Immigration overhaul passes in the Senate : Photo Gallery
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Immigration overhaul passes in the Senate : Latest News, Information, Answers and Websites
Who is the best Presidential candidate to really do something about illegal immigration?
Should Michael Savage run?
Answer: Tancredo, Ron Paul, and Hunter have the best voting records on illegal immigration.
http://www.betterimmigration.com/candidates/2006/prez08_gop2.html
http://www.betterimmigration.com/candidates/2006/prez08_gop1.html
Ron Paul has stated that he wants very strong borders and he was appalled that our government had taken border guards off of our borders to send them to Iraq.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/haman3.html
This is his six point plan:
Physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must do whatever it takes to control entry into our country before we undertake complicated immigration reform proposals.
Enforce visa rules. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that a number of 9/11 terrorists had expired visas.
No amnesty. Estimates suggest that 10 to 20 million people are in our country illegally. That’s a lot of people to reward
for breaking our laws.
No welfare for illegal aliens. Americans have welcomed immigrants who seek opportunity, work hard, and play by the rules. But taxpayers should not pay for illegal immigrants who use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.
End birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the incentive to enter the U.S. illegally will remain strong.
Pass true immigration reform. The current system is incoherent and unfair. But current reform proposals would allow up to 60 million more immigrants into our country, according to the Heritage Foundation. This is insanity. Legal immigrants from all countries should face the same rules and waiting periods.
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/border-security-and-immigration-reform/
While the rest of the candidates:
Barack Obama
-Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. (May 2006)
-Extend welfare and Medicaid to immigrants. (Jul 1998)
-Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship. (May 2006)
-Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program. (May 2006)
Rudy Giuliani:
-Allow immigrants to work, with tamper-proof ID cards. (May 2007)
-Supports Senate guest worker plan & path to citizenship. (Nov 2006)
-Giuliani has been criticized for embracing illegal immigration. Giuliani continued a policy of preventing city employees from contacting INS about immigration violations. He ordered city attorneys to defend this policy in federal court. Giuliani has also expressed doubt that the federal government can stop illegal immigration. In April 2006, Giuliani went on the record as favoring the US Senate's comprehensive immigration plan which includes a path to citizenship and a guest worker plan
Source: wikipedia.org Nov 7, 2006
Fred Thompson
The Washington Times.. "But on immigration, Mr. Thompson had several votes where he bucked the pack — and seemed to favor illegal aliens.
The most stark example was his 1995 vote on the welfare overhaul, when he voted to preserve illegal aliens' ability to receive federal benefits. He was one of just six senators to vote that wayAnd in 1996, as Congress considered a crackdown on illegal aliens, Mr. Thompson voted against setting up a system so employers could verify the legal status of their workers."
source: immigration2008.com
Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work.
Vote to create a national registry containing names of U.S. workers who want to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work, and to require the Attorney General to allow more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work under H-2A visas.
Voted YES on visas for skilled workers.
This bill expanded the Visa program for skilled workers.
Hillary Clinton:
-Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program. (May 2006)
-Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. (May 2006)
-Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship. (May 2006)
Mike Huckabee
- Import farm workers from Mexico. (Sep 2001)
- Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal. (Feb 2001)
- Path to citizenship if illegals admit guilt & pay fine. (Jan 2007)
- Implement a farm labor system, based on the agreement between Canada and Mexico, which will provide an orderly, efficient way to import farm workers.
John Edwards
- Roadmap to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. (Jan 2004)
- Welcome immigrants with earned legalization program. (Jan 2004)
John McCain
- More help for legal immigrants when immigrating & once here. (Jul 1998)
- Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. (May 2006)
- Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship. (May 2006)
- Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work. (Jul 1998)
- Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
Check the links, if you want to see the rest
Category: Elections
Do you guys think the immigration bill will pass?
The immigration bill that will grant amnesty to 11+ million illegals do you guys think it will pass meaning it will become law? I am illegal thats why i am asking.
Answer: I think with all the amendments that will go into it congress will kill the bill. I would like to see birthright citizenship ended and a 100% E-Verify all employees.
The bill maybe dead before it leaves the Senate. I know for sure it won't pass the republican controlled House. It's a bad idea. We are broke and can't allow the country to be flooded by unlimited aliens.
"Leading Capitol Hill opponents of a Senate proposal to overhaul the nation’s immigration system are coalescing around a strategy to kill the bill by delaying the legislative process as long as possible, providing time to offer “poison pill” amendments aimed at breaking apart the fragile bipartisan group that developed the plan, according to lawmakers and legislative aides.
The tactics, used successfully by opponents of an immigration bill during a 2007 debate in the Senate, are part of an effort to exploit public fissures over core components of the comprehensive legislation introduced Tuesday by eight lawmakers who spent months negotiating the details."
Category: Immigration
Can President Romney issue an executive order telling the IRS not to enforce parts of Obamacare?
Just like Obama issued an executive order telling immigration not to enforce parts of immigration law?
Answer: Obamacare can be repealed according to WASHINGTON (CNN) -
While conservatives are still seething over last week's Supreme Court ruling saving President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, top Capitol Hill Republicans are gleefully using the decision to fire up their base with promises of a repeal in 2013.
The high court's 5-4 decision "underscores the urgency of repealing this harmful law in its entirety," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said shortly after last Thursday's ruling. "Republicans stand ready to work with a president who will listen to the American people."
