Immigration Bill
Many conservatives are not exactly happy with the immigration reform bill. John Fund for the Wall Street Journal:
It’s understandable that the White House and its Senate negotiating partners want to rush through the compromise immigration bill they agreed to Thursday. Supporters acknowledge that the delicately balanced legislation could collapse if a single destructive amendment is attached to it. Its sponsors admit they want to minimize the political debate. “We all know this issue can be caught up in extracurricular politics unless we move forward as quickly as possible,” says Sen. John McCain, a key architect of the bill.
But this is no way to debate the most sweeping change to our nation’s immigration laws in two decades–especially since the last comprehensive attempt, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, failed so spectacularly. The new bill is set to pass with much less analysis in the Senate than the 1986 law, known as Simpson-Mazzoli, had. Senators did not even receive the bill draft until midnight Saturday. After a test vote scheduled for today, Majority Leader Harry Reid is planning a final vote on the bill this Thursday, only one week after the compromise was struck. Shouldn’t senators have time to actually read the bill they’re being asked to vote on?
Even a key supporter of the bill, Sen. Jon Kyl or Arizona, admitted to radio host Hugh Hewitt that “we don’t have to rush the bill through the Senate in a week. . . . Hopefully, the majority leader would allow it to carry over beyond the Memorial Day recess so we could complete it.”
Why do they want to rush it through Congress you ask? Because giving it more time will provide Americans, not just politicians, to review the bill and to criticize it… as is already happening:
Late Friday night, an electronic version of the “immigration reform” bill was finally published, and quickly found its way into the hands of KLo at the Corner. From there, it has spread all over the net, of course.
But the published version is a big, clunky PDF file (which, if you like, you can download here.) Good if you plan on printing out all 326 pages of it, not so good if you are a blogger who wants to comment on a particular section and show your readers exactly what you’re talking about.
So, N.Z. Bear asks readers to join in: to read the proposal and to comment on it.
Hugh Hewitt summarized the bill so that even the literally challenged, such as yours truly, can understand it.
David Frum is one of the literally challenged people who, after reading Hugh’s summary, finally ‘got it’:
Hugh Hewitt deciphered the bill’s arcane and often deeply misleading structure to discover that it grants immediate legal status to almost all illegals. All the tough talk about enforcement is a cover…
Meanwhile, all the controversy has created one little problem for those who support the bill: they are the minority.
Fewer than 20 senators are publicly committed to supporting the immigration deal that hits the Senate floor today while nearly 40 are already opposed or have serious concerns, underscoring how difficult it will be for President Bush and his allies to craft a coalition that can pass the bill.
Prediction: the bill isn’t going to make it and we will hear much, much more about immigration reform in the coming weeks and possibly even months.
Edited post: something went wrong which made it look like I wrote something John Fund actually wrote.
18 Responses to “Immigration Bill”
Michael – you know I like your posts, but I got to ask you – “the most sweeping change to our nation’s immigration laws in two decades”.
Are you now an American? Did you use someone else’s words? Or do you just spend too much time on this board?
Good eye there AR, I caught that one too.
Balance remains the key. We have to have humane, enforceable laws that strengthen and unite the country.
ALong those lines, open discussion and civilized debate -as appear on this website – seem invaluable. If the Senate held open hearings, openly published the entire bill, and went through the normal legislative process, then there would be far less rhetoric and more informed opinions.
Details matter – especially on complicated issues like immigration. Let me share one example. The current naturalization law requires applicants to “read, write, and speak English”. What does that actually mean? Read and understand the Washington Post? USA Today? A cartoon strip? A food warning label?
How will applicants be tested? Will they be required to sit through a 40 hour class on civics and languge like in the 1986 amnesty bill? Or will the standard resemble Bill Clinton’s 1995 naturalization rush where applicants had to write two sentences – and spelling errors were allowed. The favorite dictations in Los Angeles Adult schools – where I taught citizenship at the time were: “I love the U.S.A.” and “My family lives in L.A.” Wow! What standards!
Given the paucity of real information and the reluctance to have an open debate by elites in government, the Chamber of Commerce, and the mainstream media, it’s hard to make a fair evaluation of the proposed bipartisan compromise.
How does one find out which senators are for or against the bill?
hehehe, I think all of us thought “Michaels going native fast!”. I have an even more confusing problem, since when I say “our nation” I can actually be reffering to two different nations.
That said, there will never, ever, be an immigration reform that pleases everyone, because the goals of both sides are mutually exclusive in many ways.
