Dems at work FAIR article

May 7, 2007


In this update:
Senate to Fast-Track Guest Worker Amnesty Legislation
House Hearings Lay the Groundwork for an Immigration Vote
Ellsworth Introduces Employer Verification Bill in the House
Representative Deal Tackles Birthright Citizenship
Recent Floor Statements
Press Release
Senate to Fast-Track Guest Worker Amnesty Legislation
Sources on Capitol Hill are reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will be sending a guest worker amnesty bill straight to the Senate Floor during the week of May 14th. In doing so, Senator Leadership will invoke Senate Rule 14, which allows the Senate to bypass the regular committee process. Such a move would reduce the time opponents have to scrutinize the bill and keep the legislation on a fast track for passage.

Negotiations between the White House and Senators continue with regard to provisions that will ultimately be included in the legislation, and observers are waiting to see whether a compromise between the White House, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats can be reached. Sources now indicate Senate Leadership may use "place holder" legislation to get the guest worker amnesty passed. This means Senate Leadership would introduce either last year's Senate bill or a Senate version of the Flake-Gutierrez legislation (H.R.1645) and then use Rule 14 to bring the legislation directly to the floor. The legislation could then be voted on as-is, amended, or entirely stripped and amended with new compromise language hammered out with the White House. According to CongressDaily, Senator Specter has indicated this will take place using last year's Senate bill as a "place holder".

Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has also suggested that if a compromise could not be reached with Senate Republicans, last year's massive guest worker amnesty legislation (S.2611) would be re-introduced. Speaking to the Anti-Defamation League, Kennedy said, "We'll have some form of vote on immigration."

Meanwhile, Senator Sessions (R-AL) criticized the notion that last year's 800-page immigration bill would be brought to the floor without going through the committee process. In a statement released Friday, he said, "The Democratic Leadership acts like this is just another piece of everyday legislation, but it is not. The immigration bill is one of the most important to come through the Senate in the decade that I have been here." He added, "I cannot fathom any rational basis for forcing this process to the floor next week."

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