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, announced that his GOP-controlled chamber will vote on a full repeal on July 11. While the House is certain pass the measure -- it's already done so once before -- the largely symbolic bill has no chance of clearing the Democratic-run Senate.
But what if Mitt Romney is elected president in November while Republicans hold the House and win a majority in the Senate? Could that be enough to undo Obama's signature legislative accomplishment? Top GOP strategists believe they could essentially gut the law, thanks in part to the wording of Chief Justice John Roberts' controlling opinion.
Roberts ruled that the controversial individual mandate -- the core part of the law forcing Americans to pay a fine if they don't have health insurance -- is actually a tax. And a complex congressional rule known as reconciliation would allow Republicans to change certain tax and spending components of the health care law with only a bare Senate majority.
"The chief justice said (the mandate) is a tax, and taxes are clearly what we call reconcilable," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said on Fox News Sunday. "That's the kind of measure that can be pursued with 51 votes in the Senate. And if I'm the leader of the majority next year, I commit to the American people that the repeal of 'Obamacare' will be job one."
The reconciliation process could also be used to strip funding for the statute, one senior GOP strategist told CNN.
Reconciliation matters because in today's sharply polarized political climate, most legislation can't clear the 100-member Senate without a filibuster-proof of majority of 60 votes. Right now, the Republicans control 47 Senate seats. While most political analysts believe the GOP has a decent shot at a net pickup of four seats this fall, almost nobody believes the Republicans can gain 13 seats.
In the meantime, top congressional Republicans have latched onto the notion that the individual mandate is a tax -- something GOP leaders believe plays into one of the Democrats' main political weaknesses.
Obamacare is "not a good idea (and) I think you saw one of the reasons why -- because it's a tax increase," Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a possible GOP vice presidential nominee, said Saturday. "It's a massive tax increase on the middle class."
While Democratic leaders still maintain the mandate is not a tax -- instead calling it a penalty -- roughly 60% of Americans believe it is, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday. The poll also notes that while an overwhelming majority of GOP voters oppose the mandate, 55% of independents do as well.
Republican Senate candidates are now being told that "every day you are not talking about (the health care issue) is a day you've wasted," according to a Washington-based GOP strategist.
One potential wrinkle in any GOP plans to call the individual mandate a new Democratic tax: Romney's health care overhaul in Massachusetts also included a mandate.
"This was a plan that, that Gov. Romney supported," White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's something that I would think that he would have been proud of."
Pressed on the issue Monday, Romney senior campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told MSNBC that the presumptive GOP presidential nominee agrees "with the dissent written by Justice (Antonin) Scalia which very clearly stated that the mandate was not a tax."
Asked repeatedly if Romney agrees with Obama and Democrats that the penalty tied to the mandate is not tax, Fehrnstrom eventually said, "That's correct."
gatita
Degree in History (focus Jewish studies) and Spanish, New Mexico State U. 1990
Category: Politics
Is Shumer for highly skilled illegals or all illegals?
His bill is even calling for more highly skilled legal immigrants, seems to me he is only worried about trying to legalize ones with skills and not worried about the millions upon millions of other illegal aliens?
What do you think?
Do you believe this will pass?
_________________________________________________________
Schumer: Immigration bill to be ready by Labor Day
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, The Associated Press
4:21 p.m. July 8, 2009
WASHINGTON — The lead Democrat steering an immigration overhaul through the Senate said Wednesday he expects to have a bill ready by Labor Day that is more generous to highly skilled immigrant workers than those who are lower skilled and is tough on future waves of illegal immigration.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sen. Chuck Schumer said an immigration bill can be done by the end of the year or early next year that works out disagreements between labor and business interests on the flow of legal foreign workers.
"I think well have a good bill by Labor Day," said Schumer, D-N.Y. "I think the fundamental building blocks are in place to do comprehensive immigration reform."
Schumer said the way to get the bill done is to be very tough on future waves of illegal immigration. He declared himself pro-immigration and said the U.S. should encourage legal immigration and find some kind of path for people now here to find a way to legal citizenship.
"We have a shortage maybe of engineers here or Ph.Ds in physics, but we probably dont have a shortage of people who can do construction work," Schumer said.
The AFL-CIO and the Change to Win labor unions earlier this year announced their support for immigration reform, which they have opposed in the past.
But the unions continued opposition to increases in visas for foreign workers is at odds with the demand by business for legal foreign workers in industries ranging from high-technology to agriculture.
"I think one of the ways to bridge it is to look at the different areas of labor and where there are shortages and where there are not and where just workers are being brought in for exploitive purposes – broadly put meaning just get lower wages – rather than having a shortage," Schumer said. "I think if you look at each broad field you can see that one size does not fit all."
Schumers office has met to dyscuss his bill with Compete America, a coalition pushing for more visas for foreign workers. Members of the group are skeptical of a labor proposal for an appointed commission to set limits on visas and green cards given to legal residents, said Robert Hoffman, an in-house lobbyist for Oracle, a software company and member of Compete America.
Ana Avendano, AFL-CIOs director of immigration policy, said Schumers "one size doesnt fit all" view is shared by labor. "We want employers to have workers they need, but the key is determining when there is a real need, not one employers make up when they import temporary workers."
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/08/us-immigration-070809/?california&zIndex=128840
Answer: "should encourage legal immigration and find some kind of path for people now here to find a legal way to citizenship". Doesn't sound to me like he wants to get rid of the illegal population already here.
We have had LPR's here for decades. They have not applied for citizenship even though they are eligible after 5 years. They DO NOT WANT CITIZENSHIP. They want to use the US for as long as they have a need and then return to their native country.
