Associated Press
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) conceded last week that it is "time to deal" with immigration, and that there's reason for optimism. The GOP leader added there's a "bipartisan group" that's been working on this, and "they basically have an agreement."
As it turns out, Boehner was right.
A bipartisan group of senators has agreed on a set of principles for a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system, including a pathway to American citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants that would hinge on progress in securing the borders and ensuring that foreigners leave the country when their visas expire.
The senators were able to reach a deal by incorporating the Democrats' insistence on a single comprehensive bill that would not deny eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants, with Republican demands that strong border and interior enforcement had to be clearly in place before Congress could consider legal status for illegal immigrants.
The group was made up of eight senators, four from each party: Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Rubio, of course, was reportedly working on his own plan, which mirrored President Obama's 2011 proposal.
McCain's inclusion is also of interest, largely because it reflects a hard-to-execute flip-flop-flip -- McCain championed a comprehensive reform package in 2007, then announced his opposition to his own plan in 2008, and has now re-embraced the policies he rejected.
Looking ahead, there are two broad ways to look at the news: evaluating the policy and the politics. On both fronts, Democrats have an important advantage that's likely to help dictate the outcome.
For Democrats, making immigration reform comprehensive is critical -- if reform were broken up into parts, it'd be too easy for far-right Republicans to balk at important provisions that they may find ideologically distasteful. By committing to an all-encompassing approach, members strived to reach a deal that could satisfy a wide variety of constituencies.
With that in mind, the agreement these eight senators reached checks a lot of boxes. [Update: here's the five-page blueprint the senators' offices are distributing today.]
Under the senators' plan, most illegal immigrants would be able to apply to become permanent residents -- a crucial first step toward citizenship -- but only after certain border enforcement measures had been accomplished.
Among the plan's new proposals is the creation of a commission of governors, law enforcement officials and community leaders from border states that would assess when border security measures had been completed. A proposal would also require that an exit system be in place for tracking departures of foreigners who entered the country through airports or seaports, before any illegal immigrants could start on a path to citizenship.
The Times report added that Rubio insisted on a provision that requires immigrants who gained legal status under the bill would "be required to go to the back of the line" behind other immigrants who applied to come through legal channels.
The legislative package will also, not surprisingly, impose new requirements on "employers to check the immigration status of new workers; increase the number of visas for high-skilled jobs; provide green cards automatically to people who earn master's degrees or PhDs in science, technology or math at U.S. universities; and create an agricultural guest-worker program."
So, will the senators' plan serve as the basis for the larger debate in the coming months? In part, yes, but it won't be that simple. President Obama is set to unveil his latest immigration plan in a speech tomorrow in Las Vegas, and while it's likely to be similar, the White House's approach will probably go a little further than the bipartisan Senate plan, since Obama has not yet begun negotiating with GOP lawmakers.
But it's the question mark hanging over the House that arguably matters most. The lower chamber's Republican majority is smaller than it was last year, but it's still dominated by a far-right caucus, deeply skeptical of reform, and wary of anything right-wing activists may choose to characterize as "amnesty."
The fact that there's a Senate proposal that can probably clear a GOP filibuster is an important step, but that has long been considered the easiest hurdle to clear. Whether the House can pass this or anything else is a tougher question.
Also keep an eye on how Democrats approach negotiations as they unfold in earnest. More so than any other issue on the policy landscape, congressional Republicans are genuinely afraid of immigration -- or more to the point, they're afraid of the electoral consequences of killing it. For many GOP leaders, there's a realization that the party's demographic challenges pose a serious threat to the party's ability to compete on a national level, and if the pieces are in place for a comprehensive reform breakthrough, and House Republicans defeat it because the right wing of the party deems it too liberal, the blowback would be severe.
This dynamic is important because it gives Democrats meaningful leverage over the eventual scope of the plan. The GOP isn't afraid to ignore popular opinion on gun violence, taxes, education, or energy, but they want to take immigration policy off the table. If Dems don't leverage that advantage, they're missing a rare opportunity.
