Republican suggests immigration reform can wait (Not Really News)

Washington (CNN) – Sen. Saxby Chambliss said Sunday that Democrats are playing politics with the issue of immigration reform. The Georgia Republican also suggested that the Senate should have higher priorities than immigration reform and energy legislation just now.

“I’m not sure how you can really justify bringing either one of them up at this point,” Chambliss said on CNN’s State of the Union.

He added that the Senate has yet to make any progress on the budget or the many appropriations bills necessary to fund the federal government’s operations.

“We’ve got a lot of work left on our plate between now and the end of the summer,” he said, noting that the Senate was about to take up financial regulatory reform. “I’m not sure where you find the time to deal with these other major issues,” Chambliss told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.

Asked by Crowley whether political considerations are pushing Democrats to move immigration onto the front burner during this midterm election year, the Republican did not hesitate.

“Oh sure, I mean it’s pretty clear that’s what this is all about," he responded.

Pointing to the Bush administration’s failed efforts to pass an immigration reform bill in 2007, Chambliss said A comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system – including dealing with those living in the U.S. illegally – was “not practical” until the country’s borders are sealed.

“Until you seal the border, trying to have an overall package on immigration just simply can’t be done,” Chambliss told Crowley.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...id=2d8AXHhPI3_

Atleast they are very much interested now that they want border security.

Path to legalize the undocumented can be compromised.

Wow, this guy is just sickening.

If he had said: economy, I would have said "ugh...but does have a point", climate...I would have laughed because anybody that suggests that climate is more important than immigration has serious issues, but to say that budget appropriations, the most corrupted and vile part of the federal system....the so called golden faucet where everyone just has their hand in someone else's pocket, should have priority? That's just ridiculous.

I've worked in a federally sponsored university lab for a couple of years now and the amount of backroom negotiations and deals that goes on, even on the scientific level, in order to receive substantial federal grants is beyond belief. Not to mention that the science sector at most universities doesn't even include things like lobbying and such, where most of the really dirty stuff happens.

Now everyone knows that Reid is most likely playing politics. If he can't deliver CIR then hispanics will surely stay home this fall.

LOL, immigration reform can wait? then how about climate bill? this is bullshit, because republican afraid to talk about immigration reform. if Democratic want to pass immigration reform this year, they can do the same thing AS Health care reform. man put the country's safety and people first, then talk about other issue.

They said the same thing about HCR, remember how GOP tried to restart the whole debate after Christmas? after almost of year of debate they wanted to start from blank. Certainly, lives up to their name of party-of-NO

I really fail to see how anyone can honestly say there is a viable way to seal up the borders, but lets say that it were one day possible to actually physically prevent anyone from running across the border or being smuggled in, what about those who came here and overstayed their visas? I know quite a few people who came here like that. How do you prevent that?

I heard some GOP congressmen saying that Reid's sudden shift from climate to immigration was all in the name of scoring political points with the latino community in Nevada but if you really look at how it is, the GOP candidates don't want to vote on a divisive issue such as immigration because they risk losing their base and losing the Latino vote in November. For them it's easier to shoot after the midterm elections but that would only give them a month and a half to even work a bill that has provisions to legalize those already here and to stem the flow of those wishing to come here. CIR might be doomed to fail, but it has a greater chance of being passed now than after the midterm elections before the swearing in of the new congress in December and January-which could be Republican-controlled mind you.

Again, biometric SS card required from ALL persons applying for a job. When the jobs are gone, no illegal/visa overstayer will be able to support themselves. Then they will go home.

Agreed. I think if we wait till after midterms like Republicans want it, they will have more of a saying on things and that only means the CIR will have less of a chance to pass(which is basically what you said). But I'm optimistic that CIR will pass because the gov wants to implement that whole biomatric SSNs deal. I can't remember the last time such a big project for indentification came around and the congress didn't pass it.