Illegal Immigration,  Politics

Illegal Immigration Watch: McCain – “Not Enough Votes for Senate Judiciary Committee Bill”

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., right, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry participate in a news conference Monday, April 3, 2006, at TranStar, the region’s traffic-control center in Houston, to discuss future disaster response and the responsibility of local first responders with hurricane season approaching.

ASSociated Press: McCain: Not Enough Guest-Worker Backing

Supporters of a guest worker program that would let illegal immigrants stay in the United States said Tuesday they don’t have enough Senate votes to overcome objections from conservatives who oppose the measure on grounds it amounts to amnesty.

Well, Kennedy and McCain do not have enough votes (60 needed) to invoke cloture (end debate/filibuster) and that is how it should be. Their bill is not the prescription for solving the illegal immigration problem. There was an amnesty in 1986 and it made matters worse as will this bill.

There is also talk of a compromise revision called the “roots concept.”

The proposal, dubbed the “roots concept, by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., seemed to have some support from Frist. He told CNN over the weekend that 40 percent of illegal immigrants have been in the country less than five years and “need to be dealt with in a different fashion.”

However, there is conservative opposition.

Opponents consider the Judiciary Committee bill amnesty. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would give illegal immigrants up to five years to leave the country, before they can return legally to apply for permanent residence or be guest workers.

Cornyn was not at the meeting at Frist’s office, but his spokesman Don Stewart was skeptical of the suggested compromise.

“It’s a matter of giving amnesty to 8 million people or giving amnesty to 12 million people. It’s still amnesty to millions of people,” Stewart said.

No compromise. Bill Frist should call up his bill and the Senate should approve it and move on.

A separate bill filed by Frist does not deal with illegal immigrants, but boosts border enforcement and cracks down on employers who hire illegal workers. The House in December passed a bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony.

Stay tuned as the Senate rushes to pass something on illegal immigration.

But, don’t count on much……

Stay tuned…..

Previous:

Illegal Immigration Watch: Senate Majority Leader Frist Wants Immigration Bill Vote this Week

Illegal Immigration Watch: FAQ About Illegal Aliens

Illegal Immigration Watch: Los Angeles Latino DJs Spur Protests

Illegal Immigration Watch: United States Senate Judiciary Committee Approves an Immigration Bill

Illegal Immigration Watch: The United States Senate Judiciary Committee Takes Up the Debate

Illegal Immigration Watch: 500,000 Rally to Protest Immigration Bills

Illegal Immigration Watch: Democrat Senate Minority Leader Threatens Filibuster of Illegal Immigration Bill


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3 Comments

  • KG

    I gotta disagree, Flap, the problem wasn’t amnesty in 1986, the problem was the failure to fully enforce the law since then.

    My problem with the law today is the quota system, which no one seems to talk about. The world is vastly different today than it was in ’86 and people are coming from different places. Let’s get rid of the quota system and set one number that does not pay attention to country of origin. If amnesty is required to achieve wholesale reform, I have no problem with it.

    Oh, and yeah, I’m blogging again at a new place.

  • Flap

    Illegal aliens primarily come from Mexico and Central America and this has not changed since 1986.

    The open borders amnesty of the Reagan years has seen an even greater influx of illegal aliens. In fact, it encouraged it.

    KG, do you want an open border policy?

    If so, say it.

    Flap

  • KG

    I’m not looking for an open border policy, though it does appeal to my libertarian streak. My only point was that if we are talking about wholesale reform, then nothing should be off the table.

    To be honest, I’d like to see wholesale reform that actually includes enforcement of the law (as opposed to what we have now, which are laws on the books that aren’t actually enforced). I think it should include getting rid of the quota system, as I said. I also think it is a joke that it takes nearly a decade for people to get here legally.

    From my reading, the quota system basically says that the number of immigrants from each country is limited to approximately 25,500 per year. Why exactly are we treating Mexico (to pick a country with a large population) and Kuwait (to pick a country with a small population) the same? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have one number that ignores country of origin?