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How can a political party have a future when its core agenda is as distasteful and hostile to a growing majority of the electorate as that of the GOP? They have boxed themselves into a shrinking segment of the population, becoming a regionalized and generally rural party with little appeal to anyone of the moderate persuasion. Most indicative of the Republicans' withering is their refusal to treat the largest minority population in the United States -- Hispanics -- as anything close to legitimate Americans or citizens, and in their outrageous rhetoric on immigration. Their idea that one or two brown faces (see; Rubio, Marco) will soothe the Hispanic masses is ludicrous and another sign of their racial insensitivity. - progressive
Hey folks I count a lot of jobs there. Someone to help secure the borders/you will need more people...someone to document the people coming in at those ports of entry and someone to check on these visas....that's money and jobs folks oh and by the way...these illegal immigrants have to PASS a drivers' test and PASS the written test and then PAY for the license...they're not getting any freebies...
Krugman said it all in his NYT editorial this morning. The Republicans have been unmasked as the party of rich whites only ... and the only thing they can think to do is to try to get some kind of mask back on. This sudden interest in fixing immigration is so naked a move it boggles the mind.
Lin is right, there ARE alot of jobs there...Let the illegals build the Wall. Then, be sure they are "inside" it when the last brick is in place!
@theactivist is right. But this is not what will be shown by the main stream media.
Why is Rubio on this plan, because he wants to run for Pres in 2016.
This is all lipstick on a pig of a party. They will try to look like they care about the 99% but they will continue to close plan parenthood. They will continue to shut down the unions. They will continue to work on rigging the election system so that their minority can win. They will continue to attack SS and Medicare.
Six months ago it was put up an electric fence and send them all back. Now it is, I need to be able to look good because I need these votes. Government is not about getting votes. It is about doing the right thing for the people of the country.
I cannot believe Graham and McCain are apart of this. The are two of the craziest of the crazies.
Do McCain and Graham just volunteer for all "bipartisan" gangs, or is it simply a matter of follow the camera?
Just because the proposal was crafted by members of both parties, it doesn't necessarily follow that Republicans will support it when it comes time to vote. It's not as if they don't have a recent history of torpedoing their own ideas when it actually matters.
Thinking the same thing ....teatards will try to hold the rest of them hostage.
Standard Operating Procedures
I think the political fight right now is not so much over reforms, but over who gets credit for them. Rubio made a concerted effort, with the support of the partisan establishment and media, to get out in front of President Obama on the issue, and Democrats in the Senate were keen to jump in to prevent this from being known as just "the Rubio Plan", which Republicans are aiming for.
There is still a risk that one party might torpedo a deal if it appears the other one is getting too much of the credit. I could see Democrats attempting to amend a Rubio bill to make it more progressive, then Republicans shooting it down as "amnesty". Or if it becomes known as "the Obama immigration plan", then the chances Republicans will oppose it out of hand go way up. As usual, it's the politics that is the enemy of progress.
You are right about that , and i wonder if Pres. Obama can use an Executive Order to make it right if its voted down ?
Great optimism here folks...yes they will pass it. And it's about 50 years overdue.
I think the political fight right now is not so much over reforms, but over who gets credit for them.
THAT is the problem nowadays...who gets credit and the classic "how will it play to their electoral bases". It seems it is more important to the "perpetual candidates" that we now have in Congress than how good the bill/law is to the country. Always looking to the next election cycle. Gross.
Nathan, you are wise beyond you years.
How can you have comprehensive immigration reform without addressing the drug war component that finances illegal high tech border crossings?
And these "high tech border crossings" are..... what???
And what is with all you trolls posting your "patriot's militia" serial numbers?
The same way that you can have income tax reform without addressing the cost of olives in the supermarket. Immigration reform and the drug war are two different entities.
"high tech border crossings" is coded-language a state-lobbyist puts in the request for funding. High-tech appears to be pretty low, dig a tunnel that the drones can't see, and have at it.
Now that the sausage making has begun regarding immigration, I just hope none of the six senators sit down on the job - they may get a little behind in their work! -Kevo
Oh, kevo, you crack me up! Using "senators" and "work" in the same sentence!
