Deal Struck on Immigration Bill May 17 02:12 PM US/Eastern By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Key senators in both parties announced agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border. The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S. A separate program would cover agricultural workers. New high-tech enforcement measures also would be instituted to verify that workers are here legally. The compromise came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with President Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he expects Bush to endorse the agreement. "Politics is the art of the possible, and the agreement we just reached is the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America," Kennedy said. Anticipating criticism from conservatives, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said, "It is not amnesty. This will restore the rule of law." The accord sets the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities. The president has said he wants to sign an immigration bill by summer's end. The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so- called "point system" that would for the first time prioritize immigrants' education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards. The draft bill "gives a path out of the shadows and toward legal status for those who are currently here" illegally, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. The immigration issue also divides both parties in the House, which isn't expected to act unless the Senate passes a bill first. The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" andâafter paying fees and a $5,000 fineâultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of household would have to return to their home countries first. They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed. A new temporary guest worker program would also have to wait until those so-called "triggers" had been activated. Those workers would have to return home after work stints of two years, with little opportunity to gain permanent legal status or ever become U.S. citizens. They could renew their guest worker visas twice, but would be required to leave for a year in between each time. Democrats had pressed instead for guest workers to be permitted to stay and work indefinitely in the U.S. In perhaps the most hotly debated change, the proposed plan would shift from an immigration system primarily weighted toward family ties toward one with preferences for people with advanced degrees and sophisticated skills. Republicans have long sought such revisions, which they say are needed to end "chain migration" that harms the economy, while some Democrats and liberal groups say it's an unfair system that rips families apart. Family connections alone would no longer be enough to qualify for a green cardâexcept for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens. New limits would apply to U.S. citizens seeking to bring foreign-born parents into the country.
Bush Hails Deal on Immigration Reform May 17, 2:59 PM (ET) By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS WASHINGTON (AP) - Key senators in both parties and the White House announced agreement Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and fortify the border. The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S and a separate program to cover agricultural workers. Skills and education-level would for the first time be weighted over family connections in deciding whether future immigrants should get permanent legal status. New high-tech employment verification measures also would be instituted to ensure that workers are here legally. The compromise came after weeks of painstaking closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans together with President Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences. Bush called it "a much-needed solution to the problem of illegal immigration in this country" and said, if approved, the proposal "delivers an immigration system that is secure, productive, orderly and fair." "With this bipartisan agreement, I am confident leaders in Washington can have a serious, civil and conclusive debate so I can sign comprehensive reform into law this year," he said in a written statement. Bush planned to make remarks about the bill later Thursday at the White House. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, his party's lead negotiator on the deal, hailed it as "the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders and bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America." Anticipating criticism from conservatives, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said, "It is not amnesty. This will restore the rule of law." The accord sets the stage for what promises to be a bruising battle next week in the Senate on one of Bush's top non-war priorities. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the proposal a "starting point" for that debate, but added that it needs improvement. "I have serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal, including the structure of the temporary worker program and undue limitations on family immigration," Reid said in a statement. The key breakthrough came when negotiators struck a bargain on a so-called "point system" that prioritizes immigrants' education and skill level over family connections in deciding how to award green cards. The immigration issue also divides both parties in the House, which isn't expected to act unless the Senate passes a bill first. The proposed agreement would allow illegal immigrants to come forward and obtain a "Z visa" and - after paying fees and a $5,000 fine - ultimately get on track for permanent residency, which could take between eight and 13 years. Heads of household would have to return to their home countries first. They could come forward right away to claim a probationary card that would let them live and work legally in the U.S., but could not begin the path to permanent residency or citizenship until border security improvements and the high-tech worker identification program were completed. A new temporary guest worker program would also have to wait until those so-called "triggers" had been activated. Those workers would have to return home after work stints of two years, with little opportunity to gain permanent legal status or ever become U.S. citizens. They could renew their guest worker visas twice, but would be required to leave for a year in between each time. Democrats had pressed instead for guest workers to be permitted to stay and work indefinitely in the U.S. In perhaps the most hotly debated change, the proposed plan would shift from an immigration system primarily weighted toward family ties toward one with preferences for people with advanced degrees and sophisticated skills. Republicans have long sought such revisions, which they say are needed to end "chain migration" that harms the economy, while some Democrats and liberal groups say it's an unfair system that rips families apart. Family connections alone would no longer be enough to qualify for a green card - except for spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens. New limits would apply to U.S. citizens seeking to bring foreign-born parents into the country.
