Bush and Reid Trade Barbs Over Immigration Reform

Since 04-15-06

By Randy Hall
CNSNews.com Staff Writer/Editor
April 13, 2006

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200604/POL20060413d.html

(CNSNews.com) - The war of words over immigration reform escalated Thursday, as President George W. Bush accused Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) of using a "procedural gimmick" to single-handedly thwart the will of the American people. For his part, Reid claimed that Bush "has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security."

During a speech to a small business conference in Washington, D.C., Bush called the debate over illegal immigration "highly emotional" and "a vitally important issue" for a "land of immigrants" that is also "a nation of laws."

The president noted that he was "encouraged" when members of the U.S. Senate "reached a promising bipartisan compromise" on the issue this past week. However, that legislation was "blocked by the Senate Democratic minority leader," who "refused to allow senators to move forward and vote for amendments to the bill.

"It was a procedural gimmick that meant he was single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people and impeding bipartisan efforts to secure this border," Bush said. "Congress needs to set aside partisan differences and get a good bill to my desk."

The president was referring to events late last week, when the Senate was prepared to vote on compromise legislation that would have put most of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.

However, when conservative senators attacked the bill as amnesty for lawbreakers and sought to add amendments, Reid refused to allow votes on the amendments on the grounds that they were intended to gut the overall legislation.

As for what the president believes a "good bill" would contain, Bush stated Thursday that "any effective immigration reform must include a temporary worker program that includes a legal way to match willing foreign workers with willing American employers to fill the jobs Americans will not do.

"This immigration program should not provide automatic citizenship or amnesty," he added.

"Making sure there are tamper-proof identification cards so people can't cheat on the system makes sense to me," Bush said. "Treating people with dignity makes sense to me. Making sure the system doesn't force people into the shadows of our society, changing that system for the better for security and for decency makes sense to me."

The president also defended the work of those who currently defend the country's borders.

"I don't know if you realize this, but since 2001, we have turned back 6 million folks trying to come into this country illegally," he said. "There are a lot of people working hard down on our borders, and we're going to continue to modernize the borders to enable them to better do their jobs."

Nevertheless, Bush had direct advice for members of Congress when they return from their Easter recess on April 24: "It's time to set aside needless partisan politics and focus on what's right for the United States of America."

Reid's comments were equally direct. In a statement on the senator's website, he declared that "President Bush has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security.

"If he were actually committed to comprehensive immigration reform, he would have stopped his own party from filibustering it twice last week," the Nevada Democrat added.

As proof of Reid's commitment to meaningful immigration reform, his staff pointed to a letter he sent to Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday that calls for the majority leader to "bring the immigration bill back before the full Senate at the earliest opportunity.

"The peaceful, dignified rallies across the country earlier this week underscore the need for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year," Reid wrote.

"Our current immigration system is broken," he continued. "We must strengthen border security, create legal mechanisms for American companies to hire essential temporary employees and allow the 11 million undocumented workers in the United States to come out of the shadows."

On Thursday, Reid referred back to his letter to Frist.

"If the president is serious about moving forward, then he should join me in calling on Sen. Frist to bring immigration reform back to the Senate floor when we return," he stated.

"Hopefully by then, President Bush and his majority leader will have found the backbone to stop the extreme elements of the Republican Party from blocking improvements to America's security," Reid said.