The Senate drove a stake through President Bush’s plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections.
The bill’s supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.
Senators in both parties said the issue is so volatile that Congress is highly unlikely to revisit it this fall or next year, when the presidential election will increasingly dominate American politics.
There goes another slam-dunk.
Won’t he just enact so bull shit right of the president to pass the bill anyways? I thought he was best at that.
Just caught Bush on cspan. Quite contrite. Just listed everything else he would fail to act on for the rest of his term and then left without taking questions.
Leader?
Leader? Hell no!
Decider? Well yes, albeit possibly the worst in the history of the planet.
I’m surprised it got killed after hearing Senator Voinovich (OH) on the Sean Hannity show yesterday. I have never heard such an elitist and arrogant response in my life with the exception of every Liberal Congressman. I am switching parties to “none of the above”.
We got exactly what we deserved voting these pricks into office (Rep and Dem)
What amnesty bill? What was blocked was a comprehensive way to deal with current and future illegal immigrants.
I don’t think a plan that requires people to pay fines, back taxes, go back to their original country, and then wait 8-13 years qualifies as amnesty. Unless you’re a right wing nut job of course.
The article is wrong. The vote that came up today just deals with further amendments to the real bill which is to be voted on in a few days. Republicans had a good idea this provision today was going to be blocked. This is what you get for just reading the tabloids instead of being an informed citizen, John.
#4 – I’m surprised it got killed after hearing Senator Voinovich (OH) on the Sean Hannity
I’m surprised a man as dignified as Senator Voinovich (OH) was on the Sean Hannity show.
This defeat has much much more to do with Americans lack of confidence in their governments ability to live up to its promises than it has to do with immigration. We have been lied to once too often to trust this government with something this important. This is only the beginning….
5–What a sucker. Amnesty because it made illegals arriving before January IMMEDIATELY LEGAL TO STAY IN THE GOUSA while this “path to citizenship” was “supposed” to be implemented. With government performance of the past 15 years on this issue, what in the world makes you think “the path to citizenship” would ever be enforced or not changed later to allow more immediate citizenship?
So, take away any enforcement of path to citizenship and what do you have?–LEGAL TO BE IN THE GOUSA, aka amnesty.
BTW–the tooth fairy was actually your parents!!!
It seems like the bill itself is an afterthought in this whole mess
Shane, you’re the one who’s been snookered. The bill as written would require none of those things. You get your z-visa on a probationary basis in one day, and this happens before any triggers go into effect. The fines and back taxes it turns out are bogus. The back taxes provision that was in last year’s bill was removed, and even when it was put back, it turns out that was some more trickery. Only head of households are required to go back, and even that isn’t required, as you can get your probationary visa right away.
By the way, this bill as you describe it isn’t comprehensive immigration reform; it is still amnesty. Nevertheless, with just amnesty, if the bill were what you proposed, I think right wing nut jobs would support it. A comprehensive bill would also have more enforement provisions and border security.
Sen. Voinovich I assumed would be an automatic no vote as a ‘paleocon’ if you will. Turns out he’s more elitist than we thought, although it looks like Hannity actually got him to vote no!
Saw this last month:
What do Senators Kennedy and McCain, and Pres Bush want to do about the people who arrive after Jan 1? Do they plan to deport them all?
During the debate, Senator Kennedy said that expecting employers to pay more for agricultural labor was unrealistic. Why exactly did he vote for a minimum wage increase again?
Good effort. I love the fact that Harry Reid also pulled the bill from the floor so no further debate/compromise could be made. Instead of dealing with the hard issues that need to be addressed the Democratic Senate procrastinates on an issue, an issue that they could utilize to their advantage in 2008. I fail to see how the DNC could play this off as some sort of victory, while the RNC could say that the Democratic Senate failed to make meaningful immigration reform while in control.
11-12-13 You are on a roll!!
I think agricultural workers deserive at least minimum wage, if not more? I would rather do my desk job at less net money than go pick veggies.
Do you agree that if employers stopped hiring illegals that they would stop coming and slowly go back?
Or–with lack of people to pick veggies, our market would simply evolve to those products that could be machine picked. Always more options than those that are presented to us.
