Senate Panel Approves Immigration Bill

[Beowulf]

WASHINGTON - <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = AT /><AT:CLASS></AT:CLASS>The Senate Judiciary Committee approved sweeping election-year legislation Monday that clears the way for 11 million illegal aliens to seek U.S. citizenship, a victory for demonstrators who had spilled into the streets by the hundreds of thousands demanding better treatment for immigrants. <AT:CLASS></AT:CLASS>With a bipartisan coalition in control, the committee also voted down proposed criminal penalties on immigrants found to be in the country illegally. It approved a new temporary program allowing entry for 1.5 million workers seeking jobs in the agriculture industry.
<AT:CLASS></AT:CLASS>"All Americans wanted fairness and they got it this evening," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who played a pivotal role in drafting the legislation.
<AT:CLASS></AT:CLASS>There was no immediate reaction from the White House, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. said he hoped President Bush would participate in efforts to fashion consensus legislation. "The only thing that's off the table is inaction," said Graham, who voted for the committee bill.

http://kevxml2adsl.verizon.net/_1_2JIUTO102WO2MYL__vzn.dsl/apnws/story.htm?kcfg=apart&feed=ap&sin=D8GK8QQG0&qcat=usnews&passqi=&top=1&ran=8942

So, the illegals get there way! So begins the eroding of our rights. Let us not forget in 2006 who supported this measure!

[Wolfcounsel]

If I guess correctly, this will bite the Republican chickens in the ass.

[Republican_Legion]

The GOP really doesnt seem want to win in 06.
WTF. Why the hell is the GOP work together with Ted Kennedy all the sudden ?

[MSGT]

"All Americans wanted fairness and they got it this evening," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.



Americans:question:

[Native American]

"All Americans wanted fairness and they got it this evening," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who played a pivotal role in drafting the legislation.

Actually, what we got was the usual Democrat Party pandering to the criminal element in society. In fact, that's been a trademark of Kennedy's party for decades now - "screw America, just so long as we can get the criminal element to continue voting Democrat."

[Native American]

The Republican Party supported this measure.

Nope, that's a lie. The Democrat Party supported this measure, and the Republicans opposed it.

Get your facts straight, pal.


The 12-6 vote broke down along unusual lines, with a majority of the panel's Republicans opposed to the measure even though their party controls the Senate.

[BuckeyeMike]

Conrad Burns R (Mont.) FOR................m..f.'r!!!!!!

[The_Elucidator]

The GOP really doesnt seem want to win in 06.
WTF. Why the hell is the GOP work together with Ted Kennedy all the sudden ?

I'm gonna run an ad in the Brownsville Newspaper, "The Wetback Observer," saying that Ted Kennedy is planning a bill to outlaw spinners, BBQ grills and hooded sweatshirts with Mapquest directions on how to get to Uncle Teds house. Of course the protesters will have to get by the Border Checkpoint on 281 north, but that hasn't stopped em yet. That will teach ole Chappe Fats..

[Telit laikitiz]

It's da munny, follow da munny. Someone is gettin da munny! Da munny let's them do it. Da munny turns their heads. It could be da vote. But it's most likely da munny.

[routerider]

The Wetback Observer LOL

[pinqy]

It's a compromise measure, no one argues that. Right now the situation is that far too many people want to come to the US than we currently allow, especially for unskilled labor, for whom there are almost no visas available. So a lot of people come in or stay illegally. To try and seal the Mexican border and to track down every European/Asian/African who stays on an expired visa would be too expensive to be practical, so another solution had to be found. Allowing those who have already proved that they are willing and able to work and can pass background checks and pay the fees and fines is not a bad compromise. We'd basically be allowing the people who would have come here legally if they could have and generating revenue to help crack down on the truly undesirable. Adding the Gastarbeiten program will also reduce future illegals and makes it clear that the allowance of those here illegally to legitimize their status is a one shot deal: They couldn't get her legally, so we'll allow them now, but others can now do it legally, so no future consideration will be given.

I would have preferred harsher penalties fo illegals who can't or won't legitimize their status, but honestly that approach would probably require a lot of time, money, and effort but still not effectively stem the flow of illegals.

It's not an ideal solution, but it's workable.

[routerider]

Perhaps these illegal immigrants should go back HOME and make THEIR HOME COUNTRY a better place. Oh man what am I thinking it's so much easier to suck off the hard work done by your neighbors.

[Native American]

Check YOUR facts again.

I just did. Here, allow me to quote the facts once again:


The 12-6 vote broke down along unusual lines, with a majority of the panel's Republicans opposed to the measure even though their party controls the Senate.



So we see that the majority of the Republicans on the committee opposed the measure which would aid illegal aliens, while the majority of the Democrats on the committee supported aiding illegal aliens.

