From today's Denver Post, "A renewed congressional drive to pass immigration reform hit a roadblock Thursday when lawmakers split along party lines on a White House proposal. Republicans either defended the Bush administration's ideas or called them starting points for discussion. Democrats said parts of the proposal were unworkable, including high costs to apply for permanent residency, and a temporary-worker program that would not allow workers to bring their families. Those party-line differences came less than a day after a bipartisan group of senators, including Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar, met to start work on a new immigration bill...
"The differences underscored how controversial and difficult it still may be to pass legislation, even though the Democratic- controlled Congress and the Bush administration want immigration reform. The Bush administration's ideas for immigration reform legislation have come out as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has met with Republican senators. Those meetings have been "to try to build consensus among a majority of Republicans," on immigration, White House spokesman Blair Jones said...
"The president's initial proposal, according to those familiar with it, includes a provision for temporary workers to stay two years, after which they must leave the country for six months. They can then renew twice, for a total of six years. The proposal requires illegal immigrants who want legal status to pay fees starting at $3,500, plus a balloon payment of $8,000 if they gain permanent-resident status. The proposal also shuffles some categories of work visas, reducing the number allotted for family members such as adult children, adult siblings and parents, said Marshall Fitz, director of advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association...
"[U.S. Senator Ken Salazar] added, 'I don't want to see the tool of immigration reform break up families. I don't think that's the moral high ground.'"
"2008 pres"
6:26:36 AM 
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