We do need to lower green cards (unskilled workers) we also need to be more discriminating in issuing visas.
I would not support this plan as long as they plan to legalize the 12-20M here illegally. He is hoping to dupe the American public by lowering green cards and visa and sneaking in the acceptance of the illegals here now.
Category: Immigration
Senate, in Bipartisan Act, Passes Immigration Bill; Tough Fight Is Ahead
The Senate easily passed legislation on Thursday that would give most illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens. But the vote did little to soften opposition to the measure among House conservatives, and Republican leaders acknowledged that delivering a final bill to President Bushs desk would be enormously difficult. The Senate - By RACHEL L. SWARNS
What good is having a Congress and Senate when the President ignores them and their recommendations?
SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Bush, turning from adulation in the Balkans to difficulties back home, said Monday that his stalled immigration overhaul would be revived and his embattled attorney general would not fall under a Senate vote of no-confidence.
"Ill see you at the bill signing," Bush said confidently about an immigration bill that has run into deep trouble on Capitol Hill.
He also dismissed a planned Senate vote against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as a purely political "meaningless resolution," saying it would have "no bearing" on Gonzales fate.
"Ill make the determination if I think hes effective or not," Bush said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070611/ap_on_re_eu/bush;_ylt=AsCN4zBe2oVTs7QOxRPXWFGMwfIE
Shouldnt he take their rulings under advisement before he makes a decision?
It seems pointless if he tells what he is going to do, period, and will listen to no one, not even the people of America.
Answer: There are certain times when the President is required by our Constitution to pay attention to the "Advice and consent" of Congress.
Congress has no authority to make "rulings" with regard to the President. Congress passes legislation. Making "rulings" is not within their Constitutional power.
Perhaps you will enlighten us as to US laws that are at odds with what I've just written?
Category: Politics
Are we winning the battle against illegal aliens?
WASHINGTON - Citing new figures showing arrests for illegal border crossings down 27 percent since October, Sen. Charles Schumer on Wednesday argued that the federal government is fulfilling its promise to secure the nations borders, so now its time for "immigration reform."
Declines in the arrests indicate fewer people are trying to enter illegally, border patrol officials said Wednesday, whether because of tougher enforcement or the bad economy.
With such testimony in the second Senate hearing this year on an ambitious overhaul of immigration laws, Schumer, a New York Democrat and chairman of the Senates immigration subcommittee, sought to address the issue he says sank previous legislation.
"The reason the bill failed is that the American people didnt have faith that there wouldnt be a future wave of illegal immigrants if we passed that bill," Schumer said.Schumer is attempting to forge a consensus on the hot-button issue of immigration, a politically difficult task in a year with a jammed agenda. But he has backing from President Barack Obama to move forward.
Obama will host a White House meeting on immigration with key members of Congress on June 8, a White House official said.
Schumer and officials from immigration enforcement and the border patrol touted tougher measures on the border as contributing to the decline.
But even Schumer had to agree with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who Wednesday said the number of those trying to cross the border went down "because of the decline in the labor market."
Still, arrests for illegal crossings have dropped steadily in a trend that began before the economic crash. The border patrol recorded 876,704 arrests in fiscal year 2007, down 20 percent from 2006, and 723,825 arrests in 2008, down 17 percent.
Schumer seeks consensus on immigration reform
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/nation/ny-usimmi2112787698may20,0,7334413.story
Answer: yes, with more deportations, better border patrol, more laws being introduced and more American citizens telling our government this is not acceptable has helped the numbers go down, but it is only a small step forward. we need to allow National Guard to patrol the border along with more border patrol, we need more raids on businesses and illegals homes, and we need to change the law that offspring of illegals are not considered citizens. We have a long way to go, but we are starting on the right road finally! Now to keep obama up on citizens wishes!
Category: Immigration
What happened during the Compromise of 1996?
Answer: As 1996 opened, major portions of the government were shut down, President Clinton was rising in public opinion polls and Republicans could point to a list of legislative accomplishments that they considered Decidedly short.
Despite an impressive display of party discipline and a series of victories over Clinton in the House, much of the GOP revolution had foundered in the Senate or been blocked by the president. Republicans had spent much of 1995 ignoring Clinton's veto, if not daring him to use it.
Now, chastened Republican leaders realized that the GOP-controlled 104th Congress was going to avoid the "do-nothing" label, they would have to compromise with the president. So they changed tack. In 1996, as they sought to win re-election of a GOP-controlled Congress for the first time since 1928, Republicans displayed considerably more respect for the institution of the presidency and the veto, even if their relationship with Clinton remained rocky.
The result was an election year session that produced some significant legislation -- but little that was revolutionary.
On a few occasions, Republicans basically gave in to Clinton, as they did in passing a bill that raised the minimum wage and during end-stage negotiations over a catchall spending bill.
In other instances, veto threats forced Republicans to drop key provisions that had been passed by the House. Conferees on an immigration bill removed a provision that would have permitted states to deny public education to the children of illegal immigrants. A plan to set up tax-deductible medical savings accounts was scaled back to a demonstration project during negotiations on a health insurance bill. In such cases, Republicans opted to make law, despite the desire of some conservatives to carry the issue to the voters.
In other cases, such as a major bills to overhaul welfare, rewrite the Depression-era framework for farm subsidies, and an anti-terrorism bill that carried unprecedented restriction on death-row appeals, Republicans maneuvered Clinton into signing legislation with key elements he disliked.
