ARM13612) Hatch15-(MDM13391)
    Blumenthal14-(MDM13533) Hatch16-(MDM13515)
    Blumenthal15-(MDM13448 ) Hatch17-(MDM13478 )
    Blumenthal16-(MDM13473) Hatch18-(MDM13436)
    Blumenthal17-(MDM13545) Hatch19-(ARM13561)
    Blumenthal18-(EAS13448 ) Hatch20-(ARM13562)
    Hatch21-(ERN13146)
    Hirono Hatch22-(MCG13506)
    Hirono1-(EAS13437) Hatch23-(BAI13452)
    Hirono2-(EAS13233) Hatch24-(GAI13371)
    Hirono3-(ARM13403)
    Hirono4-(ARM13402) Sessions
    Hirono5-(MDM13425) Sessions1-(EAS13446)
    Hirono6-(MDM13534) Sessions2-(MRW13343)
    Hirono7-(MDM13535) Sessions3-(BAG13295)
    Hirono8-(MDM13305) Sessions4-(MDM13410)
    Hirono9-(EAS13312) Sessions5-(BAG13293)
    Hirono10-(ARM13626) Sessions6-(MRW13303)
    Hirono11-(MDM13540) Sessions7-(EAS13357)
    Hirono12-(ARM13554) Sessions8-(EAS13331)
    Hirono13-(MRW13333) Sessions9-(MDM13544)
    Hirono14-(MDM13541) Sessions10-(MRW13340)
    Hirono15-(ERN13168 ) Sessions11-(MDM13441)
    Hirono16-(ERN13170) Sessions12-(EAS13337)
    Hirono17-(ERN13174) Sessions13-(EAS13330)
    Hirono18-(MDM13464) Sessions14-(ARM13591)
    Hirono19-(EAS13375) Sessions15-(EAS13333)
    Hirono20-(MDM13523) Sessions16-(MRW13311)
    Hirono21-(BOM13213) Sessions17-(ARM13553)
    Hirono22-(MDM13422) Sessions18-(ERN13166)
    Hirono23-(EAS13376) Sessions19-(ERN13167)
    Hirono24-(ARM13613) Sessions20-(MDM13338 )
    Sessions21-(MDM13337)
    Sessions22-(EAS13343)
    Sessions23-(EAS13388 )
    Sessions24-(MDM13373)
    Sessions25-(ERN13165)
    Sessions26-(ERN13156)
    Sessions27-(ERN13157)
    Sessions28-(ERN13158 )
    Sessions29-(KER13175)
    Sessions30-(MDM13331)
    Sessions31-(OTT13223)
    Sessions32-(MDM13332)
    Sessions33-(MDM13333)
    Sessions34-(MDM13334)
    Sessions35-(MDM13335)
    Sessions36-(MDM13430)
    Sessions37-(MDM13365)
    Sessions38-(MDM13366)
    Sessions39-(MDM13363)
    Sessions40-(MDM13370)
    Sessions41-(MDM13369)
    Sessions42-(MDM13405)
    Sessions43-(GOE13343)
    Sessions44-(TAM13081)
    Sessions45-(EAS13344)
    Sessions46-(EAS13345)
    Sessions47-(MDM13429)
    Sessions48-(MDM13428 )
    Sessions49-(MDM13402)
    Graham
    Graham1-(DAV13389)
    Graham2-(DAV13390)
    Graham3-(DAV13381)
    Cornyn
    Cornyn1-(ARM13593)
    Cornyn2-(MDM13521)
    Cornyn3-(MDM13315)
    Cornyn4-(ALB13424)
    Cornyn5-(MDM13500)
    Cornyn6-(ALB13436)
    Cornyn7-(MDM13317)
    Cornyn8-(MDM13316)
    Cornyn9-(MDM13522)
    Lee
    Lee1-(MDM13379)
    Lee2-(MDM13380)
    Lee3-(MDM13381)
    Lee4-(MDM13493)
    Lee5-(MDM13377)
    Lee6-(EAS13358 )
    Lee7-(EAS13516)
    Lee8-(MDM13342)
    Lee9-(EAS13359)
    Lee10-(ARM13485)
    Lee11-(EAS13518 )
    Lee12-(MDM13378 )
    Lee13-(ARM13491)
    Lee14-(ARM13487)
    Lee15-(ARM13492)
    Lee16-(ARM13486)
    Lee17-(EAS13515)
    Lee18-(MDM13343)
    Lee19-(EAS13425)
    Lee20-(EAS13427)
    Lee21-(BAG13299)
    Lee22-(BAG13300)
    Lee23-(MRW13345)
    Cruz
    Cruz1-(MDM13528 )
    Cruz2-(DAV13378 )
    Cruz3-(DAV13373)
    Cruz4-(MDM13526)
    Cruz5-(MDM13527)
    Flake
    Flake1-(MDM13451)
    Flake2-(MDM13456)
    Flake3-(MDM13454)
    Flake4-(MDM13529)
    http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/legislation/immigration/amendments.cfm
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  4. #4
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    The original bill wasn't long enough and confusing enough so now they have added over 300 amendments to it.
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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  5. #5
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Gay rights on long list of proposed changes to immigration bill

