March 24 Protest. We were there!
|
|
Home  News Immigration Reform Reid, Frist Jockey Over Immigration Bill
|
|
Reid, Frist Jockey Over Immigration Bill |
|
|
|
|
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer The Senate's top Democrat asked Majority Leader Bill Frist on Wednesday to return to work on immigration legislation immediately after the Senate completes a bill with more money for military operations in Iraq and hurricane relief. Congress is on a two-week recess and the Senate is scheduled to consider the war spending bill when it returns April 25.
Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a letter to Frist that the need for an immigration bill was highlighted by rallies across the nation this week protesting a House bill that would subject illegal immigrants to prosecution as felons.
Reid labeled as "confusing" Frist's position on a compromise put together by Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Mel Martinez, R-Fla., that collapsed last Friday after Democrats refused to allow votes on several amendments to it.
"I can only conclude that you had second thoughts about Hagel-Martinez after right-wing members of your caucus made known their strong opposition to it," Reid wrote.
Frist, R-Tenn., responded with a statement saying Reid "needs to stop clogging up the Senate with procedural gimmicks and let members have fair up and down votes on amendments"
"Every day he stalls, we are less safe and less secure," said Frist, who is on a congressional trip in Eastern Europe.
Before leaving last week, both party leaders had embraced a compromise that would let the majority of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants remain in the U.S. and get on a path to citizenship but require those in the country less than two years to leave.
Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., issued a statement Tuesday saying they will seek legislation that would subject illegal immigrants only to misdemeanor prosecution or fines as an alternative to the sterner measure passed by the House last year.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. |
|