Why does it seem that most Democratic plans are designed to help the American People, and Republican plans are designed to help Republicans?
-that's a rhetorical question, but open for debate, nonetheless. . .
DAY... Thats the way its been for the last 50 some years , Its only now that people are starting to see whats going on with the Far Right Wing , I think maybe people just didnt think their honorable congressmen would screw them so badly , At the same time these very same congressmen and senators on the right decided to take advantage of a bunch of stupid Republican voters , i have Republican and Tea Party realitives that are just that bone head stupid that think they have to vote for a Republican to keep their guns and follow their Church on Abortion and allow the America's Economy to go Willy Nilley tits up .
How is making sure the borders are secure helping Republicans?
It's not generally speaking. Just that when we've spent so much time recently denigrating republicans, you find it hard to stop.!!! It's like an addiction....We need a 12-step program!!!
"... the hard to execute flip-flop-flip..." isn't really that hard if you have no core principles.
No John McCain doesn't know who he is or what he believes in anymore. He's growing old and needs to retire from public service.
Under the senators' plan, most illegal immigrants would be able to apply to become permanent residents -- a crucial first step toward citizenship -- but only after certain border enforcement measures had been accomplished.
This quid pro quo is not acceptable. Do the deal, negotiate for what you want, but lets get away from this idea of prerequisites - Implementation will be fought over in the field, and would probably stunt any real progress...Which is probably what the GOP wants, anyway.
Accomplishing border enforcement is a poison pill. "accomplish" can have many definitions.
Just as Rubio's "Go to the back of the line" can depend on how fast/slow that line moves.
Immigration reform parsed out of existence - Mission accomplished.
And that's exactly the point of all this. Asking for 'the border to be secured' first is the kiss of death to any immigration reform, because the border will never be secured 100%. It's certainly not possible when the goal post keeps getting moved.
I live in Arizona, so I'm quite familiar with this tactic. Consider this history:
In April of 2009, Gov. Jan Brewer asked the president to send an additional 250 troops to guard the border. She got 524, and announced this was '...disappointing to say the least.'
http://ktar.com/?sid=1124852&nid=6
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2010/06/28/20100628arizona-guard-troops-from-obama.html
Then we have our then senators McCain and Kyl. In April of 2010, they asked for 3,000 additional troops for the border as one step in their 10 step proposal for securing the border.
Exactly one month later, May of 2010, they doubled that figure to 6,000 troops.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/19/20100419mccain-kyl-want-Guard-at-arizona-border.html
http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=d1a1b8a0-9f75-de6e-945a-f112af2977eb
How is possible to come up the stated goal, or even a method of addressing the stated goal when there's this kind of shifting on what's required?
There would have to be a prior definition of what would constitute a secured border. Otherwise the nativists would just keep moving the goalposts.
Agree to the border closing....
Amnesty for all illegals...
Drop funding for the border closing as part of the budget negotiations...
Perfect.
For a guy that supposedly studied law in colleges, this president guy sure is confused about the "illegal" part of illegal immigration.
Too soft on guns...allowing illegal people to get stuff.
The Mitt Romney lies that were listed in volumes should now have a Barack Obama bad choice collection. Let' see which one gets more!
Re: #9
"Too soft on guns...allowing illegal people to get stuff."
Sorry - you confuse me.
Who is "too soft on guns"? Who is "allowing illegal people to get stuff"?
You can't be referring to the same person.
FutureProzac: You are an important element in this Immigration Reform. The Obama-Is-Terrible-No-Matter-What Caucus will certainly step up to be heard, and in fact will blame Obama for any shortcomings.