    By Alan Silverleib, CNN
    updated 11:03 AM EDT, Wed May 8, 2013

    STORY HIGHLIGHTS

    • Amendments to immigration legislation would bolster rights for same-sex couples
    • Politically risky move threatens to undercut Republican support for larger bill
    • Legislation would create a 13-year path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants
    • Backers of the bill have been hoping to win as many as 70 votes in the Senate



    Washington (CNN) -- A top Senate Democrat has offered a pair of amendments to an immigration reform bill bolstering rights for same-sex couples, a politically risky move that threatens to shatter Republican support for the sweeping legislation.
    Vermont Sen. Patrick's Leahy's amendments would recognize same-sex marriages in which one spouse is an American, and also would allow U.S. citizens to sponsor foreign-born same-sex partners for green cards as long as there's proof of a committed relationship.
    They were among dozens of amendments filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as the panel prepares to take up the legislation later this week.
    "For immigration reform to be truly comprehensive, it must include protections for all families," Leahy said. "We must end the discrimination that gay and lesbian families face in our immigration law."

    Other amendments proposed by committee members include a proposal by Alabama GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions to significantly cut the number of foreign workers granted admission to the United States under the bill.
    Gay rights plan clouds immigration reform prospects
    "This bill (as currently written) would authorize a dramatic surge in permanent low-skill and chain migration—and would bring in millions more temporary foreign workers—at a time when 90 million Americans are outside the labor force and nearly 50 million are on food stamps," Sessions said.
    "The result would be lower wages and more unemployment."
    Utah GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch filed proposals to boost visas for high-skilled workers, and require both DNA identification and proof of payment of all back taxes for any undocumented immigrant seeking legal status, among other things.
    The Judiciary Committee, chaired by Leahy, is currently considering the 844-page bill filed by the so-called "Gang of Eight" -- four Senate Democrats and four Senate Republicans who labored for months to bridge a cavernous ideological divide on the hot button issue.
    Four members of the group -- Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and Chuck Schumer of New York -- are also members of the Judiciary Committee.
    The Gang of Eight's bill creates a 13-year path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants while strengthening border security and bringing dramatic change to labor policy on America's farms.
    If enacted, the plan would constitute the first overhaul of the nation's immigration policy since 1986.
    Proponents say the change is necessary to permanently and fairly resolve the status of roughly 11 million undocumented residents. Critics insist the proposed change amounts to amnesty, rewarding those who chose to break the country's immigration laws.
    Marshall Fitz, director of immigration policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, told CNN it's unlikely the narrowly divided 18-member Senate committee would make significant changes to the legislation.
    "Members of the Gang of Eight have indicated they'll band together to resist substantial changes to the bill," Fitz noted. "The central structure of this proposal is remarkably solid."
    Fitz, a close observer of the legislative maneuvering surrounding the bill, predicted that only a small fraction of amendments filed Tuesday will actually be voted on by the panel.
    Members "will hit a fatigue point," he said.
    Of all the amendments up for consideration, however, Leahy's same-sex measures are likely to prove the most politically controversial.
    Under Leahy's sponsorship plan, modeled after his Uniting American Families Act, gays and lesbians requesting green cards for foreign-born partners would have to be married if their states currently recognize same-sex marriages.
    If their states do not recognize same-sex marriage, they would have to meet a series of requirements proving major emotional and financial commitments.
    The list of requirements could include, among other things, jointly owned property, shared child custody, joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, proof of a commitment ceremony and photographs of shared vacations and holidays with extended family.
    Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, arguably the most prominent Republican member of the Gang of Eight, warned recently that Leahy's proposal is a political poison pill that could undermine any hopes for passage of the broader bill.
    "This immigration bill is difficult enough as it is," Rubio told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt last month. "If you inject something like this in the bill, it will die. The coalition behind it will fall apart."
    Rubio, a potential presidential candidate, warned that he would withdraw his own support if Leahy's amendment is added.
