7. Washington Watch:

GOP might pass own version of DREAM Act in 2011    

The Hill reports that outgoing Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) said that Republicans have privately discussed writing a version of the DREAM Act during the 112^th Congress.  With the most recent version of the DREAM Act failing to pass through Congress in 2010, Bennett believes Republicans have the responsibility to write a bill and push for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Associated Press reports that Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said he would support comprehensive immigration reform once ‘the borders have been secured.’ 

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/133143-sen-bennett-gop-might-pass-own-version-of-dream-act-next-year

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-new-congress-mccain,0,7834852.story

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Rare immigration bills pass Congress

The Associated Press reports that the 111^th Congress passed private immigration bills that waived immigration restrictions for two Japanese citizens trying to remain in the United States.  The first bill allows Hotaru Nakama Ferschke, whose husband Marine Sgt. Michael Ferschke was killed in Iraq in 2008, to remain in the U.S. with her young child.  The second bill allows Shigeru Yamada to remain in California.  He came to the United States when he was 10 years old but his mother was killed three years later in a car accident.  He was never formally adopted and would have been deported in the near future.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmfSKyEasoAscY2Byb4Mag5hfqLw?docId=f4e6fcb71dad460cbd27c963c40bcc59

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Obama’s political arm vows to revive DREAM Act

The Hill reports that Mitch Stewart, the director of Organizing for America (OFA), President Obama’s political arm within the Democratic National Committee, vowed to revive the DREAM Act after it failed to pass before the end of the 111^th Congress.  Stewart chastised Republicans for ‘holding reform hostage to political games’ and reassured liberal and Hispanic voters that they would seek to pass the immigration bill again in the future. 

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/134577-obamas-political-arm-vows-to-revive-dream-act

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Congress taps H-1B fees to pay for legislation

Computerworld reports that Congress is considering extending the visa fee increase through 2021 to help pay for legislation such as the 9/11 responders health care bill and the border security bill.  In August, Congress increased H-1B visa fees by $2,000 and L-1 visa fees by $2,250.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates show that revenue from the visas is gradually rising.

Since Congress is relying on visa fees to fund legislation, some people are speculating that they will be deterred from putting restrictions on the H-1B program and even possibly expand the visa cap beyond its current limit of 85,000.  A longstanding effort by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) that seeks to limit the number of H-1B or L-1 visas to 50% of a company’s U.S. workforce could also be in jeopardy because it would eliminate a main source of funding for congressional legislation.

ComputerWorld.com
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Senator Manchin apologizes for missing votes on immigration

The Hill reports that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) apologized for missing votes on the repeal of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell policy’ and the DREAM Act because he was attending a Christmas party.  Manchin said the party was one of the few opportunities he would have to spend time with his family during the holiday season, but was criticized by his allies in Congress and constituents in West Virginia.  He vowed to not miss a vote under such circumstances again.

TheHill.com
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Steve King unveils birthright bill

Politico reports that Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced a bill on the first day of the 112^th Congress that challenges birthright citizenship.  Rather than alter the 14^th amendment, which King argues would be very difficult to do, King hopes to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so that only children of citizens, legal immigrants permanently living in the country, or immigrants in the military would be granted citizenship. 

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47125.html