When the negotiated bill comes up for a vote, there will be a few Senators, possibly even some Dems, in states where Hispanics are not a large percentage of the population that will vote against the bill. But when the legislation is introduced in the House, the Republicans in that chamber are going to try to water the bill down before voting for a bill. The attempts to water down the bill in the House are going to be kept from the public's eye unless Dems speak up which they will do if the House balks at passing the Senate bill. Once Boehner realizes that the Republicans in the House have no options left but to vote, the bill will pass with most Dems and a handful of Republicans. Those Republicans who vote against the bill are going to be those in districts where Hispanics are not present in large numbers and Tea Party because they are ideologues. The only other factor that will come into play is the business interests that rely on cheap labor. They will lobby against the bill. The number of Republicans who vote against the bill is going to be large but not enough to defeat it. Dems will have an opportunity to bring the public's attention to the Republicans if the bill stalls since Dems have leverage. That is the bind that Boehner is going to face knowing that the 2014 primaries and elections may give control of the House to the Dems because of this vote and/or cause him the loss of the Speaker's chair.
Maybe the states that exploit the cheap labor source can host the labor-camps to hold the amnestised illegals until their place in line comes up and they've re-paid their back taxes.
Are you kidding? McCain is like the center square on a Bipartisan Bingo card. He's always on these things, no matter what he said last year, last month or ten minutes ago.
Aaaah, but this is his gateway to the Sunday morning talkies where he can go to spout his talking points and never be challenged.
let's see, when the vote time comes, that the GOP Senators proposing this...VOTE FOR THE BILL.
I say make 11 million illegals --legal , and then close the border for one year to get this thing worked out , we dont have to have an open border .
But make sure these 11 million new people are new Democrats , start them out on the right foot , L O L .
finally
The Dream Act was already for voting on back in 2010 and the TEA-Republicans intentionally held it back because Obama won the presidency. Since then Marco Rubio penned a second version which created two or three levels of bureaucracy and levels of citizenship. John Kyl and Kay Bailey Hutchison also penned their version of immigration reform. All of the pathways for immigrants penned by the TEA-types and pseudo-Republicans must be skeptical. There was nothing wrong with the original Dream Act. It has already passed the muster and deemed ready for vote in the Senate. Both parties had gotten their way in it. Now we have this group of eight re-writing it again. Democrats Charles Schumer, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez and Michael Bennet have made agreements with John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio on yet another version of the Dream Act. Robert Menendez and Marco Rubio of Cuban immigrants and John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, have no real world experience of the true Hispanic/Latino world of Mexican undocumented in America. Different news outlets along with the FOX-hole and talk shows on the radio say the preliminary writings are not complete. Why was there not an Antonio Villaraigosa or Julian Castro in these discussions to impart their input on this yet newer version? Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are poor examples of people who know the real dilemma and pains the Hispanic population go through in Western states. Michael Bennet of Colorado is the only one with western state experience and the rest are from eastern seaboard states. They have no clue-what-so-ever! All eight will be carefully scrutinized and comparisons to the original Dream Act of 2010 will be done by those of us who are cognoscente of real world bigotry and prejudices against the Hispanic populations in the west. John McCain, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio are all sworn TEA-types who have a history of bigotry and prejudice against people of color, any color except white. Cruz and Rubio are both on record opposing the Dream Act and Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and John McCain are from states where prejudice oozes openly. The TEA-Republican side of the equation are still too closely associated with the likes of every candidate in the TEA-Republican primary and would create enough resistance for immigrants to "Self-deport."
This "proposal" is a bunch of crap IMHO. There is no way to secure a twentyfive hundred mile border, so this notion that Reform will kick in when the border is "secure" is insulting. So Jan Freaking Brewer gets to decide if the border is "secure"? They call smugglers coyotes for a reason, they could also call them cockroaches, these folks will simply adjust their tactics.
that would hinge on progress in securing the borders and ensuring that foreigners leave the country when their visas expire.
That looks good on paper, but the actual enforcement of both items will be daunting.
Wow, the same two-faces working the street corner as soon as the GOP citizens clean up our neighborhood committee left the area, Graham and McCain, and their token Cubano fresh faced pander bear, Marco. Plus, Jeff Flake? Hard to tell where the honey truck will stop next.
Looks like a good opportunity for politicians to make some noise in the media, without committing to actual reform. Someone interested in reform would have asked for Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) input.
