Thread: Senate talks on immigration bill threatened

Senate talks on immigration bill threatened

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3153707

By Donna Smith
May 8, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan push to overhaul U.S. immigration laws is in danger of falling apart if Democratic leaders force a debate in the U.S. Senate before lawmakers reach agreement, Republicans said on Tuesday.

Republican and Democratic senators have been negotiating for weeks on a broad bill that would clamp down on illegal immigration and create a guest worker program while providing a way for illegal immigrants to eventually become citizens.

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said lawmakers had an outline of a bill. But he said more time was needed to reach final agreement and he threatened to block efforts to start debate next week.

"We are not yet ready to proceed next Monday," Specter said.

Democrats worry that delay could doom chances of enacting legislation this year as lawmakers gear up for next year's presidential election and plan to press forward with debate.

"They've had ample time to come up with some type of an alternative," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said.

Reid plans to start the debate on Monday with a version of the comprehensive bill passed by the Senate last year over significant Republican opposition. That bill, which was supported by Specter, would have created a guest worker program backed by President George W. Bush and given millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn citizenship.

'CLOSE FOR SEVERAL DAYS'

Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican who opposed last year's bill, said a bipartisan agreement was crucial to winning passage of a new bill this year and moving too swiftly on the debate could "blow up" the talks.

"We would not want a process to go forward which would break up any chance for bipartisan agreement," Kyl told reporters. "We've been close for several days. There is not full bipartisan agreement on all of the major issues. Until we have that agreement we should not move forward."

The Senate-passed bill last year failed in faced stiff opposition in the House of Representatives from a group of Republicans who said it gave amnesty to people who broke U.S. laws.

A group of House Republicans renewed their opposition at a news conference on Tuesday to legislation that provides a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

"Just because someone is in the country illegally doesn't mean we have to give him citizenship, which is the greatest honor our country can bestow," said Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican. "Some even want to sell citizenship to lawbreakers to the price of a fine. I would oppose that as well."

The bipartisan legislation being negotiated in the Senate would allow some of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants to legalize their status, but they would face stiffer fines and more hurdles to get on the path to citizenship than last year's bill.

Specter said the group had agreed to more border controls and tough sanctions against employers hiring illegal workers.

"We are trying to structure a temporary worker program which is temporary, coming only for the purpose of filling needs and then returning to their native countries," Specter added.

Last year's Senate bill provided a way for temporary workers to eventually get permanent status and citizenship.

About 41% of "temporary workers" become illegal aliens. What is the Senate going to do about them? They don't have an answer for the guest worker delima. It's not a riddle, they can't do it!

We have a guest worker program that is in shambles because they will not "enforce the law". They can't do what they are susposed to be doing now, how in the heck to they think they can add on to the problem and manage it.

S2611 is back from the grave to haunt us.

Dixie

I hope it's a big log jam!

Enforce the laws we already have in place. We should not reward breaking the law!

Democrats worry that delay could doom chances of enacting legislation this year as lawmakers gear up for next year's presidential election and plan to press forward with debate.

Yes, God forbid that any major presidential candidate should even mention the word "immigration". These folks are running for the office of the most powerful person in the world and they are too chicken s**t to discuss the most pressing issue facing our country today. You tell me we don't desparately need a third party.

What is it about NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO that these people cannot understand. If they betray us we need to strategically start voting them out!! The top dogs first!! We need to let them see that if they betray us they STILL won't win! They will be voted out ASAP. This is absurd!