Sometimes, it required a bit of sugar-coating to make unpleasant votes more palatable, as when House GOP leaders confronted a bill to increase the debt limit and avoid a first-ever government default. They attached a popular measure to increase the amount Social Security beneficiaries could earn without losing benefits and (temporarily) a budgetary line-item veto bill popular with conservatives. The minimum wage increase carried a popular package of tax cuts for small businesses.
At the same time, Republican leaders made sure that their members would have to cast as few votes as possible that might have hurt them at the ballot box. Virtually gone were up-or-down votes to cut Medicare or scale-back environmental regulations. House leaders generally banned controversial legislative provisions on spending bills. Instead came the passage of bipartisan bills to protect drinking water, update pesticide regulations and overhaul telecommunications law.
Sometimes, events were sufficient to break legislation loose. When a Cuban MiG fighter shot down a pair of U.S.-registered private planes carrying anti-Castro advocates, that removed the sticking points from a bill imposing economic sanctions. But Congress responded more slowly to the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City and, on a key vote that paired an unusual alliance of liberals and conservatives, stripped out much of the heart of the bill.
Social issues were highlighted by wrenching votes to override Clinton's veto of a bill to ban a late-term abortion procedure. But supporters of civil rights for homosexuals took some solace from the narrow defeat in the Senate of a bill to prohibit job discrimination against gays, even though another bill aimed at prohibiting same-sex marriages was swept into law.
Category: Government
Senate passes its major immigration overhaul - latimes.com
3 hours ago ... The immigration overhaul bill wins a large majority of votes in the Senate after compromises on both sides, but conservative House ...
Immigration Overhaul Passes Senate
8 hours ago ... "After three weeks of debate and 18 votes, the Senate overwhelmingly voted, 68- 32, to pass an immigration overhaul Thursday, capping a ...
Senate passes sweeping immigration overhaul - First Read
8 hours ago ... In a bipartisan vote, the Senate on Thursday passed a sweeping, historic overhaul of the nation's immigration system – the first attempt to tackle ...
Senate Immigration Reform Bill Passes With Strong Majority
8 hours ago ... WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed a politically fraught immigration reform bill on Thursday that would give a path to citizenship to some of ...
Senate Passes Temporary Financing Measure for Agencies
The Senate approved a measure today to keep federal agencies operating through the end of the month, allowing the new Congress time to work through a spending impasse that could present an early test for the narrow Republican majority in the Senate. After the House passed the stop-gap bill on Wednesday and left town until later this month, senators - Senate approves measure to keep federal agencies operating through end of January, allowing new Congress time to work through spending impasses; Democrats say they are willing to let interim bill pass without debate, but promise fight on more than $9 billion in spending reductions that Senate Republican leaders have accepted in talks with House and White House; failure of Senate leadership to reach agreement on committee membership and financing leaves panels under Democratic control and prevents Republicans from taking up spending measure at committee level; photos (M) - By CARL HULSE
The CBO says the amnesty bill as now written will increase unemployment and lower wages - is that a good thing?
The Congressional Budget Office has released its analysis of the Schumer-Rubio-Obama amnesty bill, confirming the opponents predictions that it would be devastating for American workers and would not end illegal immigration. Since the bill purposely delays green cards for some illegal aliens by 10 years, and the CBO only scores the fiscal impacts for the bills first 10 years, the report says that the bill will not have a major impact on the national debt over the first decade.
The CBO report does, however, indicate that unemployment will increase under S.744 as result of work permits issued to illegal aliens, increased levels of legal immigration, and increases in guest-worker programs.
CBO and JCT expect that new immigrants of working age would participate in the labor force at a higher rate, on average, than other people in that age range in the United States. Relative to CBOs projections under current law, enacting the bill would increase the size of the labor force by about 6 million (about 3½ percent) in 2023 and by about 9 million (about 5 percent) in 2033, CBO and JCT estimate. Employment would increase as the labor force expanded, because the additional population would add to demand for goods and services and, in turn, to the demand for labor. However, temporary imbalances in the skills and occupations demanded and supplied in the labor market, as well as other factors, would cause the unemployment rate to be slightly higher for several years than projected under current law.
-- Congressional Budget Office, "The Economic Impact of S.744", page 4
The CBO estimate also found that S.744 would decrease wages for American workers.
As the labor supply initially increased under the legislation, less capital would be available for each worker to produce output, and thus workers output, on average, would be lower for a time. That decline would reduce average wages relative to those under current law.
-- Congressional Budget Office, "The Economic Impact of S.744", page 5
======
BTW I think we have to have some kind of amnesty but this bill is craziness on steroids. It says grant another 33M entry over 10 years; the border enforcement provisions are NOT MANDATORY - the pres can opt out.
ARE YOUR senators and rep voting to depress YOUR wages (BTW - the Repubican RULING class is all for this not the NASCAR Bubbas)
Answer: Yea I saw the same thing that RJC read and I wondered how in the world with high unemployment and then 11 million plus the 4.7 million "back log" plus bringing in 'skilled workers to do jobs that 300 million Americans cannot do. Then the craziest thing is bringing in the 'blue collar workers' I mean what in the world. So I cannot really trust what the CBO says as they were compromised back when the senate hearing an the senator, I believe boxer told the head guy to hire more women or else even though he said women normally didn't go in for phds in math. BUT it was not even a veiled threat it was open.
