Thread: They Did It To Us Again!

After voting narrowly and largely along party lines Wednesday night to bar guest workers from petitioning on their own for legal status, the Senate reconsidered. On a bipartisan vote of 56-43, the prohibition was diluted to say guest workers may generally seek legal status on their own if the government determines no American workers are available to fill the job.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the proposal that cleared on Wednesday night was designed to protect American workers, and the replacement would "put American workers in the back seat and foreign workers...in the front seat."

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said, "I think there is a higher value in not having the immigrant subject to the control of the employer where there may be coercion and pressure..."

Senate leaders have said they hope for passage of the controversial legislation by next week. It includes measures to tighten control over the borders, create a new guest worker program and offer a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the country. Prospects for final congressional passage this year are highly uncertain, given the strong opposition among Republicans to Bush's proposals concerning citizenship.

Bush's funding request came with a pledge that it would not lead to a short-term increase in the deficit. The White House said it would off-set the spending by "delaying certain less-urgent military procurement efforts" to future spending bills.

The developments came one day after a series of clashes that made the national debate over immigration seem like a family feud, Republican style.

"Regardless of what the president says, what he is proposing is amnesty," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the lawmaker who would lead House negotiators in any attempt to draft a compromise immigration bill later this year.

It is amnesty, "because it allows people who have broken the law to stay in the country," Sensenbrenner said of positions Bush staked out in his speech earlier in the week.

put American workers in the back seat and foreign workers...in the front seat."

Figures. Gee then....where does that put me? White aging female? I hope they are as "concerned" about me when I'm a homeless bag lady in the street.