Wednesday, April 05, 2006
DETAILS EMERGING ON HEGEL-MARTINEZ COMPROMISEAs we mentioned earlier today, Republican pro-immigration moderates have been working on a proposal designed to draw enough Republicans to overcome filibuster threats. The plan would place undocumented immigrants into three categories:
A - Those in the US five years or more would be eligible for the Kennedy-McCain program in the current version of the Specter bill. Seven to eight million people are thought to be in this group.
B- Those in the US less than five years but more than two would be able to participate if they go to one of twenty ports of entry at a border, exit the US briefly, and then would be readmitted to the US (the so-called "touch back" approach). Approximately three million immigrants fall into this group.
C - Those in the US less than two years would have to leave the country and pursue residency from outside the US (though the current bill version only allows participation by people in who entered after January 4, 2004, so this may not really be much of a change). About one to two million people are thought to be in this category.
The Hegel-Martinez compromise will get a vote on Friday. It appears to also have the support of Senator Frist, Senator John McCain, and Senator Lindsay Graham. Graham and McCain are both co-sponsors of the legalization provisions in the Specter bill.
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was encouraged by the offer, but declined to endorse the proposal until he had a chance to review the specifics of the offer.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 11:25 PM
FRIST: COMPROMISE AMENDMENT TO BE INTRODUCEDSenator Frist and Senator Reid are now announcing on the Senate floor that a compromise amendment will be introduced tomorrow by Senators Chuck Hegel (R-NE) and Mel Martinez (R-FL). There will be a cloture vote in the morning on the Specter bill. Senator Frist said he believes that will likely fail. Frist indicated that Hegel-Martinez compromise has already been negotiated. It is not clear that this was a compromise just amongst Republicans or that backers of the Kennedy-McCain bill have agreed. We will report on details as they become available.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 8:28 PM
BUSH HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE URGING SENATORS TO WORK THROUGH DIFFERENCES ON IMMIGRATION BILLPresident Bush met with reporters on the White House lawn this morning and made the following
statement:
"The United States Senate is debating a very vital issue for our country, and that is immigration reform. I urge the senators to continue to work toward getting a comprehensive bill; a bill that will help us secure our borders; a bill that will cause the people in the interior of this country to recognize and enforce the law; and a bill that will include a guest worker provision that will enable us to more secure the border, will recognize that there are people here working hard for jobs Americans won't do, and a guest worker provision that is not amnesty, one that provides for automatic citizenship.
This is a vital debate. I thank the members who are working hard to get a bill done. I strongly urge them to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible and pass a comprehensive bill.
Thank you all very much."
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 4:28 PM
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS NEGOTIATING, BUT DEAL APPEARS ELUSIVESupporters of the Kennedy-McCain legalization language and opponents in the Republican Party met this morning to discuss a potential compromise to break an impasse over the shape of a legalization program for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the country. No significant progress has been reported, though the fact that negotiations appear to be taking place are encouraging.
Senator McCain, obviously a key figure in the debate, criticized the Democrats for delaying a vote on the Kyl amendment. The impact of his taking this position publicly is not clear.
One wild card is what, if any role, the White House is taking in the debate. The White House is said to be working behind the scenes to keep the Senate moving on an immigration bill.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:55 PM
KYL AMENDMENT WOULD REMOVE ESTIMATED 1,000,000 PEOPLE FROM ELIGIBILITY FOR LEGALIZATIONThe Kyl Amendment that has become the focal point for the current impasse in the Senate would exclude criminal aliens. Pro-Immigration Senators don't have a problem with that provision. Where they take issue is a "poison pill" provision in the amendment that would exclude anyone who has been subject to expedited removal or removal in an immigration court. The expedited removal group is the largest. According to an interview in the
San Francisco Chronicle, Frank Sharry, director of the National Immigration Forum, estimates that 1,000,000 of the 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants in the US would be removed from eligibility under the provision.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 12:09 PM
SENATE STILL HUNG UP ON THE KYL AMENDMENTThe Senate has still not agreed on proceeding with voting on amendments because of disagreement over an amendment offered by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that would bar criminals, those subject to deportation orders and those who overstayed visa waiver I-94ws from participating in guest worker programs. The Democrats are refusing to take up the amendment unless changes are made to the language and Republicans are refusing to make changes and to take up additional amendments unless the Kyl amendment gets a vote. Senator Frist has given until the end of the weekend to get to a floor vote on the bill and it is not clear whether the Senate will be able to meet the deadline without resolving this impasse.
# posted by Greg Siskind @ 10:21 AM
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