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Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is not planning floor time for the massive immigration bill until he can reach an agreement with Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on amendments.

The bill faltered before the recess because of a dispute over amendments, and Frist ordered the bill back to committee. "We're back where we were before we left," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Monday.

Judiciary Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has said he does not want the committee to vote again on a bipartisan compromise reached before the break, and that he would prefer to make any changes on the floor.

Specter plans to hold several hearings to examine the need for immigration legislation, beginning with a session Tuesday on the economic effects of illegal immigration. Cornyn agreed with Specter's plan to avoid another markup session.

"I don't see the benefit of that," he said. "Now, I think it's time for floor amendments and floor debate."

To assuage concerns among Republicans that Congress should not adopt a broad immigration overhaul bill without first securing the borders, Republicans are offering an amendment to the fiscal 2006 supplemental spending bill that would add $1.9 billion to beef up border security.

"Hopefully, additional funds to border security will allow us to pass a comprehensive immigration bill," Cornyn said. That amendment, which is sponsored by Frist and Budget Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., could get a vote as soon as Tuesday, aides said.

The border security initiative will be offset by reducing funding in other parts of the supplemental bill, which includes money for military operations, hurricane relief and flu pandemic preparations. Sponsors have not said where they will find the offsets.

While the border security funds are aimed at Senate conservatives, they might anger GOP lawmakers who have complained that the emergency supplemental should include only true emergencies. "There are a lot of internal and other conflicts on the supplemental," Cornyn said.

COMMENTS

• This entire area is totally emotional and presented in a fog that keeps the average citizen from evaluating the program. It seems to me from all I have read that we spend a tremendous amount of money on an immigration system that traps people crossing illegally (many are never trapped) and sends them back to wherever. The people sent back then return within three months -- some get through and others are returned for another try in three months. Many of these people pay as much as $3,000 to get in from Mexico and I have seen figures for Asia as high as $15,000. It seems to me that we could get rid of about $11 billion in the federal budget going to ICE and border and customs and allowing the immigrants to come into the country if they pay a $3,000 per person fee if coming from Mexico or a $10,000 per person if coming from Asia. These fees should cover transportation and we should have our domestic airline (no foreign carriers) provide this transport on a periodic basis from Mexico City, Korea, Thailand, India and Pakistan. Why do we keep trying to catch people and send them back so they can try again in three months? Seems pretty silly to me and Congress seems to have no clue but to keep spending more and more of my money. Taxpayer Posted May 1, 2006 9:00 AM
• Congress must do what is right for the American Citizens, not the illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants have no rights in the United States. Before any immigration bills are passed there needs to be consideration on how dangerous this could be and what harm will be done to the American citizens by granting these illegal immigrants privileges they have not earned. An example, you and your family of four go on vacation, when you return to your home numerous strangers have entered your house and are living there. What do you do? Make room for them and give them all the rights of your house that you and your family have worked years to establish? This is what the illegal immigrants are demanding. Or do you evict them? How is the illegal immigrant issue any different? They may be filling the low income jobs but their cost to our Social Services’ and the American economy is much greater. They are using our schools, our highways, our medical facilities and hospitals, our public utility networks, our government agencies, our Welfare, and our Medicaid without paying for them. The American citizens have worked long and hard to establish these agencies, facilities, and systems, while the illegal immigrants have not and are not contributing to the continuation of them. The influx of 11-12 million illegal immigrants has created a housing problem with the deterioration of neighborhoods by numerous people living in single family households. Set up several processing centers like Ellis Island in Texas, Arizona, California, and several temporary ones in Washington, D.C., central Florida, and Kansas City, requiring all illegal immigrants to register. If they do not register they will be deported. Start immediately to process the illegal immigrants who are qualified to become citizens, issue green cards for qualified immigrants, and send the others back to their homeland. The cost could not equal the drain these illegal immigrants are on our economy or the cost of security our police departments provided during the recent protests/demonstrations. Establish a limit on immigration from Mexico and South of the Border. With 11-12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, we are losing a lot of revenue that could contribute to our social services, help our economy, and reduce our national debt! GovExec.com reader Posted April 25, 2006 10:28 AM