US News
Bush's immigration reform withdrawn from Senate (Roundup)
By Chris Cermak Jun 28, 2007, 18:07 GMT
Washington - An overhaul of US immigration laws may have to wait until the country elects a new leader, after legislation spearheaded by President George W Bush was withdrawn from the US Senate on Thursday.
A motion to end debate and bring the bill to a formal vote was quashed 53-46, prompting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to remove the initiative - the first major reform effort in 20 years - from the floor.
Bush, in a short statement to reporters, called the vote a 'disappointment,' adding that the 'status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws.'
Most Republican senators and some Democrats had long opposed Bush's immigration proposals, which included a 'guest worker' programme and - most controversially - a path to citizenship for the estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Democrats, who supported Bush's efforts, left open the possibility of reviving the legislation in the current session of Congress, which lasts until January 2009. But chances appeared slim as immigration reform is likely to become more divisive and emotional as the 2008 presidential election nears.
'We will come back, it's only a question of when,' said Reid, the top Democrat in the chamber.
The product of an uneasy compromise between moderate Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, opponents had charged that the bill did little to improve border security while granting de-facto amnesty to illegal immigrants.
Bush two weeks ago backed a proposal to add 4.4 billion dollars to the bill for tightening controls along the borders in an effort to appease conservatives in his own Republican party.
A successful vote earlier this week to allow debate on the legislation had raised supporters' hopes that passage might be possible. But a slew of rejected amendments to the bill on Wednesday made it likely that Thursday's effort to get the 60 votes needed to push a final vote would fail.
Leading opponents of the bill characterized Thursday's vote as a victory for the US public, which polls had shown to be sceptical of the reform efforts.
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama said a number of 'fundamental problems' with border security had not been addressed, but also played down the necessity of comprehensive reforms.
'Current law, if enforced, would make a big dent in illegal immigration. But we do need additional laws to improve the ability of our system to work effectively,' Sessions said in a press conference with other leading Republicans.
Bush has made comprehensive immigration reform one of his top domestic priorities and had personally lobbied sceptical senators in an effort to keep the legislation afloat earlier this week.
The administration says the temporary worker plan would provide US industries with workers for those jobs that US citizens are not taking, while also clamping down on the hiring of illegal workers.
Illegal immigrants would also have had to pay a fine and back taxes, acknowledge wrongdoing, get on probation and commit to learning English before being eligible for US citizenship.
Democrats vowed to bring fresh immigration legislation back to the chamber in the future.
'We are in this struggle for the long haul. Today's defeat will not stand,' said Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, a co-sponsor of the bill.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
very disappointed, but expected this outcome.. How could you expected the rival parties' members (Rep) to join us (Dem) to move the bill forward since our party's member can't even stand together. Every one wants to be a star and but too bad . it hurts the country and its system..
Mexicans are nothing but leeches and parasites. Deport all of this 3rd world trash.
The border fence needs to be built and completed NOW. It was funded, now build it. That is what needs to be done, not all this amnesty nonsense.
Hey, 'as expected', why don't you just move to Mexico, then? The people have spoken. Americans didn't want this. They wanted SECURE BORDERS, and that's not negotiable. This was tried in 1986, and didn't work then, with 8 million illegals...now we have 20 million more sucking up social services and committing crimes. Enough!
WHAT ABOUT THE DREAM ACT?? How can they forget about such an important aspect of the bill??
To Jim Cohen and like-minded folk,
I agree that the border should be secured, but ethnic trash talk really isn't very constructive. I'm in an argumentative mood today and your low-IQ hate-rant gave me an outlet. Thanks.
If you don't want the Mexican 'leeches and parasites' living in the US, stop employing them. Stop having them cut your lawn, clean your homes, serve your food. Stop buying merchandise made in American factories where the illegal immigrants often work (and pay taxes) and send your money to China instead. Stop the import of '3rd world trash' who is also supporting the higher educational system and technical economy. American schools aren't churning out enough science and math majors so we've been importing brains from China, India, Poland and Russia to make up the difference.
The Immigration Bill would have let us secure the border and rethink our policies, but we'll have to save that for a few years. In the meantime, remember that the illegals are serving a purpose here and are often much harder working than us 'red-blooded, all American Republicans'. Although I don't agree with their method of arrival, it's silly to think that sending them back to Mexico (or where-ever) and crashing our economy is the practical thing to do.
The Statue of Liberty would hold her head in shame and no longer light the torch she carries.. To think America is a land born from immigrants. It's sons and daughters are all descendants of immigrants. What was the quote from Ms. Liberty??
'Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“'Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!'” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
I guess 'US' huddled masses would need to go somewhere else..
Good grief, will people stop perpetuating the myth that the poem on the Statue of Liberty has some great meaning?
It was written in 1883 by a Jewish poet and activist from a wealthy New York family in order to raise money to construct the base for the statue (France donated the statue but did not provide money for a base). Twenty years later the poem was inscribed on a plaque and put on the base of the statue as an acknowledgment of her fund raising efforts.