[pinqy]

It is surrender.

The idea that we can go to the opposite side of the planet and secure some elses borders but we cannot secure our our is laughable. Of course we can.
We can't. The Iraq and Afghanistan borders are way more porous than the US/Mexican border. We can also round up every criminal and deport them, and we can imprison anyone offering them work.But that's money down the drain. Allowing the workers gives us more workers, more income tax, more immigration fees and fines and a smaller burden of enforcement. Enforcement only is a huge bill to pay that adds nothing to the economy. Think of it as a dam....you try to keep all the water out, you're going to spend a lot of time and money reinforcing and reinforcing and you'll still have leaks, or the dam will break. Allowing a controlled flow through allows a structurally weaker dam to be more effective and the flow can be used to generate power.

[maxparrish]

It's a compromise measure, no one argues that. Right now the situation is that far too many people want to come to the US than we currently allow, especially for unskilled labor, for whom there are almost no visas available. So a lot of people come in or stay illegally. To try and seal the Mexican border and to track down every European/Asian/African who stays on an expired visa would be too expensive to be practical, so another solution had to be found. Allowing those who have already proved that they are willing and able to work and can pass background checks and pay the fees and fines is not a bad compromise. We'd basically be allowing the people who would have come here legally if they could have and generating revenue to help crack down on the truly undesirable. Adding the Gastarbeiten program will also reduce future illegals and makes it clear that the allowance of those here illegally to legitimize their status is a one shot deal: They couldn't get her legally, so we'll allow them now, but others can now do it legally, so no future consideration will be given.

I would have preferred harsher penalties fo illegals who can't or won't legitimize their status, but honestly that approach would probably require a lot of time, money, and effort but still not effectively stem the flow of illegals.

It's not an ideal solution, but it's workable.

Hope and self-delusion springs eternal among the Republican loyalists that this was a compromise, to be dashed shortly as it was in 1984. As usual, many GOP'ers have political Alzheimer's - once again scribbling their names on a bill of sale to RINO's and Democratic siding salesmen...."be the first on your block to adorn your house with the colors of the Mexican flag...etc.".

Let's utilize our primary school abilities:

a. Stop the flood of immigrants? Ughhh 1.5 million MORE "documented immigrants" than the current illegal population will come to America to raise a family...each dropping their "temporary" status within several years when they have an anchor baby.

b. Those who do not get a "temporary" guest pass (because of the limit of 1.5 million) will still cross the border as illegals, thus solving NOTHING.

c. ALL the 11-13 million illegals will get the full extent of American social benefits: education (through university subsidy), welfare, medical care, social security, mass transit, Section 8 housing, etc. WHILE contributing much less in taxes than the cost of our citizens charity.

d. Illegals (now called guest workers) will continue to contribute 20 TIMES per capita than the average American to crime (1/3rd of convicts). Mexico, as always, will refuse the return of their citizens.

e. NOTHING substantive will be done to seal the border. Rather than sealing it, (costing a few billion), cosmetic "virtual" programs will be quarter funded, doomed to failure. Liberals and Rhinos will through up their program in several years and cry "We tried...its just impossible to secure our borders".

Fellow conservatives, we have been screwed again. Just as in 1984, we gave in to amnesty without any meaningful security - the issue will continue until the borders are just abandoned and Mexifornia becomes Mexamerica.

Fools....just another reason that confirms my decision to never vote again. It's hopeless...this is no democracy, its a sham.

[Native American]

Fools....just another reason that confirms my decision to never vote again. It's hopeless...this is no democracy, its a sham.

Er, ok, whatever..... but just one question for ya:

Why is that woman's dress in your avatar unravelling like that? :uhh:

[maxparrish]

It is surrender.

The idea that we can go to the opposite side of the planet and secure some elses borders but we cannot secure our our is laughable. Of course we can. We can also round up every criminal and deport them, and we can imprison anyone offering them work.

What we cannot do is import Mexico's poor.

Given Pingies arguement, its clear the Republican party can hatch new fools in its ranks as fast as its disillusioned prior supporters wise up. The endless excuse mongering by the same people who supported the Harriet Meirs nomination never ceases to amaze me.

Let's see: the same critics who scream that Bush should have secured Iraq's much longer borders (than our one with Mexico), even if the insurgents had guns, mortors, RPG's, and massive financing claim "Oh, but in the case of Mexico, right next door, we just don't know how to stop the illegals" is so ludicrious as to demand laughter, not serious debate.

Pleanty of countries have shown how to secure borders, among them: the Soviet Union, China, Mexico, Communist eastern europe, etc. The U.S. is the richist country in the world, to claim that it can't stop unarmed peasents from sneaking across the Rio Grande is a pathetic claim by morons and/or traitors.

