Thread: Kennedy, Immigration Bill Backers, Hunting for Republican Vo

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June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Edward Kennedy and other backers of overhauling U.S. immigration law are trying to cobble together enough Republican votes to move legislation through the Senate this week, even as a leading opponent said support for the measure is eroding.

Kennedy predicted that enough Republicans will join with the majority Democrats to provide the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, which President George W. Bush supports. Two other supporters of the bill, Senators Trent Lott, a Republican, and Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, were less firm in their outlook. Feinstein said she is ``hopeful'' the parties can come together.

There's ``a recognition in this country that doing nothing is not an alternative,'' Kennedy, 75, a Massachusetts Democrat, said on ABC's ``This Week'' program. ``The problem is going to grow worse.''

Passage of the legislation would hand Bush a victory on one of the top domestic priorities of his second term. The president has personally lobbied lawmakers and tapped Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff as well as Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to do the same. Debate on the measure resumes this week as opponents try to derail it by using procedural delays and offering amendments that may split the coalition that sustains the bill.

Bush is running into opposition from some fellow Republicans in the House and Senate, who are against provisions creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country and are demanding stricter border enforcement.

Eroding Support

Support for the legislation ``continues to erode,'' Senator Jeff Sessions, 60, an Alabama Republican, said on ABC. ``A lot of key senators that were thought to be supportive have announced in recent days that they don't support it.''

Sessions, for whom Bush helped raise funds last week, said the Senate must re-evaluate the legislation ``and create something we can be proud of.''

To get the measure back on the Senate's agenda after it was temporarily shelved earlier this month, lawmakers agreed to hold votes on two dozen amendments proposed by both Republicans and Democrats.

One amendment, proposed by Missouri Republican Christopher Bond, would prohibit the 12 million people currently in the U.S. illegally from ever seeking U.S. citizenship. Some supporters of the immigration overhaul say that would threaten a core principle of the legislation.

Explaining the Legislation

Lott, 65, of Mississippi, and Feinstein, appearing on the ``Fox News Sunday'' program, said opponents are either ignoring or failing to understand all the provisions of what they said is a particularly complicated measure.

``Most people don't know what's in this bill,'' said Feinstein, 74, of California. ``To just have one or two things dramatized and taken out of context, such as the word amnesty -- we have a silent amnesty right now, but nobody goes into that. Nobody goes into the flaws of our broken system.''

Bush has tried reaching out to Republicans who oppose the measure. In his weekly radio address, the president highlighted how the legislation would help secure America's border. The emphasis is a change from his previous focus on the moral aspects of the overhaul.

``This bill puts the enforcement tools in place first,'' Bush said yesterday in his radio address. ``Only after these enforcement tools are in place will certain other parts of the bill go into effect.''

Kennedy said that opponents of the measure haven't made clear what they do support after 39 hearings, 23 days of debate on the Senate floor and 52 amendments on the topic of immigration.

``The reason we're going to pass this bill is because it's tough, fair and practical,'' Kennedy said.

If the legislation passes the Senate it would move to the House, where the Democratic leadership has promised to take it up quickly without setting specific date.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadine Elsibai in Washington at nelsibai@bloomberg.net

There's ``a recognition in this country that doing nothing is not an alternative,'' Kennedy, 75, a Massachusetts Democrat, said on ABC's ``This Week'' program. ``The problem is going to grow worse.''

Ok, here I go sounding mean again, but what the heck, Kennedy is selling out our country so here goes.

If he's already 75 years old, how much longer can this egg suckin' dog live? I'm sure with his medical coverage, it could be decades longer, but how about some mentally debilitating disease that will just force him out of office...say...next week!!? Much longer than that and he'll kill our country.

`The problem is going to grow worse.''

This sounds like a threat.

Nothing would be worse than passing this bill and immediately granting amnesty to >30 million illegal aliens and doubling legal immigration to 3 million people per year.

NOTHING!!!

On the other hand Mr. Kennedy, things could get much better very quickly if we enforced our existing immigration laws and secured our borders.

How 'bout supporting this strategy instead of obstructing upholding our current laws?????

Kennedy said that opponents of the measure haven't made clear what they do support

That's because this shamnesty bill is so terrible and disgusting that we FIRST have to get rid of it completely. Then the GOP can come up with the most important segments that need legislation like employer enforcement, border fencing, immigration judges, tamperproof ID, and ag workers plans, etc. FIRST and get that through without all the path to legalization crap.

Subsequent to this, the House and Senate can take up a separate bill to address those 12-20 million illegals already here with full hearings, congressional debate and cost analysis. This would be the point where Congress should seriously review ALL U.S. immigration policies and determine what future plan should be designed for the benefit of this country and its current citizens.

THE ILLEGALS CAN JUST GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE WHILE THEY ARE WAITING. THOSE THAT DON'T SHOULD BE DEPORTED.