This poem was not part of the monument and did not represent any statement by either the US or France about the founding principles of this country. It still doesn't.
No, but Yanks are prepared to believe anything if they think it will provide them with some history - which they are lamentably short of compared to long established countries
Rove: Sir, they've withdrawn the immigration bill.
Bush: Fine Karl. Whats on the ol lunch menu thire today, eh boyh?
I am sure native american people now wish if only they had secure borders and a better immigration policy. That would have ensured that much of the trash talking, xenophobic, low-IQ, racists people here will not be part of the US.
If you idiots think you can some how deport 12 million or 4% of the US population, then you are grossly mistaken.
You bunch of sissies have nothing but false pride. You can not walk the talk. If you really believe in secure borders and your racist rants, get rid of your additiocn of cheap labor, stop going to walmart.
To Sam: 'BITE THE BIG ONE'! Move to Mexico and talk your trash there! You are nothing more than a piece of shit on two legs! The American people have finally had enough of people like yourself. We spoke up, and defeated idiots like you, and we're damn proud of it! So, because you have nothing of importance to say, .. stick a burrito in your mouth, and one up your ass, and think about how stupid you really are! What a loser!
Kennedy does'nt get it.Americans do not mind immigration,They just want it done legally.They want the borders controlled.All you hear about in an open society is follow the rule of law,follow it!!!!.The 1986 amnesty did not change anything,what makes anyone think this present proposal would have changed anything also.Today you ask the majority of mexicans where he is going to retire when the time comes,weather he.s legally here or not, they say they will go back to Mexico.The illegals talk about their rights here in America,An american in mexico cannot vote in there elections weather they are there legally or not,their laws forbid even legal forigners from voting in their elections.
going back to the comment someone made about how the poem at the base of the statue of liberty..
'Good grief, will people stop perpetuating the myth that
the poem on the Statue of Liberty has some great meaning?
It was written in 1883 by a Jewish poet and activist from a wealthy New
York family in order to raise money to construct the base for the statue
(France donated the statue but did not provide money for a base). Twenty
years later the poem was inscribed on a plaque and put on the base of the
statue as an acknowledgment of her fund raising efforts.
This poem was not part of the monument and did not represent any
statement by either the US or France about the founding principles of this
country. It still doesn't.'
Well our country must be pretty damn Hypocritical.. we cant honestly keep that posted by the base of one of our symbols for freedom without being Hypocrites.
this land doesnt belong to anyone. it is for everyone. some believe the indians have been here since the begining. thats not true. people WALKED HERE back when the world consisted of one continent. I dont see why people cant keep walking here. we have been doing it forever!!! this land is not of england, france, spain or anyone. it is of everyone. the same can be said for central and south america as well as other countries. this is GODS country. Gods world. he put us on it.. why is it that every time a new ethnic group starts to show up we get upset and have hissy fits like a bunch of jelous school girls? arent we supposed to learn from history?? why do we keep repeating it? the same thing happened to the african americans, Chineese, Japaneese, Irish, what the hell is wrong with our nation? these people cant survive back in their own country because of all of the corruption and poor economy due to the corruption. they are in a rut and no one can get them out! I SAY LET EM COME!! they make jobs and build our economy hell the IRS would be fucked if we got rid of them. they count on the uncollected tax refunds the undocumented people never collect.these immigrants do shit most of us would never do because our nation is lazy. they work like mules and get paid close to nothing for it. do you think honestly that if things were better back home they would come here to suffer more???? what is wrong with you people? LET THEM COME! kick out the bad ones.. keep the hardworking and honest ones. I cant believe that people actually argue against this. yeah there are bad ones that kill and deal drugs or what have you, but you know.. white people, asian people and even jewish, black and purple people do the same. we should take care of each other because we all are human beings. not one race is better than the other. and we americans should get rid of this 'we are better than them' mentality. we are LYING TO OURSELVES! think about it. Children are forced to sell roses and gum at all hours of the night in really unsafe places just so they will be able to eat the next morning. the government is fucked up in central and south america. it is full of criminals who take the money from the poor people to make themselves and their friends and families richer. people do what they have to do out of necessity. think about it.. there are millions out there who have access to very important information of other people in the us. with their social security number and the papers they get illegally they could do a lot of damage to peoples credit and bank accounts. but they dont. why? because they arent bad criminals like many make them out to be. dont be so naieve and believe the BS that some people are feeding you. dont you see.. this is how our government gets people riled up. the moral and right thing to do is to let them be. throw away the ones who beat wives, kill people and sell drugs, the ones who steal cars and break into houses. send those ones back but keep the honest, hardworking people who are here to survive. as for the guy in a previous post who loves to shove burritos up peoples asses.. go find yourself a man!!
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American citizenJun 28th, 2007 - 18:55:36
Oh, poor Jorge, Reid, and Teddy...the PEOPLE of America had the gall to actually speak up, rather than be the silent commoners they're supposed to be! Over 80% of people said 'Not only no, but HELL no!'...and will do so again, and again, and again.
Just SECURE THE BORDER! NOW! Not later, NOW!
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