Immigration Bill Stalls - President Blames Reid

For something that is all over the media, and important debates on both sides of the political sphere regarding immigration is a firestorm, Congress is sure taking their time with it.

I know, patience is a virtue.

But for those in Congress, they should know that this will be a deciding factor in upcoming elections for them. While they stall, and then go on vacation for two weeks, I do hope they think about that.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush blamed Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Saturday for the potentially fatal blow dealt to compromise immigration legislation.

The landmark bill, which would offer eventual citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants, fell victim Friday to internal disputes in both parties.

But Bush - echoing earlier complaints from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. - sought to place all the blame on Reid, D-Nev., who refused to permit votes on more than three Republican-backed amendments.

"I call on the Senate minority leader to end his blocking tactics and allow the Senate to do its work and pass a fair, effective immigration reform bill," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

Hailed as a bipartisan breakthrough earlier in the week, the immigration measure would have provided for stronger border security, regulated the future entry of foreign workers and created a complex new set of regulations for the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally.

Officials said an estimated 9 million of them, those who could show they had been in the United States for more than two years, would eventually become eligible for citizenship under the proposal.

Faced with a major setback only months before much of the Republican-controlled Congress is up for re-election, Bush sought to give life to the issue. Speaking mostly to conservatives in his party, he said border security must be improved and enforcement within the United States needs to be enhanced.

....

The legislation was gridlocked as lawmakers left the Capitol on Friday for a two-week break. After bewildering political maneuvering, a key vote produced only 38 senators, all Democrats, in support - 22 short of the 60 needed.

"Politics got ahead of policy on this," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., lamented.

Link
Surprised the last sentence came out of Sen. Kennedy's mouth on this.

Of course Politics got in the way. It is really too bad that these Senators are too busy playing politics and not doing what they are supposed to do. We need comprehensive legislation in dealing with the US Illegal Immigration Policy, and they are to busy playing politics.

I will say this once Senators, you better get your crap together and soon, otherwise you will see a very dissatisfied public looking at whether we need fresh blood to take care of our needs instead of some stone-walling and obstructionist Senators.

Interesting, why would Reid refuse to permit a vote on three different amendments?
Could it be that it was because they were only from Republicans?
Would he have refused a vote if a Democrat was offering an amendment?
Why the refusal of an up or down vote?
Why is Reid allowed to say what can be voted on and when?

Frist and others accused Reid of "putting a stranglehold" on the Senate. The Democratic leader has prevented votes on all but a few non-controversial amendments since debate began on the bill more than a week ago.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and other opponents expressed frustration that they were unable to gain votes on proposals to toughen enforcement or to leave immigration policy unchanged until the border had been made secure.

"It's not gone forward because there's a political advantage for Democrats not to have an immigration bill," asserted Specter.

Reid swiftly rebutted the claim: "I respect Bill Frist, but his position on this matter simply defies logic. ... He needed the courage to move forward."

Strange how Reid does not really refute anything as the article claims. He just opines that we should move forward, and that is usually a key word when Democrats are caught in doing something they shouldn't - "Can't we just move forward?"

Frist initially advanced a bill largely limited to border security. He then embraced Bush's concept of a broader measure including provisions relating to illegal immigrants. But in doing so, he left behind GOP conservatives, who see the measure as offering amnesty to lawbreakers.

Interesting that Frist abandoned a bill that was largely limited ONLY to Border Enforcement / Security. Why?!?!

This is where we need to start. Frist had it right to begin with.
You secure the borders FIRST!
Then you deal what has come in.

When you have a dam break, do you try and clean up the mess the flood is making or do you stop the flow of the flood from the Dam, repair the dam and then deal with the result of the break?

We need to repair the break in our dam, the border, before we begin to even think of what we need to do with the resulting mess of illegals that have breached our borders.

In a time where Congressional Job Approval is even worse than the Presidents Job Approval Numbers, this does not bode well for many Senators, especially ones who continue to stall or block securing the US.

Presidents Job Approval:
RCP Average: 03/29 - 04/05

Approve: 38%
Disapprove: 57%

Comapared to..

Presidents Job Approval:
RCP Average: 03/13 - 04/05

Approve: 32%
Disapprove: 60.3%

See the rest at RealClearPolitics Poll Averages

Senators, if your done playing games, We the People, wish you to do your damn jobs that we pay you to do. Otherwise, you may see a different type of turn out at the voting booth when you look for re-election.

Others Blogging this issue:
Atlas Shrugs, Stop the ACLU, Random Thoughts Of Yet Another Military Member, Confederate Yankee