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(Image source: The New York Times / Doug Mills)
BY ZACH TOOMBS
You’d think it was a done deal. After all, that was the premise of comments about immigration
made Sunday by two of the Senators working on a plan for reform.
First by Republican Lindsey Graham on CNN:
“I think we’ve got a deal. We’ve got to write the legislation … “I believe
it will pass the House because it secures our borders. It controls who gets a job.”
Then from Democrat Chuck Schumer on NBC:
“Every major policy issue has been resolved on the gang of eight … we go to the floor,
God willing, in May. I think we’re on track.”
The big breakthrough reportedly came Friday, when labor and commerce found enough common
ground to agree on a visa program. That’s part of what held up reform under President
Bush in 2007. (Via Los Angeles Times, Wikimedia Commons / The White House)
But here’s the thing: the Senate hasn’t actually written out its legislation yet.
House Republicans have some ideas of their own about what that should look like. And
there are a number of details lawmakers haven’t agreed on that could derail the whole effort.
On top of all that, the man best suited to bring Tea Party conservatives on board is
throwing on the brakes. A statement from Florida Senator Marco Rubio on Sunday said:
“...reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative
proposal are premature … We will need a healthy public debate that includes committee
hearings...” (Via Al Jazeera, Senate.gov)
Throughout Congress, there’s been widespread agreement on offering a path to citizenship
for the 11 million people who have crossed the U.S. border illegally. But as for how
difficult that path should be? That has less consensus. (Via France 24)
Politico reports a group in the House is even mulling over forcing illegal immigrants to
come before a court and plead guilty to breaking immigration laws before becoming citizens.
And although lawmakers agree illegal immigrants should have to pay a fine, there’s debate
over how much they should pay. That’s just one example of the myriad details still unaddressed
in reform talks. Another possible flashpoint? (Via C-SPAN, YouTube / chuckboombuck)
The Senate’s bipartisan group agrees the border must be deemed “secure” before
further action. But there’s no agreement as to what that means. When they visited the
Mexican border last week, they actually witnessed a woman trying to hop the fence just a few
hundred feet away. (Via ABC)
Democrats in the Senate’s bipartisan group hope to put a bill forward this month. Congress
will pick the legislation back up when lawmakers return from a 10-day recess for Easter on
April 9.