After that deal they came up with the sparkling numbers for the health care, then after congress passed it unread they came back and had made a small half trillion dollar mistake. So yes you are right and why do it unless you can stop millions more from flying in like the Times square attempted bomber or crossing the border, it is insane. take care.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/us/politics/house-democrats-present-immigration-overhaul-plan.html?_r=0
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp?id=181
Category: Politics
US Senate passes immigration reform bill — RT USA - RT asks
The United States Senate approved a landmark immigration bill Thursday afternoon after lawmakers in Washington voted 68-to-32 in favor of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of ...
Are pro-illegal supporters in denial or just plain delusional about immigration reform becoming law in 2010?
From Senate Majority Leader, a Promise to Take Up Immigration Overhaul
By JULIA PRESTON
Published: April 10, 2010
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, told an exuberant crowd at an immigration rally Saturday in Las Vegas that Congress would start work on an immigration overhaul as soon as lawmakers return this week from a recess.
“We’re going to come back, we’re going to have comprehensive immigration reform now,” he said in a speech to more than 6,000 people, mostly immigrants, gathered downtown.
“We need to do this this year,” Mr. Reid said, drawing cheers from the crowd, which included many Latinos. “We cannot wait.”
Mr. Reid surprised immigrants and advocates with his direct commitment to moving forward with legislation on the volatile issue, with the Senate already divided by the passage of a health care overhaul. Also, as a result of Justice John Paul Stevens’s announcement last week that he would retire, the Obama administration and the Senate will have to focus this summer on winning confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee.
The Democratic leader was nearing the end of a week of hard campaigning in his bid for re-election in Nevada, which is facing record unemployment and the nation’s highest foreclosure rate. After seeing small turnouts at several campaign stops, he appeared elated by the boisterous gathering in Las Vegas.
“We’re going to pass immigration reform, just as we passed health care reform,” Mr. Reid said in a five-minute speech. Latino voters, who strongly support an overhaul, were crucial to President Obama’s upset victory in the state in 2008.
The rally was the largest among demonstrations Saturday in seven cities nationwide, with immigrants pressing Congress and the administration to pass an overhaul bill this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/us/politics/11immig.html
Answer: What I would like to see is 1000 buses and 3000 bus drivers. Send 20 buses and 60 drivers to the capital of each state. (50 states, not 57)
Do you have a green card? Yes--Thank you my friend. No--get on the
bus. Your ticket will cost you xxx amount of dollars.
You want Supplemental Security Income? Did you pay in to it? Yes--
Glad to help, my friend. No--- Sorry. You didn't put anything in so you have nothing to take out.
Your visa has expired? Bye. Have a nice trip.
You don't speak English? Learn it. Then we can talk.
You want to register your kids for school? Do you have a green card or Birth certificate? No--Get on the bus.
You don't want to enforce the laws? You'r fired. There are plenty of out of work Americans citizens who would love to have your job and who will enforce our laws.
Lawmakers are subject to all the laws that they pass. No special retirement or health benefits for elected or appointed officials.
Category: Immigration
G.O.P. Divide Grows Wider In California
As the presidential campaign moves to the biggest states, George W. Bush and John McCain are battling squarely for the biggest prize of all: California, whose once-mighty Republican Party propelled Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan to the White House but has languished and feuded for much of the 1990s as President Clinton and the Democrats came - Republican presidential candidates Gov George W Bush and Sen John McCain are battling for California, biggest prize of all in presidential primaries as campaigns move to biggest states; fight has opened new fault lines in California that Republicans can ill afford; major subtext of struggle is who would be best equipped to regain White House by preventing Democrats from carrying what is must-win state in November; candidates are seeking votes of California party members who are older and whiter, and more dominated at grass-roots level by social conservatives than in 1980s, when pragmatic fiscal conservatism reigned; state at same time is younger, browner and more politically independent than decade ago; its striking economic recovery from severe recession helped make Pres Clinton more popular there than almost anywhere else; no Republican nominee has won state since former Pres George Bush in 1988; photos; chart (M) - By TODD S. PURDUM
What do you think about this new national id card ID Card for Workers at Center of Immigration Plan?
Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.
Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.
The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.
The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.
"Its the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking," Schumer said in an interview. The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive. "If you say they cant get a job when they come here, youll stop it."
The biggest objections to the biometric cards may come from privacy advocates, who fear they would become de facto national ID cards that enable the government to track citizens.
"It is fundamentally a massive invasion of peoples privacy," said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "Were not only talking about fingerprinting every American, treating ordinary Americans like criminals in order to work. Were also talking about a card that would quickly spread from work to voting to travel to pretty much every aspect of American life that requires identification."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/08/id-card-workers-center-immigration-plan/
Answer: This is exactly what the government wants to do. They want to monitor US citizens like sheep and make slaves out of them. This is bullcrap and will do absolutely nothing to stop illegal aliens from coming in.
The new Drivers license cards were supposed to stop fake ID's. They have not and they cost a lot more and yes they even invade more of your privacy. How is punishing the American Citizen going to solve anything. Those cards are probably going to cost a fortune anyway.
If these dimwitted politicians want to stop illegal aliens they should go over there to Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office and beg for forgiveness on the way they treated him up till now. Once they have done that they should ask Sheriff Joe for pointers. You know Sheriff Joe got it right when he hit a nerve with La Raza and the illegal aliens. Better yet they should put Sheriff Joe Arpaio in charge of Homeland Security.
Fingerprinting the Citizens.
Unfrackenbelievable
So why not give us mug shots to go with it.
