No details on the specifics but apparently what changed is President Bush added more "security" stuff to the bill:
But last week conservatives blasting the bill as an "amnesty" for people who blatantly broke the law prevented it from proceeding to a final vote, handing Bush a setback in his hopes for a signature domestic achievement in his second term in the White House.If the idea is to appease conservatives, this is not going to help. The first thing the conservatives will do is rightly ask why the bill can't impose the fines and border spending without the amnesty. Then wait awhile and see whether amnesty is even needed.
The breakthrough Thursday came hours after Bush backed an almost $4.4-billion burst of immediate spending to secure US borders, in answer to critics of the bill who said its security component was inadequate.
"This funding will come from the fines and penalties that we collect from those who have come to our country illegally," Bush said.
This is going to be an interesting campaign to watch. Even if the bill somehow gets through the senate there is still the house to consider. There are quite a few Democratic freshmen representatives, like Zack Space (OH-18) and Charlie Wilson (OH-6), who are from conservative districts. They would be destroyed in 2008 if they voted for this immigration bill. I can imagine the ads already. Nancy Pelosi has told Bush to not even try this bill unless he can somehow scrape together seventy GOP votes in the house.
I really, really doubt that Bush has those seventy votes yet. The version of this bill that can pass the house is probably going to be nothing like the senate version leading to a knockout conference fight. If they even get that far.
Get More 'Stump' Posts on Immigration:
· McCain Reaching for the Life Line
· Immigration Issue Takes Its Toll
· Immigration: Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. We all knew Frankenstein would try to make the monster live again. This time it will pass, but the villagers are not happy. The socialists will be happy, the invaders will be happy (so what if there would be fines and penalties, they KNOW nobody will enforce the rules, and now they are "legal" for 12 years, big deal. They will still BE HERE and have time to invite their relatives and friends and have more babies! They've been "illegal" for TWENTY years!! And for more "illegals" hype just read the preposterous "poll" from the L.A. Times (their web site)that states "a majority" of Americans support amnesty."..BS! You should read their blog....their own LA citizens are raging mad about the bias of the poll...it's fall on the floor laughable. LA citizens accuse the pollsters of taking the poll among 1000 of the illeglas themselves, or from people standing in front of a "taco stand"....they really think the American people are THAT STUPID to believe this crap. Now Americans are finding out just how "corrupt" corporations are by hiring illegals...just look at the recent ICE raids (we need MANY MANY MORE!!) in Portland, OR. Of 600 employees ony 48 had legal right to work. All the others had fraudulent SSN's belonging to other people! These illegals were staffed by a "staffing agency" (new term for "illegals runners") who's web site actually STATES they do not "discriminate" in their hiring practices concerning a persons' "citizenship" status! This same big corporation is under investigation for bad working conditions! What a damn mess..... It just keeps getting better and better. For example, in 2006, of 400,000 illegals deported, 210,000 had CRIMINAL RECORDS!! Hmmmm....with that ratio, we have 6 million illegals with criminal records. Hmmmm, 95% of the murder warrants in L.A. are for ILLEGALS!! What a bright and secure future for American!!
Jean at 2:19PM on Jun 15th 2007
2. In order to get seventy GOP votes, you'll probably need 70 GOP ammendments. The bill will look like sausage when its finally done, and not much of a legacy for anyone.
Steve Bonomo at 8:18PM on Jun 15th 2007
3. Dem stategist Laura Swartz said on Fox's O'Riley Factor tonight that the immigration bill does not grant immediate legal status to illegal aliens in our country. Guess she missed Kennedy's news conference a week or so ago when he said the bill grants immediate legal status. Nothing like a blantant lie when spin isn't enough! We all know the Gov't can't enforce any of the bill's provisions for enforcement even if it wanted to. We were conned in 1986 and the same con is being worked again. This bill grants amnesty to all illegals forever more. That's because the Gov't has no real way to know when an undocumented alien entered the country. And since the bill grants them legal status they can't be deported without due process, no matter what crimes they've committed. You can bet if this bill is signed into law that there will be wave after wave of illegals aliens entering our country. It's easier to be poor in the USA than anywhere else in the world. We can look forward to a huge class of poor people that the politicos will exploit to grow Gov't and secure their power while greedy employers exploit them for low wages at the expense of the free market system. Socialism and feudalism pure and simple. This bill is an insane piece of legislation devised by a few screwball senators with input from special interests groups. Who the hell is representing mother USA and her nation of laws? We the people are being mocked by idealouges who consider themselves the elite, knowuing more than the rest of us. If I hear McCain say in his unctuous voice "trust me" I'll puke.
