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A year and a half of debate and wrangling over proposals for a major immigration overhaul yield a long border barrier.
By DENA BUNIS
The Orange County Register
WASHINGTON – After 18 months of hearings, writing and rewriting of legislation, lobbying, citizens patrolling the borders and hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets, the debate over the nation's immigration policy has produced – a fence.
Sometime in the next few days President Bush is likely to sign the bill the Senate passed Friday authorizing 700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico.
What the president won't be signing is a bill that meets his goals of border enforcement combined with a guest-worker program and a plan for legalizing millions of undocumented people living and working in the United States. That's the bill the Senate passed last May. But many House Republicans don't like it.
Bush also won't be signing a bill that would make criminals of illegal immigrants, pave the way for increased enforcement of immigration laws by state and local police, and make it easier for federal officials to detain and deport people here illegally. Democrats and some Republicans don't like that one.
"From our view we have essentially had a big debate between comprehensive and enforcement only, and it's essentially a tie," said Frank Sharry, head of the National Immigration Forum, an umbrella agency for groups seeking a comprehensive solution.
In the past couple of days it became clear that GOP leaders were intent on making sure the fence bill got to the president's desk before the Election Day recess. So all amendments were dispensed with.
Two Republican senators had wanted to give the homeland security secretary flexibility in deciding where the 700 miles of fencing could be built. The GOP leadership wouldn't let that come up for a vote Friday.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wanted to vote on an agriculture worker program. That amendment also wasn't allowed.
There was even a technical amendment that Majority Leader Bill Frist had planned to add that was dispensed with just so the fence bill didn't have to go back to the House for another vote and could be sent directly to Bush.
Groups like Sharry's feel they dodged a bullet in this last week of the session when Speaker Dennis Hastert tried to attach several enforcement bills onto various appropriations and other bills headed for passage in the waning days of lawmaking before the election break.
But those who believe border security must precede any other immigration policy change and who strongly oppose anything that smacks of amnesty, say the fence is an important milestone.
"We got the first good steps forward this year, more than we've had in the last 10 years," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. He said the GOP gets credit for the money put into the homeland security appropriations bill for more border patrol agents and more detention beds for illegal immigrants.
"The House at last recognized that the goal was to shut off the flow of illegal immigration into our county," said Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. "The Senate obviously was still supporting the concept of an open border which would increase the flow of illegal immigration."
Often in Washington, the Senate and House are at odds over issues or how each chamber handles the passage of legislation.
But in this debate, the rhetoric was edgier than usual.
Through the summer the House held hearings across the county where lawmakers berated the Senate-passed bill.
Since then, Republican senators who were key in the crafting of their immigration bill have been openly combative with their House brethren.
"The House of Representatives doesn't think much of the bicameral system," Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a speech at the National Press Club this week. And Specter warned his colleagues across the Capitol that he was not finished with immigration.
"I can assure you that the matter will be at the top of the agenda for the Judiciary Committee next year," Specter said at a press conference with religious leaders who support his approach. "And we will not rest until we have succeeded."
What happens in next month's election could well shape the future immigration debate.
Should Democrats wrest control of the House from the GOP, it's more likely that a bill similar to the one passed by the Senate could pass the House.
But if the Republicans maintain House control without losing too many seats, the gridlock between the two chambers over this emotional issue could well continue.
Article - News - It all comes down to a fence
By DENA BUNIS
The Orange County Register
WASHINGTON – After 18 months of hearings, writing and rewriting of legislation, lobbying, citizens patrolling the borders and hundreds of thousands of people marching in the streets, the debate over the nation's immigration policy has produced – a fence.
Sometime in the next few days President Bush is likely to sign the bill the Senate passed Friday authorizing 700 miles of fencing along the border with Mexico.
What the president won't be signing is a bill that meets his goals of border enforcement combined with a guest-worker program and a plan for legalizing millions of undocumented people living and working in the United States. That's the bill the Senate passed last May. But many House Republicans don't like it.
Bush also won't be signing a bill that would make criminals of illegal immigrants, pave the way for increased enforcement of immigration laws by state and local police, and make it easier for federal officials to detain and deport people here illegally. Democrats and some Republicans don't like that one.
"From our view we have essentially had a big debate between comprehensive and enforcement only, and it's essentially a tie," said Frank Sharry, head of the National Immigration Forum, an umbrella agency for groups seeking a comprehensive solution.
In the past couple of days it became clear that GOP leaders were intent on making sure the fence bill got to the president's desk before the Election Day recess. So all amendments were dispensed with.
Two Republican senators had wanted to give the homeland security secretary flexibility in deciding where the 700 miles of fencing could be built. The GOP leadership wouldn't let that come up for a vote Friday.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wanted to vote on an agriculture worker program. That amendment also wasn't allowed.
There was even a technical amendment that Majority Leader Bill Frist had planned to add that was dispensed with just so the fence bill didn't have to go back to the House for another vote and could be sent directly to Bush.
Groups like Sharry's feel they dodged a bullet in this last week of the session when Speaker Dennis Hastert tried to attach several enforcement bills onto various appropriations and other bills headed for passage in the waning days of lawmaking before the election break.
But those who believe border security must precede any other immigration policy change and who strongly oppose anything that smacks of amnesty, say the fence is an important milestone.
"We got the first good steps forward this year, more than we've had in the last 10 years," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. He said the GOP gets credit for the money put into the homeland security appropriations bill for more border patrol agents and more detention beds for illegal immigrants.
"The House at last recognized that the goal was to shut off the flow of illegal immigration into our county," said Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. "The Senate obviously was still supporting the concept of an open border which would increase the flow of illegal immigration."
Often in Washington, the Senate and House are at odds over issues or how each chamber handles the passage of legislation.
But in this debate, the rhetoric was edgier than usual.
Through the summer the House held hearings across the county where lawmakers berated the Senate-passed bill.
Since then, Republican senators who were key in the crafting of their immigration bill have been openly combative with their House brethren.
"The House of Representatives doesn't think much of the bicameral system," Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a speech at the National Press Club this week. And Specter warned his colleagues across the Capitol that he was not finished with immigration.
"I can assure you that the matter will be at the top of the agenda for the Judiciary Committee next year," Specter said at a press conference with religious leaders who support his approach. "And we will not rest until we have succeeded."
What happens in next month's election could well shape the future immigration debate.
Should Democrats wrest control of the House from the GOP, it's more likely that a bill similar to the one passed by the Senate could pass the House.
But if the Republicans maintain House control without losing too many seats, the gridlock between the two chambers over this emotional issue could well continue.
Article - News - It all comes down to a fence
