From ILW.com...there is still hope. Keep making the calls and sending the faxes. Also, ditch the email method, it does not have as much effect.
Immigration Daily has learned that Section 8001 of S. 1932, sorely needed by the immigration community, was included in initial drafts of the budget reconciliation conference report, and was later pulled, ostensibly under pressure from a handful of Republican House members who threatened to vote against the reconciliation conference report if it included immigration benefits relief provisions. Given the number of controversial provisions in the large bills currently being crafted, it is reasonable to believe that there must exist many provisions for which a group of 20 Republicans would threaten withholding of their votes unless their desires were capitulated to. It is unlikely that the House or Senate leadership would be fazed by such blackmail. Unfortunately, several key business immigration lobbyists gave up the issue as lost, and some have reportedly left the Beltway to be with their families for an early holiday season.
The fact is that this is a new battle for pro-immigrationists - the arguments are not about human rights or humanitarian considerations, nor about the competitiveness of American employers - instead the arguments this time revolve around money - not money for campaign contributions, but money for Uncle Sam's treasury - a not-insignificant half-billion dollars plus (CBO estimates) is at stake in exchange for the immigration benefits in Section 8001 of S. 1932. With money scarcer than hen's teeth right now inside the beltway, and with intense pressure to finish appropriations, pro-immigrationists have a strong hand, if they have the ability to play it right (one example is to try to secure the immigration benefits for a higher L fee than S. 1932 mandated if necessary). In addition, Immigration Daily has learned that hundreds of calls and faxes are flooding Congress supporting the inclusion of Section 8001 in the final reconciliation conference report.
Currently, one of three things appear to be possible: (A) the final Act will include Section 8001 of S. 1932 (providing for retrogression relief, and recapture of significant quantities of H numbers and permanent EB numbers) in exchange for a lot of money for the US Treasury, (B) the US Treasury will sock it to L visa users in exchange for nothing at all (except for establishing the appalling precedent that monies for visa processing can be diverted to the general treasury, and not be applied toward benefits processing or some other designated immigration-related purpose), and (C) nothing will happen, the status quo will prevail.
Immigration Daily has learned that Section 8001 of S. 1932, sorely needed by the immigration community, was included in initial drafts of the budget reconciliation conference report, and was later pulled, ostensibly under pressure from a handful of Republican House members who threatened to vote against the reconciliation conference report if it included immigration benefits relief provisions. Given the number of controversial provisions in the large bills currently being crafted, it is reasonable to believe that there must exist many provisions for which a group of 20 Republicans would threaten withholding of their votes unless their desires were capitulated to. It is unlikely that the House or Senate leadership would be fazed by such blackmail. Unfortunately, several key business immigration lobbyists gave up the issue as lost, and some have reportedly left the Beltway to be with their families for an early holiday season.
The fact is that this is a new battle for pro-immigrationists - the arguments are not about human rights or humanitarian considerations, nor about the competitiveness of American employers - instead the arguments this time revolve around money - not money for campaign contributions, but money for Uncle Sam's treasury - a not-insignificant half-billion dollars plus (CBO estimates) is at stake in exchange for the immigration benefits in Section 8001 of S. 1932. With money scarcer than hen's teeth right now inside the beltway, and with intense pressure to finish appropriations, pro-immigrationists have a strong hand, if they have the ability to play it right (one example is to try to secure the immigration benefits for a higher L fee than S. 1932 mandated if necessary). In addition, Immigration Daily has learned that hundreds of calls and faxes are flooding Congress supporting the inclusion of Section 8001 in the final reconciliation conference report.
Currently, one of three things appear to be possible: (A) the final Act will include Section 8001 of S. 1932 (providing for retrogression relief, and recapture of significant quantities of H numbers and permanent EB numbers) in exchange for a lot of money for the US Treasury, (B) the US Treasury will sock it to L visa users in exchange for nothing at all (except for establishing the appalling precedent that monies for visa processing can be diverted to the general treasury, and not be applied toward benefits processing or some other designated immigration-related purpose), and (C) nothing will happen, the status quo will prevail.