Most of the weasels are probably keeping quiet. After the vote go here for info, type the bill number or key words in the search box.
http://thomas.loc.gov/home/rollcallvotes.html
This other site tracks a bill from coception till the end.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=400311
Aha! It WAS a ‘cut and paste’ error.
I for one will give the benefit of the doubt, and not accuse you of plagiarism (but you should have marked your post as ‘updated’. Otherwise, unidentified changes open you up to charges of Drudge-like tactics).
From the recap of Sunday shows over at “Blue”State……
Mitch McConnell told George that the immigration bill will not clear the Senate by Memorial Day; that they’ll vote to proceed tomorrow and it would take two weeks to debate the bill.
When asked about Schumer’s NO CONFIDENCE vote in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Mitch said that if Schumer brings that resolution, the Republicans will bring some of their own.
Perhaps, this?
Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a written statement last night that he would support a privileged resolution that Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., is expected to offer Monday.
Rogers contends that Murtha, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, threatened on the floor yesterday to deny earmarks to Rogers “now and forever” in retaliation for Rogers’ unsuccessful effort May 11 to strip a Murtha earmark from the fiscal 2008 intelligence authorization bill (HR 2082).
“When asked about Schumer’s NO CONFIDENCE vote in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Mitch said that if Schumer brings that resolution, the Republicans will bring some of their own.”
McConnell is a cowardly a$$! He knows Gonzales lied and evaded during his Senate testimony to cover-up the administration’s attempt to politicize the Justice Dept, but cares not. He is Bush’s poodle, even more than Tony Blair. What Murtha did is trivial compared to what Gonzo and company is doing to make sure King George’s bidding is undertaken. In an interview, Gonzales claimed he had opposed the president on many occasions, but when asked to name even one, was unable to!
Easy there, k. No sense getting that worked up on a Monday!
I took that as “television talk”. Note he did not speak to actually defeating it. I think it IS likely pass in the neighborhood of 60-40.
The current bill uses triggers.
However the triggers will not even click into effect until God knows when. 2015 mabey?
They could have solved the crisis with a one page bill.
Illegals are rounded up and sent home. Visas are offered at the rate of 450,000 per year and subject to diminishing returns. If only 425,000 return their visas then next year only 425,000 visas are returned.
Border security will be increased by 2500 agents per year for the next 7 years.
Anyone caught transporting Illegal aliens will be subject to 2 years in prision for each illegal alien caught in said perpetrators custody.
Companies will be subject to the following fines. 5000 dollars per Illegal alien caught working for said employee who has an employment base of under 10. 50,000 dollars per Illegal with a base of over 100. 500,000 for any illegal with a base over 1000 and 1,000,000 million dollars for any employee with a base over 10,000.
I could write a bill that would pass in 5 minutes. I wonder why 5000 government officials have been working on a bill for months and come up with the greatest piece of crap ever to hit the halls of congress.
“Easy there, k. No sense getting that worked up on a Monday!”
Who’s worked up?
“I took that as “television talkâ€. Note he did not speak to actually defeating it. I think it IS likely pass in the neighborhood of 60-40.”
Interesting, because altho I didn’t watch the Sunday talkies this week, I did read Sen Specter’s statement that Gonzo may resign before the vote. THAT, I read as ” television talk”, and so typical of Specter who never talks the way he votes.
Austin Roth: I didn’t use “updated” but “edited.” That should suffice
OK, last thread-hijacking post….
k, you are too consumed with fighting….to the point you don’t stop to realize you won.
There are no longer ANY conservatives of consequence fighting for Gonzales. The ONLY remnant left out there is the tangential argument of “serving at the pleasure”.
It is only a matter of time before Republicans feel they are enough into the 2008 framework so that they feel they can justify breaking ranks with the lameduck administration. Don’t look for any big announcement, mind you, but if 10 Republicans have already publicly spoken up, I can easily surmise there are another 50 thinking about it.
Casual- Yes I admit, this cause has captivated me, and its true I don’t see conservatives praising Gonzales- on the net or in Congress.
But, I also don’t see too many demanding his resignation, either. So, it bothers me that as long as P. Bush wants the idiot at his side, he remains. Shouldn’t he have resigned after the first Judiciary Committee hearing? Anyway, I did sign an online petition to get him out, so I feel better now!
Ain’t democracy grand????
Clever bit of sarcasm on this subject………
Kausfiles: “Using advanced, high-tech tools, Karl Rove has found the last pocket of support for Bush and destroyed it with laser-like efficiency.”
Is it my imagination, or is the GOP finally imploding over this? At long last some of these Republicans are openly disagreeing with their president! And in wartime too! Don’t see how the party comes together on this one, because the people that oppose this bill are going to kick out its supporters in ’08.