If this plan depends on "securing the borders" before implementation, we are in for a long long wait. At the moment, the right wing of the republican party is not going to like any reform short of mass deportations, even if they must condemn themselves to minority status for eternity.
http://bordercrossingstories.blogspot.com/
The Weld County commissioners in May of 2011 decided to discontinue the availability of the morning after pill without public knowledge or hearings. This decision was made by Republican commissioners behind closed doors. Reference article on the front page of the Greeley Tribune Saturday January 26. Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has sent the commissioners a strong message. No medical experts were consulted in this decision. The commissioners stated the pill caused abortions which it does not. Local channels are now covering this story. Rachael - please cover in nationally.
Is Greeley still the dumbass burg it was with the "dry" town surrounded by all the bars across the street from the city limits, like it was that useless year I spent attending "the second-best teacher's training school in America"? Are all the feedlots still spreading "the smell of money" over the place?
@Noreen, off topic but maybe it will get noticed. Maybe try the e-mail address on the right.
I do not know where Weld county is but this is the type of legislation that they will continue to push while they try to win over votes with immigration legislation.
Bill Moyers show on PBS this past weekend discussed the war on women and how a lot of women in rural south Texas have lost access to health care because Texas has shut down funding to Planned Parenthood. This is really sad and does not get enough press.
"If Dems don't leverage that advantage, they're missing a rare opportunity."
It isn't like the Dems haven't been doing this for years. The most recent example was Reid and the filibuster control failure.
I do not trust the republicans. First, I think they are being agreeable because they know if they don't they will never get the Latino vote. Second, if this was such a concern with them they would have toted it during the last election. The republicans are not doing this because it is the right thing to do they are doing it to make them look good. Just like the election of 2010 when they said they would create jobs and instead passed legislation to restrict a women's right to abortion. I don't believe they would stick to this if they were elected in 2016. I think they will bide their time, do what is necessary to take the white house, and congress, and then put restrictions on immigration policy that passes.
Notice all these " NEW" talking points since their meeting 10 days ago. New rhetoric, no new ideas or policies. Ryan was on the same ticket as the guy who was campaigning on " self deport". Lindsey Graham and Jim deminted , two of the most racist guys ever in office. Do these rethugs/ttthugs really think we are all stupid? I won't forget all the past 4 yrs. Jim deminted was also in the gang of 12 plotting to undermine our duly elected President. THAT jimbo deminted?
@Linda, good catch about linking to meeting ten days ago.
But they do not care that you or I will remember. They only care about the message that the media will deliver to the masses.
What happened to including Uniting American Families Act as part of comprehensive immigration reform? If the President suggests it, no doubt Republicans will shoot it down.
The four R-senators from this bipartisan group working on immigration reform is highly suspect.
1. McCain's membership and his previous flip-flopping position on such a critical issue is an almost guarantee that this "well-intentioned" effort or understaking is bound to failwill fail.
2.Partner McCain with Lindsey Graham and the rest is easy to figure out.
3.Rubio is nothing but just a front liner whose Spanish name is just being used by the Republicans to mask their scheme of fooling the Hispanics as to their true motive in getting involved with immigration reform: elections, according to McCain.
4. Jeff Flake of all places, Arizona? How far is he from T. Brewer?
These Republicans are there to once more play games: delay or block immigration reform.
Proof: Their insistence that the borders be secured first before citizenship.
In three to six months when they discuss spending cuts would they really approve funding to secure these borders?
Remember, no border security, no citizenship.
Three requirements before citizenship that are troublesome or unsettling:
1. Citizenship can happen when" border enforcement measures had been accomplished."
- how many measures are there?
- how far are they from getting these mesures accomplished?
- would there be a required deadline for completion?
- would the Republicans actually vote funding for this when their demand for spending cuts come into play?
(This whole thing borders more to impossibility)
Maybe if the guest-to-work program is approved first, there would be more people to hire to meet such a requirement.
2. " governors, law enforcement officials, community leaders from border states would assess when border security measures had been completed."
- it would be best for employers to wait for such completion before they release the names of their employees.
3. impose new requirements on "employers to check the immigration status of new workers.
- I sense some kind of a plot here. well,yeah, but complete those border security measures first. See what happens with that first.