Ever get the feeling Bush is playing “how low can you go?!?” with his approval rating?
>>our market would simply evolve to those products that
>>could be machine picked
And our market would evolve to only those burgers that could be machine grilled, tacos that could be hand-stuffed, and our buildings would evolve to only those that could be cleaned by robots?
Most of this anti-“amnesty” sentiment seems to be fueled by xenophobia and fear of the dreaded furriners.
Personally, I’m more concerned about my job being outsourced to $1.50/hr PhDs in China, and the dimwits from Mumbai and Chennai that I have to deal with every time I call tech support.
17–Why did you choose to truncate my post in order to make a subordinate point? Not up to your normal high standards.
Show one example of xenophobia. Just one, == hint, not in my post unless being pro-America is by definition xenophobic.
So, you care about YOUR job but not about everyone elses in the same situation? No need to outsource if you can bring the worker here. Lets see, what big word might that mean? – – – – shortsighted?
The name Shane Brady must be some nation’s native tongue for the words ‘naive’ or ‘foolish’.
The same system that doesn’t enforce something as simple and weighty as ‘Do not cross this line’ is going to enforce trivial points like ‘pay this fee on this date, fill in this form, jump through this hoop’? Get a clue Shane Brady. The same people that claim it’s not possible to deport 12-15 million people want to spin some web of lies that we can somehow magically process these people through decades of nonsense regulation. To claim we need “comprehensive reform” [read – we will only enforce the just laws of the land once we forgive those that trespassed – ] is absurd and offensive.
These stipulations where put there to appease enforcement first groups and we all know they just plan to ignore them.
#5
You’re probably one of the people who didn’t look at the bill and listened to every word the supporters of it said. It currently still available online if you’d like to take a look at it.
#16 – Ever get the feeling Bush is playing “how low can you go?!?” with his approval rating?
Comment by natefrog — 6/28/2007 @ 10:35 am
As long as its in double digits, it’s too high.
#18 Bobbo: Sorry if I distorted the meaning of your post by truncating. And I wasn’t suggesting that YOUR post contained any example of xenophobia. It just appears to me that most of the people who are rabidly anti-immigration are so on the basis of “fucking Beaner/Spics, what are they doing in this country” sentiment. Rather than any overwhelming desire to pick lettuce or make tacos or clean sewers themselves.
And no, I don’t care about “just my job”. If somebody from another country can do my job better than me, Bring It On. I’m willing to compete on a level playing field. What I do NOT like is the idea that companies would outsource work to India, China, etc.just because they’re cheaper. I”ve dealt with a number of these types of projects (including tech support), and more often than not, they turn out to be an abortion. But hey, it’s cheaper. At least in this country, we have a minimum wage. So if I decide I want to stuff tacos in Laredo, I’ll be getting the same minimum wage as my competion from across the Rio Grande.
uuuhum YEA !
There’s a lesson here. I’ve been listening to all these Congressmen and they’ve said constantly that people are writing and calling them. I think you’ll find that participating in the system and voicing your concerns is your responsablity and it does make a difference.
It’s unfortunate a man as dignified as Sean Hannity must talk to a lowlife like Voinovich.
I think you’re missing one point Mustard. Even with unemployment low, there is still a large pool of available labor. Restricting illegal immigration would probably lower unemployment even more, bring more people into the labor pool, and raise wages. The higher wages would result in less services in some cases, but if people are OK with that when it comes to minimum wage laws they should certainly be ok with it in immigration.
I like ho once it loses, it’s President Bush’s plan. The Democrats voted for it 34-16, including all of their presidential candidates and the entire party leadership, while Republicans opposed 37-12. Not only that, it was the Senators who made the bill to begin with, not the White House. The Presidents bill probably would have passed, as I don’t think he would have tried to present something so stupid.
mxpwr, of course this helps the Democrats. So called “hispanics” have been voting more Republican recently, around 40%. Getting Republicans to oppose this bill helps to change that trend.
#25 – Well this doesn’t happen often, but I am in 100% agreement with Higghawker…
#26 – Hannity is an idiot and a blowhard. His show is about fostering hate and spreading misinformation and outright lies.
30. Yeah, but you gotta admit, the man has a great head of hair.