Sources: Senate GOP on Verge of Amnesty Deal
Conservatives growing uneasy about Kennedy-led negotiations
Update by Jeff: The report has been confirmed (more here)
Sources on Capitol Hill tell me the Senate may be very close to a deal on comprehensive immigration reform.
But as the immigration deal comes together, Senate conservatives are growing uneasy about the state of the negotiations, fearing that Republican leadership will sell out to the Bush Administration and liberal Democrats to give amnesty to illegal aliens.
The issue boils down to whether Senate Republicans leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Conference Chairman Jon Kyl (Ariz.), will give Democrats a free pass to bring up the bill without ever giving Republicans a chance to review it. Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.) is leading negotiations for the Democrats, and has so far negotiated a favorable deal for Democrats, according to sources close to the negotiations.
The Senate on Wednesday will be voting on a motion to proceed to last year’s Senate-passed immigration bill. A motion to proceed is a procedural step to start debating the legislation. It would allow leadership to present a bill to the Senate with no time for senators to actually read the legislation.
“There is concern among conservatives on the Hill that leadership will cave in on the motion to proceed on a bill that they’ve never seen,†one senior Senate aide told me. “Conservatives don’t want to do this because they don’t trust that the negotiators will produce a bill that will be satisfactory to conservatives.â€
Read on ...
Last month, 15 conservative Republicans sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) asking for at least a week before debate to review the legislation. Last year’s bill was more than 600 pages long and very complicated.
“It is unconscionable that with an issue of this magnitude and complexity that the Senate would proceed to legislation without any text available to review by senators,†another senior Senate source said.
Just last week, former Attorney General Ed Meese and Senators Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) and Jeff Sessions (R.-Ala.) unveiled the essential principles for immigration reform. One of those principles is respect for the rule of law, which conservatives fear will be violated by any potential agreement that includes amnesty.
“It’s unlikely that any deal will be cut that will satisfy conservatives,†said Brian Darling, a congressional analyst at the Heritage Foundation. “Any legislation containing ‘Z’ visas is a non-starter because a ‘Z’ visa is an amnesty visa.â€
Reid, McConnell Confirm Amnesty Deal Is Near
I received the following note this evening from a Senate Republican leadership aide that confirms my earlier report about a looming amnesty deal. The new agreement between Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) would give senators time to review the legislation before it's voted on. However, it would not give them a week, as 15 conservative senators previously requested.
This evening the Majority Leader and Republican Leader agreed to delay the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S.1348, last years (sic) Senate passed immigration bill, until the evening of Monday, May 21st (no earlier than 5:30 p.m.).
This will allow negotiators more time to reach an agreement and to allow time for an agreement to be drafted. It will also allow Senators time to review the text of the agreement before the cloture vote on the motion to proceed on Monday occurs.
Negotiations will continue tomorrow.
Read on ...
Stories from the Associated Press and Reuters also make clear that Reid and key Senate Republicans -- Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.) -- could soon reach an agreement that "would legalize the status of millions of illegal immigrants and put them on a path to citizenship."
Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.), who has tried to carefully maneuver around the issue, said during tonight's Republican presidential debate that an agreement is near. McCain, who sponsored last year's bill with Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.), has charged Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) with overseeing negotiations. Graham was in Washington today despite the debate's taking place in Columbia, S.C.
Unoffical leftwing source
América sida bueno a mÃ
Vine para todas las ventajas de aquellos americanos agradables, tÃo Sam de gracias
Conservatives growing uneasy about Kennedy-led negotiations
Update by Jeff: The report has been confirmed (more here)
Sources on Capitol Hill tell me the Senate may be very close to a deal on comprehensive immigration reform.
But as the immigration deal comes together, Senate conservatives are growing uneasy about the state of the negotiations, fearing that Republican leadership will sell out to the Bush Administration and liberal Democrats to give amnesty to illegal aliens.
The issue boils down to whether Senate Republicans leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Conference Chairman Jon Kyl (Ariz.), will give Democrats a free pass to bring up the bill without ever giving Republicans a chance to review it. Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.) is leading negotiations for the Democrats, and has so far negotiated a favorable deal for Democrats, according to sources close to the negotiations.
The Senate on Wednesday will be voting on a motion to proceed to last year’s Senate-passed immigration bill. A motion to proceed is a procedural step to start debating the legislation. It would allow leadership to present a bill to the Senate with no time for senators to actually read the legislation.
“There is concern among conservatives on the Hill that leadership will cave in on the motion to proceed on a bill that they’ve never seen,†one senior Senate aide told me. “Conservatives don’t want to do this because they don’t trust that the negotiators will produce a bill that will be satisfactory to conservatives.â€
Read on ...
Last month, 15 conservative Republicans sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) asking for at least a week before debate to review the legislation. Last year’s bill was more than 600 pages long and very complicated.
“It is unconscionable that with an issue of this magnitude and complexity that the Senate would proceed to legislation without any text available to review by senators,†another senior Senate source said.
Just last week, former Attorney General Ed Meese and Senators Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) and Jeff Sessions (R.-Ala.) unveiled the essential principles for immigration reform. One of those principles is respect for the rule of law, which conservatives fear will be violated by any potential agreement that includes amnesty.
“It’s unlikely that any deal will be cut that will satisfy conservatives,†said Brian Darling, a congressional analyst at the Heritage Foundation. “Any legislation containing ‘Z’ visas is a non-starter because a ‘Z’ visa is an amnesty visa.â€
Reid, McConnell Confirm Amnesty Deal Is Near
I received the following note this evening from a Senate Republican leadership aide that confirms my earlier report about a looming amnesty deal. The new agreement between Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) would give senators time to review the legislation before it's voted on. However, it would not give them a week, as 15 conservative senators previously requested.
This evening the Majority Leader and Republican Leader agreed to delay the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to S.1348, last years (sic) Senate passed immigration bill, until the evening of Monday, May 21st (no earlier than 5:30 p.m.).
This will allow negotiators more time to reach an agreement and to allow time for an agreement to be drafted. It will also allow Senators time to review the text of the agreement before the cloture vote on the motion to proceed on Monday occurs.
Negotiations will continue tomorrow.
Read on ...
Stories from the Associated Press and Reuters also make clear that Reid and key Senate Republicans -- Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.) -- could soon reach an agreement that "would legalize the status of millions of illegal immigrants and put them on a path to citizenship."
Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.), who has tried to carefully maneuver around the issue, said during tonight's Republican presidential debate that an agreement is near. McCain, who sponsored last year's bill with Sen. Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.), has charged Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) with overseeing negotiations. Graham was in Washington today despite the debate's taking place in Columbia, S.C.
Unoffical leftwing source
América sida bueno a mÃ
Vine para todas las ventajas de aquellos americanos agradables, tÃo Sam de gracias