If employers don't bother to check ID's then why would they bother with these Nationals ID cards.
Category: Immigration
WAGES AND HEALTH LEAD THE AGENDA AS CONGRESS ACTS
Rushing toward a monthlong recess, Congress today gave final legislative approval to a variety of bills that would raise the Federal minimum wage, make drinking water safer and guarantee workers ability to carry health insurance from job to job. The lawmakers then sent all that legislation to the White House for President Clintons signature, - Congress, rushing toward a monthlong recess, gives final legislative approval to a flurry of bills that would raise the Federal minimum wage, make drinking water safer and guarantee workers ability to carry health insurance from job to job; photo (M) - By ERIC SCHMITT
Labor Coalitions Divided On Immigration Overhaul
Now that President Bush has rallied Republicans to try again to reshape the immigration laws, supporters of the effort have a new worry. When the bill returns to the Senate floor, probably next week, opposition from labor unions could doom the bills prospects by putting pressure on many Democrats to vote against it. The threat that labor poses to - Immigration overhaul bill faces threat from labor unions; three prominent unions support bill, but AFL-CIO and virtually all other unions oppose it, and could put pressure on many Democrats to vote against it; split between three unions and rest of labor reflects fundamentally different views of what is best for labors future (M) - By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Change on Immigration Turns Senator Kyl Into Lightning Rod
Angry calls poured into Senator Jon Kyls office this week by the thousands, expressing outrage beyond anything he said he had witnessed in his 20-year political career. The callers were inflamed by Mr. Kyls role in shaping the bipartisan immigration compromise announced May 17, which lawmakers continue to debate. Yes, I have learned some new - Sen Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican who gets high marks from conservative groups, is unlikely linchpin to fragile alliance of Republicans and Democrats trying to push sprawling immigration bill through Senate; Kyl was ardent foe of immigration bill that passed Senate in 2006 but was stymied by House Republicans; he is seen as essential to attracting conservatives to new proposal, which many of them loathe; photo (M) - By MICHAEL LUO
NEWS SUMMARY
INTERNATIONAL A3-9 Europe Requests U.S. Help On Illicit Cigarettes European governments, increasingly frustrated by the rising volume of American cigarettes smuggled into Europe, have decided to turn to Washington for help in investigating the involvement of American tobacco companies, starting with R. J. Reynolds, a senior European Union official
Immigration overhaul: Senate passes historic bill - Yahoo! News
8 hours ago ... From Yahoo! News: WASHINGTON (AP) — With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation ...
Finally, The bill has been signed.But when will it start?
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (AP) — President Bush on Thursday signed a homeland security bill that includes an overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $1.2 billion for fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration.
VIDEO: Bush signs border fence bill
Standing before a mountainous backdrop in Arizona, a state that has been the center of much debate over secure borders, Bush signed into law a $35 billion homeland security spending bill that could bring hundreds of miles of fencing to the busiest illegal entry point on the U.S.-Mexican border.
"This bill is going to make this country safe for all its citizens," Bush said at the bill-signing ceremony tucked into his three-day campaign fundraising trip to the West.
Among other things, Bush said the homeland security funding bill deploys nuclear detection equipment to points of entry, raises safety security standards at chemical plants, provides better tools to enforce immigration laws and provides vehicle barriers, lighting and infrared cameras to help catch illegals trying to cross the border.
"Its what the people in this country want," Bush said. "They want to know that we are modernizing the border so we can better secure the border."
Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent his six-year term lobbying for a new guest worker program and an amnesty for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the United States, has called the barrier "shameful." He compares it to the Berlin Wall.
Mexico sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. government saying a plan to build hundreds of miles of fencing on their common border would damage relations.
However, U.S. lawmakers facing November elections — in which all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 of the Senates 100 seats are on the line — have shown a greater appetite for border security measures. Bush said he would continue to work with Congress to pass his guest worker program.
Answer: When will it start? We've seen grand plans and heard lofty speeches from this President before. Recall the castle-like setting where Bush declared that New Orleans would soon be fully rebuilt? His people flew off a few hours later, taking their generators with them and leaving that area in the dark for months.
It will be up to the Democrats to develop and implement a comprehensive immigration strategy. The question is, will Bush leave enough money in the budget or will the country be bankrupt by 2009?
Category: Immigration
Americans, your government is selling you out! What are you going to do about it?
(Begin copy and paste)....
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leading U.S. senators reached an agreement on Thursday on an immigration overhaul that would fortify U.S. borders and grant lawful status to millions of illegal immigrants, a move that could lead to a major legislative victory for President George W. Bush.
The agreement sets the stage for what is expected to be a passionate Senate debate over the proposal, which would give an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants legal status, create a temporary worker program and establish a new merit-based system for future immigrants.
"The agreement weve just reached is the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders, bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who helped lead the bipartisan talks that included Sen. Jon Kyl and administration officials.
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Do not be sold out! Protest now!!!!
Answer: Even if this passes the Senate it will never pass the House.
This bill is dead. Any bill that gives amnesty to illegal criminals will not pass. U.S. citizens don't want illegal alien criminals getting amnesty. It's not right and it's an easy cop out for the lazy politicians that just want to get it over with.
Illegal aliens must be punished for their crime.
