Inside Tucson Business: Kyl, McCain snubbed as immigration debate goes forward

Kyl, McCain snubbed as immigration debate goes forward

By Philip S. Moore, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Monday, April 03, 2006

As the Senate Judiciary Committee snubs Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl’s proposal for immigration reform and is, in turn, snubbed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has waded into the controversy with a proposed policy of its own.

Sent to members of the Southern Arizona Congressional delegation, the chamber’s Board of Directors has called for more border and interior security, a functional employee verification system with fraud-proof documents, and a viable guest worker program.

“We believe the timing is right to show our Congressional delegation exactly what we feel should be done,” said Jack camper, chamber president. “We’ve taken a comprehensive approach with our recommendations, not just looking at security or at the guest worker program, but at other issues as well.”

Whether anybody on Capitol Hill is listening, at the point, is uncertain, as Frist chose to override the Judiciary Committee by bringing his own reform measure to the Senate floor, based on the House of Representatives’ Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act (HR 4437), introduced by Wisconsin Rep. James Sensenbrenner and approved by the House in December.

Based on Arizona Sen. John McCain’s proposal, the Judiciary Committee bill was dismissed by Frist as going “too far in granting illegal immigrants with what most Americans will see as amnesty.”

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter rejected the criticism of his proposed bill, as does McCain, who called it “a 21st century approach to a 21st century problem.” Specter has vowed to substitute his committee’s language for Frist’s before a final Senate vote, but whether he can do it depends on how many other Senators agree with him.

All eight Judiciary Committee Democrats voted for Specter’s bill, along with Republican Sen. Mike DeWine from Ohio, South Carolina’s Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Jon Kyl of Arizona and four other Republicans voted against it. Kyl said without a way to match immigrants to American labor needs, backers should “get ready for a real tough time” when displaced American workers say, “How did you let this happen?”

Contact Philip S. Moore at pmoore@azbiz.com or at (520) 295-4238.