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Immigration, a political flop |
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Written by Reyne
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Apr 09, 2006 at 12:46 AM |
Navigating through choppy political waters, the top democratic senator pulls out on an immigration bill, ending hopes of a bi-partisan compromise.
It seemed on Thursday that an immigration deal was going to happen. Republicans and democrats compromised on a bi-partisan bill that would allow a path to citizenship for the illegal immigrants who have been in the country for over 2 years. The bill also included a plan to allow a number of low-wage workers to come to the U.S. Most importantly, the Senate got rid of any punishments that would criminalize the 12 million illegal immigrants. By all appearances, the democrats were happy with the bill because the compromise satisfied most of their demands.
Senate minority leader Harry Reid shocked members of both parties by pulling out on the bill Friday. It might appear insane to let go of an immigration deal that favors democratic values, but Reid was wise to reject the bill. Signing the bill would be a major political mistake for the democrats.
First, Republicans wanted to vote on amendments that would undermine essential parts of the bill. For example, one amendment requires the Department of Homeland Security to certify that the border was secure before allowing any illegal immigrants to become legal. Second, any bill that passes the Senate must go through a conference committee with the House. The House favors conservative immigration reform such as labeling all illegal immigrants as felons and building walls along the southern border. The conference committee could very likely alter the bi-partisan bill in a dramatic way.
It is possible for Reid to setup a filibuster to stop any altered bill that disagreed with the democrats. However, such a filibuster would make the democrats unpopular to the public because the republicans can sell the stricter bill as a way to protect U.S. security. The democrats can't afford bad publicity with midterm elections coming up. Considering all the political angles to the bill, it does appear that Reid avoided a possible trap. Especially since Reid could not get a guarantee from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist that the Republicans will only support the Senate approved bi-partisan bill if the bill went to a conference committee with the House.
Further Reading
Why the Immigration Deal Flopped
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