Senate Immigration Bill Passed
Senate Immigration Bill Passed
Date: Thursday, May 25, 2006 7:20 PM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1488 >>>>>
Today the Senate passed S. 2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of
2006) by a 62-36 vote. Of the 36 that voted against, only four were
Democrats.
To see the roll call, go to:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00157
All employment based visa provisions remain unchanged, including H-1B,
H-2C, Green Cards, and F-4.
The Senate and House will now go into a conference committee to come to a
compromise agreement.
I'll have more information as the news filters out. This is a very bad
development because it's very unlikely that the House will spend political
capital to reduce H-1B. More than likely the debate will center on border
security and amnesty.
American jobs have never been so much at risk, but as you will see in the
two articles below, some people are celebrating, like for instance Cardinal
Mahony and Vicente Fox.
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http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=4205170
Cardinal Mahony Reponds to Senate's Passing of Immigration Bill
May 25, 2006 - Cardinal Mahony: U.S. Senate Immigration Bill is imperfect,
but still a step toward reform.
Though it contains a number of punitive provisions that are objectionable,
Senate Bill 2611 is an important step toward achieving effective
immigration reform in our nation that is just, fair and humane.
On the positive side, the Bill includes a number of provisions that I, and
my fellow U.S. Catholic bishops, have supported for years. A path to
citizenship is provided to many of the 12 million undocumented persons in
the U.S., including 1 million farm workers. Family reunification and a
temporary worker program are also positive provisions included in the Bill.
But the Bill also contains provisions that are unnecessarily punitive in
nature, and will not help to fix our nation's broken immigration system.
Objectionable provisions include mandatory detention along the border, and
an expansion of the expedited removal of asylum seekers. The construction
of a 370-mile-long wall and the deployment of National Guard forces along
our border with Mexico, incorrectly applies a military solution to a
problem that is socio-economic in nature.
We will redouble our efforts as a church over the next few months to
encourage our representatives in Congress to adopt immigration reform
legislation that is just, fair and humane. We will work hard to convince
them that they should not support unnecessarily harsh and punitive
provisions that will do little to nothing to help our nation achieve
meaningful immigration reform. I will oppose a final bill that comes out of
the House-Senate Conference Committee if it removes or significantly
weakens the legalization provisions of the Senate Bill, including the path
to citizenship.
Our nation stands at an important juncture in its history. I encourage all
of our Catholic people to continue to pray for our legislators at this
time. Let us also pray for the millions of hard-working immigrants and
their families -- our brothers and sisters -- whose lives will be
profoundly affected by the laws our legislators will enact.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/14668394.htm
Posted on Thu, May. 25, 2006
Mexican president calls Senate immigration bill a 'historic vote'
LAURA KURTZMAN
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Mexican President Vicente Fox on Thursday called the
U.S. Senate's landmark vote on immigration policy a "monumental step
forward" that marks a historic moment in the relationship between Mexico
and the U.S.
"It is a moment that millions of families have been hoping for. This is the
moment that millions of people have been working for," he told a joint
session of the California Legislature. "Today's historic vote is a
monumental step forward, but we recognize that there is more debate ahead."
Fox spoke just hours after the U.S. Senate approved sweeping reforms that
include tighter border security and a path to citizenship for many of the
estimated 11 million to 12 million immigrants in the country illegally.
Fox spoke carefully, stressing that Mexico and the United States share
common economic and security interests and should cooperate to solve the
immigration problem. But his remarks were not greeted with universal
appreciation.
While Democrats applauded as Fox spoke of the need for a "legal, safe and
orderly migration policy with full respect for human rights and labor
rights," Republicans did not.
Fox was scheduled to meet privately afterward with Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger, their first meeting since the movie star became governor.
Schwarzenegger said he would stress Mexico's responsibility for illegal
immigration, while also touching on environmental and other issues of
common interest.