OK, Republicans have sold us out. If the remaining patriotic ones don't filibuster this outrage, conservatives will have to find a new party. If that means democrats control everything, I say what difference will it make? Could they saell us out any faster than the likes of Bush and Arlen Specter?
Why Bush's compromise plan is a lie: *********************************** Broken border promises TODAY'S COLUMNIST By Tom Tancredo May 17, 2007 In January 2004, President Bush proposed a sweeping new guest-worker and amnesty plan for illegal aliens. More than two years later, in June 2006, he announced a series of moves aimed at showing he was at long last getting serious about border security. Unfortunately, under his plan border security cannot even come close to reality until at least 2010. Congress should acknowledge this fact and postpone any immigration overhaul until border security is a reality, not another broken promise. The president's 2006 plan for border security had three parts. First, he announced he was sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the southwest border as an interim measure until the Border Patrol could recruit 6,000 additional agents, which was estimated to take three years. That was his second promise, to double the size of the Border Patrol by the end of his term by adding 6,000 new agents. The third pillar of his plan was announced by DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff â the Secure Border Initiative, a multibillion-dollar project to build a high-tech "virtual fence" along the entire 1,900 miles of the southwest border. All of these initiatives depend for their success on the rapid increase in Border Patrol manpower. The National Guard is restricted to "support functions," and the Guard personnel manning lookout posts are limited to observing the illegal border jumpers and then reporting what they see to the Border Patrol. That's it. Skepticism is also justified when evaluating Mr. Chertoff's expensive "virtual fence." In April, the top commander of the Border Patrol, David Aguilar, proudly described the goals of the multibillion-dollar Secure Border Initiative. He proclaimed that when fully operational, "we will be able to identify, detect and classify more than 95 percent of illegal entries with the virtual fence." Notice the absence of the words "stop" or "apprehend" in this description. The most senior levels of Border Patrol management admit that even when the virtual fence is doing its job, it will not be stopping illegal entry into our country. It will allow us to "detect and classify" most of them better. Cameras, lights and sensors are great, but in the final analysis, Border Patrol agents must interdict the trespassers and detain them. How well are plans progressing for having 18,000 Border Patrol agents by the end of 2008 as promised by Mr. Bush? The answer: It ain't happening. The Border Patrol can hardly recruit and train new agents fast enough to replace the ones who are bailing out. The goal of 18,000 Border Patrol agents by the end of 2008 cannot and will not be achieved. When Mr. Aguilar or anyone else in the Homeland Security Department says otherwise, they are misleading the public and placing high hopes in the powers of the tooth fairy. Why did attrition outpace recruitment over the past 12 months? The National Border Patrol Council blames politics for this situation and it has a good case. The Bush administration's prosecution and imprisonment of two Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, for shooting a known drug smuggler is only the latest outrage among many that have decimated Border Patrol morale. The policy significance of this failure is that it shows the hollowness of the president's promise of border security. All of the president's initiatives on border security depend on Border Patrol manpower. Proposals in Congress that assume border security as a precondition for new guest-worker programs need to be shelved until the goal of 18,000 Border Patrol agents has been achieved â which cannot occur before 2010. Citizens are insisting that border security be demonstrated as an actual achievement, not simply a plan on Mr. Chertoff's desk or a "trigger" in some legislative package. A new president and new Border Patrol leadership might salvage the morale and the mission of that law enforcement agency, but until that happens, the border will continue to be a sieve and our nation's security will continue to be at risk. Rep. Tom Tancredo is a member of both the House International Relations and Resources Committees and chairman of the bipartisan House Immigration reform Caucus.
The bottom line is that Bush and company are sold out to those who will profit in the near term on this issue...among other issues where he is a sellout. You love Bush when he is pro business that serves your interests, but anti Bush when he makes what is essentially a business decision. I am opposed to illegal immigration, but it has to do more with the way in which this country looks the other way to allow the rich to get richer... Bush is effectively rendering the term illegal as meaningless...
Your democrat party is effectively rendering the term illegal meaningless, simply by going along with George W Bush
No apologies for SOB Bush here. I am just pointing it out that the compormise couldn't have happened if your party hadn't have gone along with GWBUSH's agenda, I can't agree with you more Bush is effectively rendering the term illegal as meaningless... but so has Ted Kennedy, as difficult as that may be for you to accept.
Bush can veto the bill... I don't know what your mental problem is, but I haven't supported Ted Kennedy on this bill.