    "This is not the issue to engage this in," he warned. "You will threaten the entire product."
    Rubio discussed immigration reform with more than two dozen conservative grassroots leaders in a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, according to an aide to the senator.
    Most of the activists are backing the reform effort, the aide said.
    Durbin acknowledged Tuesday that while he backs Leahy's proposal, it could prove problematic for the larger immigration reform bill.
    "There are some problems on the Republican side when it comes to dealing with (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues," Durbin told CNN.
    The Illinois senator noted the possibility that the upcoming ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the federal Defense of Marriage Act could render the whole issue moot.
    "The DOMA ruling could change this whole debate," Durbin said. "They could eliminate DOMA and impose obligations on our federal government (relating to) same gender marriage, and that would dramatically change what we're trying to achieve."
    Fitz said Leahy will ultimately "find the right way forward."
    "The Republican-controlled House will never accept (his same-sex amendment) as part of their bill," he said. Leahy's "not going to tank this bill."
    Regardless, it is significantly easier for Leahy to add the amendment to the bill while it is being considered by the Judiciary Committee.
    Democrats hold a 10-8 majority on the panel, and can approve changes on a strict majority basis if necessary.
    In contrast, controversial amendments taken up by the full Senate are virtually certain to face a 60-vote threshold. The Democratic caucus only controls 55 seats in the 100-member chamber.
    Backers of the bill have been hoping to win as many as 70 votes in the Senate, in order to give the bill bipartisan momentum heading into the more skeptical, GOP-controlled House.
    A bipartisan group of eight House members is currently working on its own immigration reform plan.
     
    http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/07/politics/immigration-same-sex/
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  6. #6
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    By Stephanie Condon /
    CBS News/ May 8, 2013, 2:49 PM
    Immigration amendments hit on security, Obamacare and more
     
    Before the full Senate will vote on the comprehensive immigration reform bill crafted by the bipartisan "gang of eight," the Senate Judiciary Committee will take a crack at improving it -- and they have plenty of improvements to consider.
    On Thursday, the committee will begin considering the hundreds of amendments submitted by committee members this week. The amendments touch on a range of issues, from improving immigration law enforcement and protecting the domestic economy to helping special classes of immigrants and regional needs.
     
    Amending the bill in committee gives the opportunity for senators to weigh in on the thorny subject of immigration reform, but it also leaves the bill vulnerable to changes that could dissolve the bipartisan support it currently enjoys.
    Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a member of the "gang of eight," said Wednesday he is "guardedly optimistic" that reform can pass, but he warned that "compromises were made" to produce a comprehensive proposal, "and if there are efforts made to destroy that delicate compromise then it could fall apart."
    Here's a look at just a few of the amendments:
    Helping certain immigrants
    Family members: Amendment from Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Ha., "To authorize United States citizens and permanent residents to sponsor up to 2 members of their extended family to immigrate to the United States if they have not previously sponsored any other family members."
    Married couples, gay or straight: Amendment from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., "To recognize, for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act, any marriage entered into in full compliance with the laws of the State or foreign country within which such marriage was performed."
    Domestic violence victims: Amendment from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., "To provide immigration status for certain battered spouses and children."
    Cracking down on undocumented immigrants
    Closing the path to citizenship: Amendment from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, "To provide that no person who has previously been willfully present in the United States while not in lawful status shall be eligible for United States citizenship."
    Criminals: Amendment from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, "To ensure that serious criminals, including domestic abusers, child abusers, and drunk drivers, are not eligible for registered provisional immigrant status."
    Deportation: Amendment from Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, "To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to commence removal proceedings against an alien who is ineligible for registered provisional immigrant status."
     