Category: Immigration
Bush Lobbies G.O.P. Senators for Stalled Immigration Bill
In an effort to revive a crippled immigration bill, President Bush visited the Capitol on Tuesday to try to assure wary Senate Republicans personally that border security was a driving force behind his push for changes in immigration law. The president, intensifying his lobbying on behalf of the stalled measure, also told lawmakers he would put - Pres Bush intensifies his lobbying on behalf of stalled immigration bill, telling lawmakers that he will put more emphasis on measures border protection elements; attends weekly Senate party luncheon for first time since 2001; says he is not willing to let opportunity slip away because of resistance over approach that meshes new border protection with chance for millions of illegal immigrants to qualify for legal residency (M) - By CARL HULSE and JEFF ZELENY; Robert Pear contributed reporting.
THE 2002 ELECTION; Excerpts From News Conference: Imagine Hussein With Nuclear Weapons
Following are excerpts from President Bushs news conference yesterday, as recorded by The New York Times: Mr. Bush This is an important week for our country and for the world. The United Nations will vote tomorrow on a resolution bringing the civilized world together to disarm Saddam Hussein. Here at home, our citizens have voted in an election - Excerpts from Pres Bushs post-election news conference, on Iraq and domestic political matters; photo (L)
Daily Kos: Senate passes immigration reform
Against all odds and recent experience, the Senate actually functioned smoothly Thursday to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The vote was 68-32, with Vice President Joe Biden presiding. Here's the basics of ...
Immigration overhaul: Senate passes historic bill | Nation & World ...
With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation Thursday offering the priceless hope of citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in America's shadows. The bill also ...
Did the Senate pass a bill giving illegal aliens Social Secuity?
Answer: It was defeated in 2006..no cookies for illegal aliens:)
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Senate blocks effort to limit benefits to immigrants
WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate blocked an effort on Thursday to limit Social Security benefits for illegal immigrants who would become permanent residents under a sweeping immigration overhaul being debated by lawmakers.
The Senate immigration bill would give millions of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship as long as they pay a fine and back taxes and meet such requirements as learning English.
The Senate is considering a number of amendments to the bill and was expected to vote later on Thursday on a measure offered by Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, that would make English the national language.
President George W. Bush backs a comprehensive approach close to what the Senate is considering and traveled to Yuma, Arizona, a front line for illegal crossings from Mexico, to shore up support for his plan to deploy up to 6,000 National Guard troops along the border.
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/senate-gives-illegals-aliens-social-security
Category: Immigration
Senate Passes Sweeping Immigration Reform - US News and World ...
8 hours ago ... Senate-passed bill bolsters border security, provides 11 million with path to citizenship.
Immigration reform passes the Senate; Silicon Valley sends a ...
Major immigration reform measures passed through the Senate today — the start to one of the largest changes to U.S. immigration law in many years. The bill, which adds to current boarder security measures and introduces a ...
Immigration Reform: Senate Passes Bill - Business Insider
The Senate's bill serves as an attempt at the most sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation, the first since President Ronald Reagan signed the "Immigration Reform and Control Act" into law in 1986.
Senate, 68 to 32, Passes Overhaul for Immigration - NYTimes.com
12 hours ago ... The most significant overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support on Thursday, ...
Immigration Overhaul Passes Senate | The World's Greatest ...
8 hours ago ... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid meets with Astrid Silva of Las Vegas before the immigration vote. Silva came to the U.S. from Mexico ...
Immigration Reform Passes Senate, House Leadership Calls Bill A ...
Immigration reform is half-way to its goal: The Senate passed a comprehensive bill this afternoon 68 to 32. The bill is loaded with tech-industry goodies, inc..
Immigration Overhaul Passes Senate | The World's Greatest ...
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid meets with Astrid Silva of Las Vegas before the immigration vote. Silva came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally with her.
What is the latest with the new Immigration Proposal and what will it mean for illegal aliens here?
Is this just for persons who have employers willing to file for them as Green Card holders, or just to work and not to file for them? What are the options for others who have no employer to file for them?
Answer: Key provisions of the Senate's main immigration bill would create a "gold card" program for illegal immigrants who entered the United States before Jan. 4, 2004, and create a guest worker program to bring in more foreign laborers, according to Senate Judiciary Committee staff members.
The committee is to begin debating the measure Wednesday under a three-week timetable aimed at producing a final version for the full Senate by March 27.
Sponsored by the committee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the legislation is designed to strike a middle course between a bill passed by the House that calls for tougher immigration enforcement and the wishes of pro-immigration advocates who call for permanent legal status -- and eventual citizenship -- for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.
President Bush, defying objections from conservatives, has called for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws and the creation of a temporary guest worker program to ensure a steady source of labor for U.S. businesses. Under Bush's plan, qualified workers, including residents now living here illegally, could stay in jobs for up to six years, then would be required to return home.In a move to build support for Bush's guest worker amnesty plan, administration officials talked about how they would actually implement the program. Jaws dropped as the administration reps explained the centerpiece of the program, a "Gold Card" that would enable illegal aliens to enter the U.S. at will, and work at any job with no labor market or other tests needed but would deny them citizenship. "Gold Card" would be valid forever, similar to current "Green Cards" but illegal aliens holding a "Gold Card" would not be able to adjust their status through naturalization.
Category: Immigration
Do you think a national biometric identification card will stop illegal immigration?
Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.
Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.
The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.
The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.
"Its the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking," Schumer said in an interview. The card, he said, would directly answer concerns that after legislation is signed, another wave of illegal immigrants would arrive. "If you say they cant get a job when they come here, youll stop it."
ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954904575110124037066854.html
Answer: Yeah right! Just like last time the low life scum in Washington rewarded these criminals! They had it "figured out" so that illegal immigration would stop, our borders would be secured and there would NEVER be another "amnesty"!
Does anybody believe these lying sacks of sh!t? Don't we have e-verify now? And yet we have over 20 million illegal, immoral, criminal invaders in this country! They pass laws to make it look good and either leave enough loopholes in them to drive a train through or just ignore them!
Look at it this way:
You have someone saying if they pass this bill it will stop the illegal invasion into the US.
We have laws to do that now! Why do we need a "new" law? Just start enforcing the laws we have! Legally we can execute most of these criminals! And the @ssholes in Washington don't want to do anything! A new law isn't going to uncorrupt the government! 2strikee law! Caught in US once deportation and life time ban. Second time a bullet to the head! Problem on it's way to being solved!
Category: Immigration
Do you want to see how they voted?
http://www.fox10tv.com/global/story.asp?s=6626207
"The 49-48 roll call by which the Senate passed an amendment to the proposed immigration overhaul that would end a temporary worker program after five years.
On this vote, a "yes" vote was a vote to end the program after five years and a "no" vote was a vote against adding this time limit to the program.
Voting "yes" were 37 Democrats, 11 Republicans and one independent.
Voting "no" were 10 Democrats, 37 Republicans and one independent.
Alabama
Sessions (R) Yes; Shelby (R) Yes.>
Louisiana
Landrieu (D) Yes; Vitter (R) Yes.
Mississippi
Cochran (R) No; Lott (R) No.
Georgia
Chambliss (R) No; Isakson (R) No.
Florida
Martinez (R) No; Nelson (D) Yes."
This was a key vote because it cracked the coalition, conspiracy (pick your word) to hold together core agreement to pass the bill. They are hoping to resolve it, but havent yet.
Did yours vote for or against? What do you think?
Unfortunately, this only has the votes from Alabama and its neighbors. When I see the others, Ill post it.
If one of you sees the full roll call first, could you post it? I know Feinstein voted against the amendment (to preserve the bargain to get Agjobs, but Boxer voted for it.)
Angela, are you kidding? McCain should take a break from the campaign trail to vote? Heaven forbid. (And given this legislation, REALLY heaven forbid...)
OK, heres the rest: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070607/ap_on_go_co/senate_rollvote_congress_immigration_1
Democrats Yes
Baucus, Mont.; Bayh, Ind.; Biden, Del.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Brown, Ohio; Byrd, W.Va.; Cardin, Md.; Casey, Pa.; Clinton, N.Y.; Conrad, N.D.; Dorgan, N.D.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Harkin, Iowa; Inouye, Hawaii; Klobuchar, Minn.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; McCaskill, Mo.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Nelson, Fla.; Nelson, Neb.; Obama, Ill.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Schumer, N.Y.; Stabenow, Mich.; Tester, Mont.; Webb, Va.; Wyden, Ore.
Democrats No
Akaka, Hawaii; Cantwell, Wash.; Carper, Del.; Feinstein, Calif.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Lincoln, Ark.; Pryor, Ark.; Salazar, Colo.; Whitehouse, R.I.
Democrats Not Voting
Dodd, Conn.; Johnson, S.D.
Republicans Yes
Bunning, Ky.; Corker, Tenn.; DeMint, S.C.; Dole, N.C.; Enzi, Wyo.; Inhofe, Okla.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Sununu, N.H.; Thune, S.D.; Vitter, La.
Republicans No
Alexander, Tenn.; Allard, Colo.; Bennett, Utah; Bond, Mo.; Brownback, Kan.; Burr, N.C.; Chambliss, Ga.; Coburn, Okla.; Cochran, Miss.; Coleman, Minn.; Collins, Maine; Cornyn, Texas; Craig, Idaho; Crapo, Idaho; Domenici, N.M.; Ensign, Nev.; Graham, S.C.; Grassley, Iowa; Gregg, N.H.; Hagel, Neb.; Hatch, Utah; Hutchison, Texas; Isakson, Ga.; Kyl, Ariz.; Lott, Miss.; Lugar, Ind.; Martinez, Fla.; McCain, Ariz.; McConnell, Ky.; Murkowski, Alaska; Roberts, Kan.; Smith, Ore.; Snowe, Maine; Specter, Pa.; Stevens, Alaska; Voinovich, Ohio; Warner, Va.
Others Yes
Sanders, Vt.
Others No
Lieberman, Conn.
Answer: There is a website that is refreshed every 20 minutes on Senate votes. Several different grouping options available. Three more votes since that one have been posted now.
Category: Immigration
Senate Passes Landmark Immigration Bill | KTLA 5
WASHINGTON -- The Senate was on track to approve a sweeping immigration overhaul Thursday, but the landmark legislation has dim hopes in the GOP-controlled House despite drawing significant Republican support with ...
Senate Passes Two Immigration Measures
The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to bar illegal immigrants convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors from having a chance at citizenship and to add hundreds of miles of fencing along the Mexican border. The actions bolstered the law enforcement provisions of the Senates immigration overhaul, legislation that the White House has - Senate votes 83 to 16 to bar citizenship for iillegal immigrants convicted of felony or three misdemeanors and to add hundreds of miles of fencing along Mexican border; White House aide Karl Rove reportedly makes little headway in lobbying for Pres Bushs call for comprehensive reform in face of conservative revolt (M) - By CARL HULSE and JIM RUTENBERG; Rachel L. Swarns contributed reporting for this article.