Update: Senate Judiciary Committee Debates Chairman Specter's Proposal
03/03/2006
On March 2, 2006, the Senate Judiciary Committee conducted its first in a series of three or more Executive Business Meetings ("mark-ups") on Chairman Arlen Specter's immigration reform package. As we reported earlier this week, the proposed legislation represents a compromise of the various proposals that Senators have introduced, along with some of Chairman Specter's own ideas. Please refer to the March 1 alert for a description of this proposal.
Chairman Specter opened the meeting yesterday with a conciliatory comment that his bill was a starting point, and that he welcomed suggestions for changes. While the Chairman hopes to reach consensus, he also acknowledged that the Committee "may have some issues where we will have to vote and the majority will rule." Generally, the Senators fall into three categories:
1) Those who want to see a direct path to permanent residence for undocumented workers.
2) Those who want a temporary guest worker plan without a path to permanent residence.
3) Those who oppose any form of visa, temporary or permanent, until the country has control over border and interior enforcement.
At the meeting, Senators who have introduced legislation on immigration reform addressed the merits of their respective proposals. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), who cosponsored a bill with Senator John McCain (R-AZ), S. 1033, opined that the Chairman's package would not resolve the immigration issue unless it has an "earned adjustment" component. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), who cosponsored their own guest worker bill, S. 1438, said that the Chairman's mark was a good starting point and that a flexible guest worker program was needed to reflect our economy. Both also emphasized the need for stronger border and interior enforcement.
Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) revealed her plan, which has yet to be introduced, to create a pilot program that would provide "blue cards" for temporary agricultural workers. The "blue cards" would be valid for three years. At the end of the three years, Congress would re-evaluate the program. Lastly, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) expressed his objection to the current L-visa program, stating that the program has been used by employers to circumvent the H-1B requirements.
The Senators on the Judiciary Committee circulated over 30 amendments during the evening of March 1; however none of the amendments were debated yesterday. The amendments include proposals to increase the penalties against employers for hiring undocumented workers, increasing the fee for the guest worker visa application from $500 to $1,000, removing the barriers between governmental agencies regarding sharing social security mismatches, and disallowing tax deductions for wages paid to undocumented workers. There is also an amendment to bar citizenship to children born in the U.S. to nonimmigrant visa holders or anyone else who does not have U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status, as well as an amendment to deny admission to nationals whose home countries do not accept their nationals who would be subject to deportation from the United States. Given some of the statements made yesterday, more amendments are expected by next week's mark-up.
The Committee adjourned after only about two hours of discussion and debate. Chairman Specter said that he would reserve next Thursday, March 9, and possibly Wednesday, March 8, for the continuation of the mark-up. A mark-up session is already on the Committee's calendar for March 16. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has set a deadline of March 27 to bring the immigration debate onto the Senate Floor. Because the House of Representatives passed its immigration "enforcement only" bill late last year, if the Senate cannot reach a consensus on comprehensive reform and a guest worker plan, it is likely to take action on some immigration reform measure, whether comprehensive or enforcement only, before the November election.
http://pubweb.fdbl.com/news1.nsf/9a...b05582b07b3f07ec85257126005a5392?OpenDocument