    Economic issues
    Domestic labor: Amendment from Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, "To exclude certain employment of domestic service from the prohibitions on unlawful employment of unauthorized aliens."
    Lee's office explained to CBSNews.com that the intention of this amendment is to exempt certain small-scale "employers" from having to verify their employees with E-Verify. For instance, a gardening company would have to verify its employees, but a person hiring a neighbor to mow his lawn would be exempt. Furthermore, the law would still require "employers" to hire only those legally allowed to work in the U.S.
    Taking jobs: Amendment from Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., "To prohibit the admission of an alien as a W- 1 or W-2 nonimmigrant if the unemployment rate is 5 percent or more."
    The W Visa program admits low-skilled workers into the country.
    Obamacare: Amendment from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, "To provide for the application of a 5-year waiting period for certain eligibility for tax credits and cost sharing subsidies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."
    Government assistance: Amendment from Sessions, "To prohibit an alien from becoming a registered provisional immigrant if the Secretary determines it is likely that the immigrant would become a public charge or receive State means-tested assistance."
    Security issues
    Boston bombings: Amendment from Grassley, "To prohibit sections 3401, 3404, and 4401(a), and the amendments made by such sections, from taking effect until 1 year after the Director of National Intelligence submits to Congress a review related of the Boston Marathon bombings."
    These sections refer to provisions granting asylum to refugees.
    DNA testing: Amendment from Hatch, "To collect a DNA sample from each adult alien applying for registered provisional immigrant status for comparison against the Combined DNA Index System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
    Information sharing: Amendment from Grassley, "To require the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Commissioner of Social Security to jointly establish a program to share information about unauthorized aliens."
    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57583513/immigration-amendments-hit-on-security-obamacare-and-more/
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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  7. #7
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Immigration reform's enemies, allies prepare battery of amendments

    By Carrie Dann, Political Reporter, NBC News

    With the Gang of Eight’s immigration measure coming under the legislative magnifying glass this week, senators on a key committee are sharpening their red pencils in preparation to edit the 844-page bill.

    The 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have proposed 300 amendments to the legislation, ranging from protections for gay couples, to border-security fixes, to efforts to dismantle the bill’s central goal of creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

    Politico Playbook: "Tea party heavyweights Marco Rubio and Jim DeMint are on opposite sides of the immigration debate – and they're duking it out for the support of the movement," write Politico's Anna Palmer and Tarini Parti. John Harris joins Morning Joe to discuss.

    Friends and foes of the reform effort will push their proposals starting Thursday, when the committee begins marking up the legislation. While observers do not expect that the bill will undergo dramatic changes in the committee process -- with bipartisan proponents of reform on the panel likely to stick together to resist substantial changes to their core legislation -- the high-profile debate is sure to elevate the often-dull “markup” process to must-see TV for anyone with a dog in the immigration fight.

    While Republicans proposed the lion’s share of the changes -- 194 in total from the GOP side -- some Democratic amendments will be controversial as well.

    As expected, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, the panel’s chairman, proposed changes that would make the foreign-born same-sex partners of U.S. citizens eligible to apply for green cards. Many Republicans -- including key Gang of Eight author Sen. Marco Rubio -- have resisted the change, which some suggest would torpedo the entire bill by angering religious organizations and other social conservatives who have otherwise expressed support for the reform legislation.

    That has prompted a prominent gay rights group to bluntly label opposition to Leahy’s proposal as “homophobia.”

    “Labeling the inclusion of bi-national couples in the immigration bill as toxic is nothing more than a tired, insulting ruse designed to distract attention from their own failure to represent all Americans,” the Human Rights Campaign wrote in a statement.

    Many of the potential legislative additions from Republicans are designed to ensure beefed-up border security, which Rubio and others have pledged to support to help woo skeptical conservatives' support for the bill.

