The game is on and we need to stay prepared - every trick, every con, every ploy, every promise, will be used to shove this thing through

(quote)
Immigration debate returns

Lawmakers make positions known as topic is revived _on Capitol Hill this week

By MICHAEL COLLINS, collinsm@shns.com
June 25, 2007

WASHINGTON - Everywhere U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. goes, he gets an earful about immigration reform.
He hears about it at church, at civic clubs, at ballgames, even the drugstore. And the message is almost always the same.

"I can tell you the people of East Tennessee are overwhelmingly opposed to amnesty, and they want to cut down on illegal immigration," said Duncan, R-Knoxville.

This week, the debate moves back to Washington, where the Senate will resume consideration of a bill that would give legal status to millions of people who entered the country illegally.

A crucial test will come Tuesday, when the Senate is set to decide whether to cut off debate and allow the legislation to proceed. Supporters need at least 60 votes to keep the bill alive. Anything short of that margin potentially could doom any chance of passing an immigration reform bill this year.

President Bush, who wants immigration reform to be a part of his legacy, supports the bill and has been trying to win over lawmakers who remain on the fence.

But Tennessee Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both Republicans, said late last week that they could not vote for the bill in its current form, even though the president has personally lobbied them to support the legislation.

"Other than the war in Iraq or the war on terror, there is nothing more important than fixing our broken immigration system, and we should keep working on it for as long as it takes to get it right," Alexander said.

But, he said, that must include a process "that earns the confidence of the American people, and this bill does not do that."

Corker, a freshman senator who took office in January, said he is concerned that the Senate bill may be attempting to tackle too many problems at once.

"I made myself clear during the campaign the kinds of things that I felt were important," said Corker, who argues that the first priority should be securing the nation's borders.

Other priorities, he said, should include allowing immigrants to work in the United States, but only if they are legal, and creating an instant verification system so employers can determine if the workers they are hiring are legal.

"On some fronts, the bill attempts to satisfy those," Corker said. But "there is just too much happening in this bill at one time. I really do think a better approach would be to have a more modest bill."

Even if the bill clears the Senate, there is no guarantee it will become law.

In the House, Democratic leaders have yet to unveil an immigration reform package. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she will not push for a vote on any immigration bill unless it has the backing of at least 50 to 70 Republicans. By last count, the number of House Republicans pledging to support the Senate bill or a similar measure was nowhere near that margin.

"I don't see it passing," said U.S. Rep. David Davis, R-Johnson City. "It won't pass with my vote."

The White House reiterated late last week that President Bush strongly believes comprehensive immigration reform is needed and stressed that Congress must find a workable solution that addresses all concerns.

"We have a historic window of opportunity to act now, and doing nothing is not a solution," said White House spokesman Blair Jones. "The status quo is unacceptable."

One of the most controversial elements of the Senate bill is the way it deals with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

The legislation would allow those who entered the country illegally before Jan. 1, 2007, to apply for Z visas, which would permit them to live and work in the United States. The visas would have to be renewed every four years.

Z visa holders also would have to pay a $1,000 fine, pass a criminal background check, and eventually become proficient in English. After eight years, they could apply for a green card to become permanent legal residents.

But critics say that amounts to amnesty and would send the wrong message.

"I don't want any form of amnesty," said U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C. "We must abide by the rule of law, and rewarding people for breaking the law is not the example we should be setting."

Congressman Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, warned that the provisions in the Senate bill are "a major amnesty package that the people I represent are really angry about, and there is no way that I'm voting for it."

Another controversial part of the Senate bill is the creation of a temporary guest-worker program that would allow immigrants to legally work in the United States. The original bill provided for 400,000 temporary workers per year, although senators later passed an amendment trimming that figure to 200,000.

Temporary workers initially would be allowed to work for two years but could apply for two, two-year extensions, provided they reside outside the United States for one year between extensions.

Still, several East Tennessee lawmakers said they have reservations about the guest-worker program.

"In East Tennessee, a guest means you come, you visit," Davis said. "But what does a guest always do? A guest always goes home. They don't need to be here living off of our tax system, our social security system, our health-care system and our education system."

Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall, said securing the nation's borders should be a priority and that anyone who enters the country illegally should be prohibited from obtaining American citizenship.

Americans also need some assurance that whatever Congress does about illegal immigration will be a permanent fix and that the country won't be facing the same problem again in a few years, he said.

"This has become the political issue of the day," he said.

Michael Collins may be reached at 202-408-2711.(quote)

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