Build a serious wall and fence system in depth (e.g. as Israel has done), man it, patrol it with dogs, guns, tear gas, and mines. Anyone caught is returned. Any second attempt brings hard labor.

[Dowple]

Let's see: the same critics who scream that Bush should have secured Iraq's much longer borders (than our one with Mexico), even if the insurgents had guns, mortors, RPG's, and massive financing claim "Oh, but in the case of Mexico, right next door, we just don't know how to stop the illegals" is so ludicrious as to demand laughter, not serious debate.



Even better is the argument against a fence along the border that claim it's "too expensive" because it would cost, Oh My God!, $2 billion. Imagine that! We spend more than that every month in Iraq.

[Lazarus]

We can seal the border... We can build a fence... We can man it with National guard or even assign regular army troops... The claim that it is too expensive is pure unadulterated BS, considering what we spend on maintianing troops in Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Germany, and Iraq...

This isnt an illegal immigration problem... This is an outright invasion by Mexico on the sovereign soil of the US... Its time we pulled our troops back from foreign theaters and defend our homeland... Every illegal CAN be found... Every illegal CAN be deported... If we say this cant be done, we may as well roll up the constitution and open our gates and declare the United States as a momentary bright spot in history, and turn this land into a lawless wilderness ruled by warring tribes...

If we are not willing to defend our national sovereignty, we have already ceased to be a nation...

[BuckeyeMike]

We can seal the border... We can build a fence... We can man it with National guard or even assign regular army troops... The claim that it is too expensive is pure unadulterated BS, considering what we spend on maintianing troops in Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Germany, and Iraq...

This isnt an illegal immigration problem... This is an outright invasion by Mexico on the sovereign soil of the US...

at the behest of the US government



Its time we pulled our troops back from foreign theaters and defend our homeland... Every illegal CAN be found... Every illegal CAN be deported... If we say this cant be done, we may as well roll up the constitution and open our gates

this has already been done.....at least two administrations ago

and declare the United States as a momentary bright spot in history, and turn this land into a lawless wilderness ruled by warring tribes...

done and did

If we are not willing (allowed) to defend our national sovereignty, we have already ceased to be a nation...x

[maxparrish]

We can seal the border... We can build a fence... We can man it with National guard or even assign regular army troops... The claim that it is too expensive is pure unadulterated BS, considering what we spend on maintianing troops in Korea, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Germany, and Iraq...

This isnt an illegal immigration problem... This is an outright invasion by Mexico on the sovereign soil of the US... Its time we pulled our troops back from foreign theaters and defend our homeland... Every illegal CAN be found... Every illegal CAN be deported... If we say this cant be done, we may as well roll up the constitution and open our gates and declare the United States as a momentary bright spot in history, and turn this land into a lawless wilderness ruled by warring tribes...

If we are not willing to defend our national sovereignty, we have already ceased to be a nation...

My remaining hope is that the vastly different house bill which DOES NOT give amnesty and that seriously addresses the issue will create an impasse and nothing will be approved. We need a roadblock so that this issue remains 'on the plate' of congressional and Presidential elections - a paper solution would remove the issue.

IF the American people will just find an angry voice, turncoats like Brownback and Graham may have second thoughts. While I expect that craven McVain ass kisser Graham to stab conservatives in the back, I am shocked that Brownback (who fought against Meirs) would turn into an illegal brown noser...his Presidential ambitions are FINISHED.

[Beowulf]

I don't like naming names but I don't see those who think George Bush is the greatest aren't saying much. So much for reforming the Republican party. They have turned into Socialists.

[Un Con Troll Able]

There will be no reforming the Republican Party -- because those who continue to support it do so out of the fear of the "Democrats winning." I saw the writing on the wall three years ago when I withdrew my support of them (and of Bush, in particular) -- and ended up getting banned from this board after a series of ferocious attacks upon me.

It's as I have said before; the Republicans have simply become the lesser of two evils: spendaholics who tilt at moral windmills while attempting to live conservatism vicariously through their troops.

Once this new "immigration" policy is implemented, there will be no stopping the downfall of this once-great nation. I thank God that I'm old enough that I (hopefully) will not see the end of its descent into mediocrity.

When you have fellow Americans as the your own worst enemy (to the Republic), then what difference does it make if there is an al-Queda.

But, hey, at least we're "winning" in Iraq. Then, again, considering we're spending anywhere from $200 to $400 billion "giving them freedom," it's actually the Iraqis who can probably consider themselves winners of the biggest lottery jackpot in history.

Woe to the Republic.

[Kathy29]

Here is the bill.

http://immigration.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.shusterman.com/pdf/mccain605.pdf

I hope you all notice that while the mexican border is open, WE, the United States Taxpayer has to pick up the full cost of protecting mexico's southern border.