by Frank James
President Bush was in the Newport, Rhode Island, delivering a speech on staying the new course in Iraq when the Senate failed to amass the needed 60 votes to keep the immigration bill alive.
Following the Iraq speech, an obviously glum Bush spoke briefly to reporters about the immigration vote:
PRESIDENT BUSH: I thank the members of the Senate and members of my administration who worked so hard on the border security and immigration reform bill. I'm sorry the Senate was unable to reach agreement on the bill this morning.
Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress's failure to act on it is a disappointment. The American people understand the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws. A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It -- it didn't work.
Congress really needs to prove to the American people that it can come together on hard issues. The Congress needs to work on comprehensive energy policy and health care, making sure health care is affordable without inviting the federal government to run the health care system. We got to work together to make sure we can balance this federal budget and not overspend or raise taxes on the American people. And we got a lot of work to do.
When they come back from the summer -- from the July recess, before the summer break begins, we'll be focusing on the appropriations process. And I look forward to working with Congress to balance our budgets and to be wise about how we spend the people's money.
Thank you for your time.
Q Are you sorry you didn't do more personally to lobby the members of your own party, sir?
(No audible response as Bush turned and walked out the building.)
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Comments
Legal immigration is *not* one of my top concerns. Impeaching Commander Guy and Darth Cheney is my number one concern, followed closely by fixing what we messed up in Iraq.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 28, 2007 2:19 PM
I agree with Cheryl
Posted by: John E | June 28, 2007 2:26 PM
I feel confident President Bush will still propose the border security part of the bill.
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 28, 2007 2:40 PM
Ahhhh, the deranged thinking of a typical Leftist One-Note Loon.
Cheryl, Johnnny E., needs a play partner in his basement today. Give him a call.
Wise up, Leftist Loons. Bush and Cheney are NOT going to be impeached by your ridiculous Democratic Congress. Frankly, I hope they do try because it will ensure that the GOP wins the White House and re-takes Congress in 2008.
Posted by: John D | June 28, 2007 2:59 PM
Good, the bill would not have helped anything. We are better off with no new immigration legislation than with this deeply flawed bill.
Here is the truth: The only way to cut down on illegal immigration is to enact heavy fines on people who hire illegal immigrants. It is supply and demand, no more and no less. If we build a fence they will get around it. The border patrol could be ten times the size it is and it would not matter. As long as there is demand their will be supply.
If, however, we were to fine people who hire illegals between $10,000 and $500,000 for every offense and then ACTUALLY HAND OUT THE FINES (it is called enforcing the law) soon enough nobody would hire illegals and illegals would stop coming here for work. Think about it, after Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction the FEC started handing out huge ($500,000?) fines for indecency and I have not seen a middle aged, artificially inflated booby on TV since. See? Problem solved.
Of course neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would EVER do that, the people who pay for their election campaigns use illegal immigrants all the time. They rely on illegal immigrants to keep their labor costs low so they can make more money...
But the politicians don't really want to solve the problem; they just want to look like they are trying to solve the problem.
Posted by: nisleib | June 28, 2007 3:01 PM
Looks like the people had a "surge" here in the US of their own. Cornyn was just on talking about how his office was inundated with calls, emails, and mail against this bill. Some of the lawmakers finally LISTENED this time to what the people wanted.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | June 28, 2007 4:27 PM
He STILL doesn't get it - "legal immigration" is not a concern - it is ILLEGAL immigration that is/was the concern. Statements like that make me wonder what fantasyland Dubya lives in.
Posted by: Linda | June 28, 2007 4:57 PM
He STILL doesn't get it - "legal immigration" is not a concern - it is ILLEGAL immigration that is/was the concern. Statements like that make me wonder what fantasyland Dubya lives in.
Posted by: Linda | June 28, 2007 4:57 PM
Legal immigration, illegal immigration. From a man that doesn't know the difference between Al-Queada and muslims or Afganistan and Iraq?
Posted by: bill r. | June 28, 2007 5:31 PM
It's not the Democratically controlled Congress that derailed this bill, it was the Republicans who are deserting Bush. These Republican Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen want to get reelected. They know that that can't happen if they have ties to Bush/Cheney. Immigration reform does need to be addressed but the Bush administration is not capable of putting together a proposal that doesn't smack of a self serving agenda.
Posted by: Mrs. Jesus | June 29, 2007 1:50 AM