    The border-security proposals range from changes to the timeline for plan implementation to massive influxes of additional boots on the ground. An amendment by Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa -- who submitted the most proposed changes with 77 total amendments -- would require the Department of Homeland Security to demonstrate “effective control” of the border for six months before undocumented immigrants become eligible to begin the process for legal status. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas submitted his own 70-page plan to step up border security and stiffen the “triggers” for the path to citizenship. Tea Party newcomer Ted Cruz -- also from Texas -- would triple the amount of federal agents currently stationed on the U.S.-Mexico border and quadruple the presence of drones and cameras.

    Other proposed changes would intensify requirements for undocumented immigrants who hope to attain the bill’s new Registered Provisional Immigrant status. As written, the legislation would require individuals to pass a background check and pay back taxes and a series of fines before being eligible for legal status; some GOP amendments would increase the background check threshold, adjust the fines for inflation and aggressively enforce the bill’s existing language preventing recipients of legal status from receiving federal benefits for 10 years.

    Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah even proposed that undocumented immigrants should have to submit DNA as a part of their application for provisional status in order to weed out potential criminals.

    Sparks are sure to fly over the amendments that would essentially gut the pillars of the bill’s delicate compromise between immigrant groups, business organizations and labor unions.

    Cruz has proposed a measure that would flatly deny eligibility for citizenship to anyone who has been “willfully present” in the United States without legal status. Those rules would apply even to undocumented immigrants who have returned to their home country or to children brought to the United States illegally by their parents – those who would be eligible for the DREAM Act provisions.

    Sen. Jeff Sessions, a leading opponent of the legislation, would cap the total number of new legal permanent residents and temporary foreign workers at 30 million over a period of 10 years. He would also require the Department of Homeland Security to take into account the “likelihood” that an undocumented immigrant applying for legal status may require federal means-tested public benefits like welfare “at any point in the future.”

    In a statement, Sessions said his proposed caps would preserve job opportunities for American citizens.

    “This bill would authorize a dramatic surge in permanent low-skill and chain migration -- and would bring in millions more temporary foreign workers -- at a time when 90 million Americans are outside the labor force and nearly 50 million are on food stamps,” he said. “The result would be lower wages and more unemployment.”

    Still more fixes are intended to focus on rooting out foreign terrorists, spurred in part by heightened concerns in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.

    Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican member of the Gang of Eight, proposed three amendments designed to address concerns about visa security and terrorism prevention. Hatch will push for the Department of Homeland Security to collect biometric data from foreigners who are leaving the country at the nation's busiest airports.

    The markup begins Thursday and is likely to continue into next week.

    http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news...mendments?lite
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    Mike Lee Amendment Would Allow Undocumented Immigrations To Work In 'Domestic Service' The Huffington Post | By Luke Johnson Posted: 05/09/2013 10:50 am EDT | Updated: 05/09/2013 11:20 am EDT


    Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is offering an amendment exempting domestic workers from immigration laws. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)


    One of Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) 23 amendments to the Senate immigration bill being considered this week would allow undocumented immigrants to be lawfully employed -- but only only as domestic workers.

    Lee's amendment would exempt undocumented immigrants working as "cooks, waiters, butlers, housekeepers, governessess, maids, valets, baby sitters, janitors, laundresses, furnacemen, care-takers, handymen, gardeners, footmen, grooms, and chauffeurs of automobiles for family use" from prohibitions against "unlawful employment" for undocumented immigrants.
    The amendment comes as the Senate Judiciary committee is set to consider over 300 amendments to the 844-page immigration overhaul on Thursday.
    Other amendments include a ban on a pathway to citizenship by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and another that requires undocumented immigrants who apply for citizenship to have an income four times the poverty line.
    UPDATE: Lee's office disputed the scope of the amendment Thursday morning. "Lee's Amdt 14 just means if you pay the kid down the street $20 to mow your lawn, he doesn't have to go thru E-verify," Communications Director Brian Phillips said in a tweet.
    (H/t Mother Jones.)
     
     
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/mike-lee-amendment_n_3245181.html
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  9. #9
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
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    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


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