Scrutinizing the Immigration Bill

May 21, 2007 RSS Feed Print

My Creators Syndicate column this week is on immigration. I tend to support the approach taken in the compromise bill hammered out by Jon Kyl and Edward Kennedy, which in many ways should be more appealing to conservatives than the bill the Republican-majority Senate passed a year ago next week.

The details are important, however, and deserve careful scrutiny, as John Fund argues in OpinionJournal. Blogger Dafydd ab Hugh presents this description of the bill, drawn from a variety of sources. Blogger NZ Bear does us the service of providing a searchable text (why can't the Library of Congress's website do this?). Blogger, radio talk show host, and law professor Hugh Hewitt took the trouble this weekend to read the whole bill, and here is his commentary. He winningly admits that some provisions baffle him. Overall, his take is negative, but he points out ways in which the bill could be improved.

This morning the Washington Times's lead story starts, "Fewer than 20 senators are publicly committed to supporting the immigration deal that hits the floor of the Senate today while nearly 40 are already opposed or have serious concerns." The "serious concerns" folks could, of course, end up on either side. Most conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts are in full cry against this proposal, charging that it's amnesty. Latino advocacy groups are in full cry because it moves away from family reunification toward high-skills immigration. If either side is successful in amending the bill in some serious way, support will fall on the other side. It will be interesting to watch what happens.

Tags:
Senate,
immigration reform

Reader Comments Read all comments (1)

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

volcanic processes iii reduction likely cfcs incognito company

myleenehac of LA 12:29PM July 05, 2009

Michael Barone

Michael Barone

U.S. News Weekly

Subscribe Today

Order the new U.S. News Weekly digital magazine at a special low introductory price!

Michael Barone is a senior writer for U.S.News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. He has written for many publications—including the Economist and the New York Times.

Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Barack Obama's $5.6 Billion Valentine's Day Tax

An Americans for Tax Reform report shows the federal tax burden on love.

It's Too Early to Write Off Either Rick Santorum or Mitt Romney

Barack Obama and John McCain traveled unlikely paths to their nominations in 2008.

On Contraception Mandate, Obama Blunders Into the Culture Wars

Obama's contraception "compromise" is a gimmick that voters will see right through.

Why Mitt Romney Can't Sell Himself to Conservatives

Voters want to know if they can trust Mitt Romney.

Americans Deserve Political Freedom from the Catholic Church

Church leaders could not have been less gracious towards Obama's surrender on contraception.

What the Catholic Contraceptive Debate Is Really About

Today's debates about contraception and inequality are intertwined in that the bring up the question of morality.

Why the Catholic Contraception Controversy Is a Phony Battle

The Catholic Church is asking the Obama administration to do something it cannot do itself: limit birth control use.

Obama’s Contraceptive 'Compromise' Doesn't Pass the Smell Test

The so-called "accommodation" on contraceptive coverage reinforces the administration's commitment to its pro-choice agenda.