Sunday, June 24, 2007
Momentum against Immigration Bill
Momentum is ramping up against immigration legislation among Senate Republicans, says Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., according to a report in Bloomberg.com.
"We’re beginning to see some of the people that would have ordinarily voted to proceed with the bill to say, ‘Hey, this process is not fair, it’s not transparent,’” Cornyn told Al Hunt of Bloomberg Television’s "Political Capital with Al Hunt.” "The way this bill has come up has caused it some serious problems.”
The Senate will need 60 votes next Tuesday to resume debate on the bill, which would create a guest-worker program and a route to legal status for 12 million immigrants already in the U.S. illegally.
The most recent Senate vote fell 15 short of the total needed to move toward final passage -- with seven Republicans joining 37 Democrats and one independent. Cornyn voted in opposition. With the backing of Democrats who backed the legislation earlier this month, supporters will need almost two dozen Republicans to move forward, Bloomberg reported.
Cornyn told Hunt that Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Johnny Isakson of Georgia were examples of Republicans who may have supported the measure but are now opposed.
Senate leaders agreed this week on a limited package of about two dozen amendments to be considered next week, but Cornyn told Hunt that in his opinion that isn’t enough.
"This is a bill that was written behind closed doors by a small group of senators, and now it's being brought to the floor again without an opportunity to offer, freely offer, amendments and to have the kind of debate that I think this topic deserves,” Cornyn said.
Cornyn added that the congressional debate on what to do with the 12 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. has focused only on whether to give them citizenship or deport them.
Letting undocumented immigrants gain legal status after paying a fine, isn’t sufficient sanction for people in this country illegally, the senator said, noting, "It looks like we're selling American citizenship.”
Read more on this subject in Related Hot Topics:
Immigration Folly - Michael Reagan
Talk Shows Influence Immigration Debate - NewsMax
Congress Mishandling Immigration - Zogby
Immigration Bill Hides $1 Trillion Time Bomb - Dave Eberhart, NewsMax
Pictures Of The Day
You have sent us many great pictures. This will give us a place to share your pictures with others.
Mrs. Bill Clinton
Momentum is ramping up against immigration legislation among Senate Republicans, says Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., according to a report in Bloomberg.com.
"We’re beginning to see some of the people that would have ordinarily voted to proceed with the bill to say, ‘Hey, this process is not fair, it’s not transparent,’” Cornyn told Al Hunt of Bloomberg Television’s "Political Capital with Al Hunt.” "The way this bill has come up has caused it some serious problems.”
The Senate will need 60 votes next Tuesday to resume debate on the bill, which would create a guest-worker program and a route to legal status for 12 million immigrants already in the U.S. illegally.
The most recent Senate vote fell 15 short of the total needed to move toward final passage -- with seven Republicans joining 37 Democrats and one independent. Cornyn voted in opposition. With the backing of Democrats who backed the legislation earlier this month, supporters will need almost two dozen Republicans to move forward, Bloomberg reported.
Cornyn told Hunt that Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Johnny Isakson of Georgia were examples of Republicans who may have supported the measure but are now opposed.
Senate leaders agreed this week on a limited package of about two dozen amendments to be considered next week, but Cornyn told Hunt that in his opinion that isn’t enough.
"This is a bill that was written behind closed doors by a small group of senators, and now it's being brought to the floor again without an opportunity to offer, freely offer, amendments and to have the kind of debate that I think this topic deserves,” Cornyn said.
Cornyn added that the congressional debate on what to do with the 12 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. has focused only on whether to give them citizenship or deport them.
Letting undocumented immigrants gain legal status after paying a fine, isn’t sufficient sanction for people in this country illegally, the senator said, noting, "It looks like we're selling American citizenship.”
Read more on this subject in Related Hot Topics:
Immigration Folly - Michael Reagan
Talk Shows Influence Immigration Debate - NewsMax
Congress Mishandling Immigration - Zogby
Immigration Bill Hides $1 Trillion Time Bomb - Dave Eberhart, NewsMax
Pictures Of The Day
You have sent us many great pictures. This will give us a place to share your pictures with others.
Mrs. Bill Clinton
