Democrats stymie Republican efforts to pass immigration reform measures

lilbawler2001 · 10:58 PM

Quote:

Republicans failed last week to keep provisions addressing illegal immigration in the Homeland Security spending bill, the latest sign that Democrats want to hold off on that debate until next year.

GOP senators had succeeded in attaching a pair of border security and enforcement provisions to the Senate version of the appropriations bill: one would have completed the 700-mile fence authorized along the Mexican border and the other would have permanently extended a requirement for all federal contractors to verify their employees through a government database.

But Democrats stripped both provisions out in conference. They did extend the verification program by three years along with several expiring visa programs, including one for international medical graduates in rural states and another for religious workers.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.), one of the Republicans who backed the immigration overhaul, said that the 3-year extensions of current policies were good steps but no substitute for broader reform.

"You may extend a program or two, but you're never going to solve this problem piecemeal," Graham said.

He suggested that compromises will be necessary to pass any legislation that realistically deals with the millions in the country illegally.

"I think America is ready to embrace give-and-take politics on this issue only if you can convince them that this will solve the problem," he said. "That's our challenge, to convince the American public that the border is more secure."

Vitter said that he hasn't seen any evidence that the gap between supporters and opponents of the comprehensive immigration overhaul has shrunk.

"I think there's very much still the same divide in Congress," Vitter told The Hill. "And I think there's still very much the same support among the American people for getting serious first with enforcement

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/6...tion-measures?

angeleno · 10-12-2009, 11:16 PM

The title is terribly misleading.

If you call building a fence on the southern border "immigration reform" then sure, Democrats killed immigration reform

karmaffair · 10-15-2009, 11:09 PM

We're still on the 700 mile fence....really?

I thought it was a given that it DOES NOT work. Ugh.

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Democrats stymie Republican efforts to pass immigration reform measures