Reid vows CIR by end of this year

YoungMoney · 06-04-2009, 02:50 PM

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/...009-06-04.html

Looks like Harry Reid has reitterated his support for CIR in 2009...

Quote:

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday he would work to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year, adding to an already busy congressional agenda.

Speaking at a press conference about Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Reid identified immigration, health care and climate-change reform as the three main policy goals of Congress.

Flanked by leaders of several Hispanic groups, Reid detailed a plan for a major overhaul of the country's immigration laws.

"I want to do it this year if at all possible," Reid said.

Work on an energy bill and health care legislation is already well underway.

Reform would include securing the U.S. borders, an expansion of a guest worker program, a path to legality for the millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and beefed up sanctions on employers hiring undocumented workers.

Much of what Reid spoke of formed part of a failed attempt at immigration reform championed by President George W. Bush in 2007.

Despite the majority leader's conviction, finding time in the crowded legislative timetable to complete something as controversial as immigration reform is going to be difficult this year.

The Judiciary Committee will have its hands busy throughout the summer dealing with Sotomayor's confirmation. It would be the judiciary panel where any attempt at changing the country's immigration laws would have to be initiated.

Even if the panel were to draft a bill and approve it, there is no guarantee there would be sufficient time on the Senate floor schedule to consider it. Even relatively uncontroversial pieces of legislation are taking considerable time to deal with. In April, for example, a bill aimed at combating fraud in the financial system took more than a week to pass. The bill received overwhelming support on final passage.

Still, having Reid as a public champion of any legislative push is not a bad ally to have given he, as majority leader, controls the agenda of the Senate.

...Then again, maybe he is just afraid of losing his seat in Nevada which has one of the largest hispanic voting blocs... Especially since he is the majority leader and sets the agenda.

dado123 · 04:23 PM

Lets give it time, Rahn Emanuel said Obama wants Energy and Health Care on his desk before congress adjourns for their recess in August. Then CIR will be addressed, it all depends on getting Energy and Health Care out of the way first, in my opinion.

lilbawler2001 · 06-04-2009, 04:38 PM

I like this version better.

Quote:

Passing immigration reform is “going to happen this session,” Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), referring to the 111th Congress. “But I want it this year if at all possible.”

At a press conference with Hispanic leaders touting the Supreme Court nomination of the Sonia Sotomayor, Reid said that he wants Congress to pass a bill with tougher border security measures, improved employer sanctions, a guest-worker program and a path for citizenship to the country’s illegal immigrants — a policy critics have called "amnesty."

“We have to have a pathway for legalization,” Reid said. “I believe what we need to do is have penalties, fines, I think they have to learn English, stay out of trouble, pay their taxes, and then they don’t go to the end of the line, they go to the back of the line. But at least it keeps them so that they are not subject to arrest and that they are more productive than they are.”

In 2007, the last time the Senate took up comprehensive immigration reform, senators overwhelmingly rejected comprehensive immigration after a heated debate that was as much about regional differences as it was about political philosophy.

But with the Hispanic community largely behind a pathway to citizenship, Democrats may sense an opportunity to further solidify their hold on the potent voting bloc.

Asked if immigration critic Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the top Judiciary panel Republican, could pose a problem, Reid said: “Check the numbers of Democrats and Republicans on that committee — OK? Democrats hold a 12-7 advantage after Sen. Arlen Specter became a Democrat and a 59-40 advantage in the

Senate overall."

Read more: "Harry Reid wants immigration bill this year - Manu Raju - POLITICO.com" - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23350.html#ixzz0HUnz7Jgz&A

dado123 · 05:19 PM

To echo Reid's Comment check out this CNN Video on the Crucial Coleman-Franken hearing:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/wor...peech.reax.cnn

Click on Politics and Scroll down to Crucial Coleman-Franken hearing video.

This could give the Democrats a super majority at 60 votes, in a way it might be strategic to take up CIR later this fall or early next year. The super majority will be enough to stop a Republican filibuster, that is if all 60 Democrats vote as a bloc.

Sonawabich · 06-04-2009, 04:54 PM

yes yes yes!

angeleno · 06-04-2009, 05:44 PM

Like I've said many many times before, CIR is not up to Obama(he'll sign it when it's in front of him), it's up to Reid. And fortunately he seems to be a lot more committed to it than anyone else.

Also, keep in mind that Reid and Pelosi communicate back and forth quite a bit, and since she has set a time table for CIR already, it could mean that she knows something we don't.

Unfortunately, Republicans are filibustering everything, which means that it will take longer for CIR's turn, but if Reid sounds so confident that it will pass, I'm sure he's already working on something behind the curtains.

Dreamer X · 06:12 PM

come on harry.

Alex · 06-04-2009, 06:13 PM

wtf is everyone talking about... we just read the news 2 days ago; saying that in that June meeting, they will only discuss about CIR, and how to approach the issue. they clearly said nothing is happening this year or next year...

William Hung (she bangs she bangs guy) has more nuts than you, Mr.President.
families are still being split apart, Dream Act students are still being deported. YOU Mr.President have the administrative power to halt deportations, while you cook something up.

order ICE to enforce the law and priorities they were originally supposed to enforce. NOT grab (easy targets) the closest apples in the tree.

do that, and then you can honeymoon your way to CIR

CIR_DREAM2009 · 06-04-2009, 07:01 PM

Come on guys. If you haven't read the article yet, it is GOOD NEWS. What part of "Sen. Reid vows immigration reform by end of year" don't you like?

Sen. Reid now joins Speaker Pelosi in making immigration reform the third priority behind health care and energy. Here's some quotes:

Quote:

“As far as I’m concerned, we have three major issues we have to do this year, if at all possible: No. 1 is healthcare; No 2 is energy, global warming; No. 3 is immigration reform,” Reid said.

Quote:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said today in Washington work on immigration legislation would begin as soon as healthcare reform and energy legislation are addressed.

Now we just need energy and health care to clear the House and Senate floors. The House is set to tackle energy and health care over the summer while the Senate looks like they'll be discussing health care over the summer.

Ianus · 06-04-2009, 07:38 PM

Here is what Rotor has to say on the matter.

Quote:

Reid has ruled out a piecemeal approach to the contentious issue. Farm-state lawmakers continue to push for more visas for temporary agriculture workers, while other senators want more visas for seasonal workers in tourism, seafood processing and the like. “I am not going to deal with immigration on a piecemeal basis,” Reid said. “It has to be comprehensive. It has to make sure we have secure borders, north and south. We have to have a guest-worker program. A guest-worker program is more than agriculture.”

Reid strongly supports legislation (S 729) that would create a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants if they attend college or join the military, but that’s on hold too awaiting legislation that would deal comprehensively with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, a leading negotiator on the last big immigration bill in 2007, said action on a comprehensive immigration package seems unlikely this year, given the lack of consensus on how to address the problem. He cited the labor union, which had been split on the subject, unifying against a temporary-worker program. “Without that, you’re not going to have a bill, in my opinion,” Kyl said. “You certainly won’t have a bipartisan bill.” Border security also remains the top priority for Republicans.

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Reid vows CIR by end of this year