California, the state with the highest number of illegal immigrants, is the
last stop on Fox's four-day visit to the western U.S., which also included
appearances in Utah and Washington. On Friday, he will speak to the
California Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento before leaving for Los
Angeles, where he is scheduled to meet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
During his previous stops, Fox outlined a five-point position on
immigration, saying Mexico does not support illegal migration and must
expand economic growth so migration from his country is no longer a
necessity.
Before California lawmakers, he noted the economic ties between Mexico and
the U.S. and stressed the need for continued investment in the Mexican
economy.
"Over the years, we have moved away from a notion of distant neighbors to
one of strategic partners," he said. "We have pursued this course with the
firm conviction that a legal, safe, orderly migration policy with full
respect to human rights and labor rights will benefit the security and
prosperity of both of our nations."
The timing of the visit - as the U.S. Senate approved the most far-reaching
immigration reforms in two decades - is awkward for the Mexican president.
The bill passed Thursday in the Senate calls for hiring additional Border
Patrol agents, as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered
fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the border. It also
includes a guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for many of
those in the country illegally if they meet a series of conditions that
include paying a fine and back taxes.
The bill will have to be reconciled with one passed in December by the
House, which voted to make it a felony to be in the country illegally.
President Bush, meanwhile, has called on governors to send 6,000 National
Guard troops to the southern border to back up the Border Patrol, a plan
Fox opposes. Schwarzenegger has raised questions about Bush's plan,
although on Wednesday he said he was prepared to go along with it as long
as the deployment is temporary.
"Mexico believes that it will take more than just enforcement or building
walls to truly solve the challenges caused by the immigration phenomenon,"
Fox said in his Thursday evening address. "Mexico wants to be part of the
solution, not part of the problem."
Some California GOP lawmakers were critical of the Mexican president's
visit, and about a half dozen boycotted his speech.
Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Orange, was among a group of Republican
lawmakers who wore yellow buttons reading "No mas" to protest illegal
immigration. They also were unhappy that Fox had declined an invitation to
meet with them, even though he met before his speech with Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles.
"It was my silent protest to tell the president, 'Shame on you for shunning
the invitation by a group of legislators who wanted to talk policy,'"
Spitzer said.
He said he agreed with Fox's desire to expand economic growth and social
opportunities in Mexico but questioned Fox's track record on those issues
so far.
"I heard a lot of political platitudes," Spitzer said. "He set out a
roadmap that if it were implemented would have the greatest incentive to
reduce immigration."
Fox struck a cooperative tone during his address, saying the destinies of
both countries were linked despite the challenges posed by illegal
immigration.
"Let us work together as neighbors, as friends, as family," he said.
It was the California Legislature's first joint session other than annual
speeches by the governor and chief justice since Spain's former prime
minister, Jose Maria Aznar, spoke to lawmakers in 2003.
The illegal immigration issue has been a political land mine in California
for a decade. There is strong sentiment among voters to stem it, but the
emerging Hispanic electorate is sensitive to anything that smacks of
discrimination.
California's estimated 2.4 million illegal immigrants work predominantly on
farms, in construction and in the service industry, from hotels to
restaurants.
They also are a major source of income to Mexico. Mexicans living in the
United States - legally and illegally - sent home about $20 billion last
year. And Latin American immigrants in California, the majority of whom are
Mexican, send more money home than from any other state, more than $9.6
billion in 2004.
The country is economically important to California, as well, and is the
state's No. 1 trading partner. In 2005, California's exports to Mexico
totaled almost $18 billion, second only to Texas, which exported $50
billion. California's exports to Mexico directly or indirectly support
177,000 jobs, according to Schwarzenegger's office.
Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, R-Fullerton, would have liked Fox
to give more specifics about his immigration plans but said he believed the
true purpose of his visit to the U.S. was to attract business investment.
"The economy is probably a higher priority for him than immigration,"
Ackerman said. "I think long term, developing a sound economy in Mexico
will probably help immigration."
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