Pale Rider
06-23-2007, 03:44 AM
Cornyn Says Momentum Building Against Senate Immigration Plan
By Nicholas Johnston
June 22 (Bloomberg) -- Momentum is building against immigration legislation among Senate Republicans, said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who is opposing his old ally, President George W. Bush, on this issue.
``We're beginning to see some of the people that would have ordinarily voted to proceed with the bill to say, `hey, this process is not fair, it's not transparent,''' Cornyn said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' scheduled to air today. ``The way this bill has come up has caused it some serious problems.''
The Senate will need 60 votes on June 26 to resume debate on the biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration policy since 1986. The measure, Bush's top domestic priority, would create a guest- worker program and a path to legal status for 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Cornyn cited fellow Texan Kay Bailey Hutchison, as well as Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, as examples of Republicans who may have supported the measure and are now opposed. Supporters said they weren't counting on those senators to reach 60 votes.
A June 7 Senate vote fell 15 short of the total needed, with seven Republicans joining 37 Democrats and one independent to move toward final passage. Cornyn voted in opposition.
In an attempt to resuscitate the measure, Senate leaders agreed this week on a limited package of about two dozen amendments to be considered next week.
`Behind Closed Doors'
Cornyn said that isn't enough.
``This is a bill that was written behind closed doors by a small group of senators, and now it's being brought to the floor again without an opportunity to offer, freely offer, amendments and to have the kind of debate that I think this topic deserves,'' the senator said.
Cornyn said the congressional debate on what to do with the 12 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. has ``fallen short'' because it has focused only on whether to give them citizenship or deport them.
The current proposal, which would let undocumented immigrants gain legal status after paying a fine, isn't sufficient punishment for people in this country illegally, the senator said. ``It looks like we're selling American citizenship,'' he said.
Cornyn said the U.S. would be in ``big trouble'' if failure to pass immigration legislation blocked an increase in the number of visas for skilled workers, as sought by technology companies including Google Inc., owner of the most popular Internet search engine, and Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker.
`The Best and the Brightest'
``This is more than just about low-skilled, relatively poorly educated individuals who are picking crops or working on construction sites,'' he said.
``This is about keeping the best and the brightest, the kind of people who train in American universities and who we end up now, under our current policy, sending home so they can compete with us and take jobs overseas,'' the senator said. ``I actually would like to see us pass comprehensive immigration reform.''
With the backing of Democrats who backed the legislation earlier this month, supporters will need almost two dozen Republicans to move forward.
``We'll find out on Tuesday if there's 60 senators,'' Cornyn said. ``It really changes minute by minute.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=home&sid=aGUUzFd3y_Ek
By Nicholas Johnston
June 22 (Bloomberg) -- Momentum is building against immigration legislation among Senate Republicans, said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who is opposing his old ally, President George W. Bush, on this issue.
``We're beginning to see some of the people that would have ordinarily voted to proceed with the bill to say, `hey, this process is not fair, it's not transparent,''' Cornyn said in an interview with Bloomberg Television's ``Political Capital with Al Hunt,'' scheduled to air today. ``The way this bill has come up has caused it some serious problems.''
The Senate will need 60 votes on June 26 to resume debate on the biggest overhaul of U.S. immigration policy since 1986. The measure, Bush's top domestic priority, would create a guest- worker program and a path to legal status for 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
Cornyn cited fellow Texan Kay Bailey Hutchison, as well as Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, as examples of Republicans who may have supported the measure and are now opposed. Supporters said they weren't counting on those senators to reach 60 votes.
A June 7 Senate vote fell 15 short of the total needed, with seven Republicans joining 37 Democrats and one independent to move toward final passage. Cornyn voted in opposition.
In an attempt to resuscitate the measure, Senate leaders agreed this week on a limited package of about two dozen amendments to be considered next week.
`Behind Closed Doors'
Cornyn said that isn't enough.
``This is a bill that was written behind closed doors by a small group of senators, and now it's being brought to the floor again without an opportunity to offer, freely offer, amendments and to have the kind of debate that I think this topic deserves,'' the senator said.
Cornyn said the congressional debate on what to do with the 12 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. has ``fallen short'' because it has focused only on whether to give them citizenship or deport them.
The current proposal, which would let undocumented immigrants gain legal status after paying a fine, isn't sufficient punishment for people in this country illegally, the senator said. ``It looks like we're selling American citizenship,'' he said.
Cornyn said the U.S. would be in ``big trouble'' if failure to pass immigration legislation blocked an increase in the number of visas for skilled workers, as sought by technology companies including Google Inc., owner of the most popular Internet search engine, and Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker.
`The Best and the Brightest'
``This is more than just about low-skilled, relatively poorly educated individuals who are picking crops or working on construction sites,'' he said.
``This is about keeping the best and the brightest, the kind of people who train in American universities and who we end up now, under our current policy, sending home so they can compete with us and take jobs overseas,'' the senator said. ``I actually would like to see us pass comprehensive immigration reform.''
With the backing of Democrats who backed the legislation earlier this month, supporters will need almost two dozen Republicans to move forward.
``We'll find out on Tuesday if there's 60 senators,'' Cornyn said. ``It really changes minute by minute.''
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=home&sid=aGUUzFd3y_Ek