Allen at 1:53AM on Jun 16th 2007
4. Bush says he wants $4.4B for more border security and that the money will come from fines levied on employers of illegal aliens. The "catch" is that you have to first vote to give them legal status. This is another ruse. I have a bridge in Broolyn if you believe this latest con.
If Congress passes the bill and Bush signs it all illegals here now (and, as a practical matter, forever more) will have legal status. What that means is they will be entitled to due process. They and their attorneys will be in court costing the Gov't far more than $4.4B. Very little if any money will be paid in fines.
By the way, just how many "raids" would it take to collect $4.4B?? Something like 40K raids in one year or maybe 4K/raids/yr over a 10 year period, assuming the max fine of $10K dollars were collected per raid. (the cost of bringing them to trial is not included in this rough calculation). It should be very apparent that the Gov't cannot conduct that many raids in one year or enough raids ever to pay for the fence.
And just how many raids have been made to date? I've seen a couple on TV. The illegals come out of their places of work smiling for the camera. Why is that? They know they will be released and back on the job in no time. Some have been through this process several times. These are photo ops staged by the iCE to dupe us into thinking our Gov't is protecting us here at home. This is not one of those times.
The $4.4B is a ruse by the White House to placate conservatives. It's a phony ploy. The Congress put $24B of pork in the bill for the troops. You can bet some Congressman's favorite lobby will be getting that dough for sure. Why don't they take back $4.4B and fund the damn fence with that upfront right now!?
The long and short of it is that the Gov't has no intention of enforcing any of the bill's enforcement provisos because they know they can't. Whatever comes of this insane bill is that its worst provision, the granting of legal status, must not become law. That proviso is its most dangerous aspect. It grants "due process" to every illegal alien in our country and to all those who will come later (the Gov't has no real way to know when they got here).
Our borders must be secured first to reduce the influx of illegals dramatically. At the same time toughen the current law with increased fines on employers. Withold federal funds from sanctuary states and cities. And authorize the IRS, Soc Sec., and ICE to work together to identify people with false or someone else's SSN. Establish a Nat'l secure ID for everyone.
Then begin to sort through the illegals who are here (they won't have a valid SSN number if the Nat'l ID is done right) and determine their potential for eventual citizenship based on interviews. Send the rest back to where they came from. That will take awhile but so be it.
Above all, strike from the immigration bill the granting of legal status. That must not be allowed to become law. If allowed it will completely bog down the deportation of criminals, perverts, felons, drifters, and assorted other evil persons, including terroists.
Lastly, I would hope that the State of Mass recall Sen. Kennedy for his efforts to undermine the two party system. Throw in the misguided McCain, and Sen. Kyle, who have fsllen under Kennedy's thrall. Graham needs to look for other work. They need to go based on reasons of stupidity.
Allen at 10:33PM on Jun 16th 2007
5. Here is how you solve this crisis…..Number one you pass a law that gives all illegal immigrants 120 days to register and or leave the country. If the people are acting and living 5+ years in the USA like citizens they will be granted citizenship. If they are temporary workers they must register for a green card and carry it at all times and follow all laws. At 120 days any child born in the USA to an illegal citizen will be illegal too! At 120 days if any illegal immigrant is caught all USA citizens or people or business or government employees or agencies giving each of them safe harbor or support will be fined $5000 dollars too. The following will be charged $5000 fine for any help given. Landlords, Employers, Banks, DHA Government offices, Hospitals, Any government agency, Lawyers, Restaurants etc. etc.…..anyone who gives any support will pay a $5000 fine. One immigrant could stack up fines of $100,000 based on everyone involved. See you have to take away the reasons for coming here and they will go home and not come here! You must fine the behavior that is supported by our own citizens….all fines will pay for the transport and jailing and programs for all immigration….no tax dollars for this program! Watch how fast these people leave this country…..and your problem is solved!
Obewan
Lew Orban at 10:55PM on Jun 26th 2007
6. How do you fine people who you can't even FIND? (or so they say). BUILD THE FENCE. ENFORCE THE LAWS WE ALREADY HAVE. Why is that so difficult? This is like the Twilight Zone. Hello?
Barbara Borden at 2:38AM on Jun 27th 2007