Lil'l concerning that Senate version is not there yet

[pani_6]

Senate version of CIR..when..what..by whom...time is running out..:rolleyes:

[sbabunle]

House version too :)
Its just introduced in the house. Nobody is talking
about its future..No news about when its gonna be scheduled
for debate....

[pappu]

House version too :)
Its just introduced in the house. Nobody is talking
about its future..No news about when its gonna be scheduled
for debate....
Call lawmakers to facilitate its movement and introduction

[gcfriend65]

The lawmakers in the senate, I believe, have already left for the easter break. If, I am correct, last year, senate was already negotiating the bill, at this time and left for easter break without finalizing. However, this year the story is entirely different. Nobody have even INTRODUCED the bill yet in the senate. As, per Harry Reid, the senate is gonna discuss the bill, in the last two weeks of May. But the question, I have is within this six weeks, would it be possible for the senate to table a bill, negotiate it ine the senate judiciary committee and bring it to vote in the senate?

Senate version of CIR..when..what..by whom...time is running out..:rolleyes:

[sathish_gopalan]

Does any one know what happened last year ?.. For things to work out this year, isnt the bill need to be voted by june for it to be passed as law by Onctober or so. Can they do it even after that or my question is can a bill be introduced any time of the year ?.

[gcfriend65]

Bills from last year have all expired. This year new bill has to be tabled, for discussions to start and it seems noone is ready to take the bill up yet in the senate. There is not even rumors circulating around that there will be a bill introduced soon. Without this, Immigration reform might well be dead...

Does any one know what happened last year ?.. For things to work out this year, isnt the bill need to be voted by june for it to be passed as law by Onctober or so. Can they do it even after that or my question is can a bill be introduced any time of the year ?.

[gsc999]

There is not even rumors circulating around that there will be a bill introduced soon. Without this, Immigration reform might well be dead...
--
That is not true, you should read the News update thread from yesterday for some idea on what the Senate version may look like. It will be introduced after the Ester break. Here is the link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3394.html

[pappu]

--
That is not true, you should read the News update thread from yesterday for some idea on what the Senate version may look like. It will be introduced after the Ester break. Here is the link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0407/3394.html

"With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) considering votes in late May, staff members for Democratic and Republican senators will begin writing a bill this week, aides said Monday."

This is one of the reasons why calling and meeting lawmakers is so important. Lets all focus on calling lawmakers instead of long discussion on other threads. It will be very helpful in our lobbying effort at this time.

[gsc999]

"With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) considering votes in late May, staff members for Democratic and Republican senators will begin writing a bill this week, aides said Monday."

This is one of the reasons why calling and meeting lawmakers is so important. Lets all focus on calling lawmakers instead of long discussion on other threads. It will be very helpful in our lobbying effort at this time.
---
Pappu:

Yes, Please see detailed feedback regarding my calls

Called all Senators on the list. In addition called my local senators from California at their Washington office. Below is my update:

TIER I:
FRESHMAN US SENATORS WHO ARE NEW IN 110th CONGRESS AND WERE NOT IN SENATE LAST YEAR DURING CIR

Sen. Ben Cardin (Maryland) - Doesn't have a position yet. Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) - She is for securing our borders first. Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (Missouri) - Opposes amnesty, wants secure borders, Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision.

Sen. Jon Tester (Montana) - Same as above

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) - Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision.


Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (Pennsylvania) - Supports Comprehensive immigration. Discussing with other Senators.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island) - Waiting to see the bill that comes to Senate.


Sen. Bob Corker (Tennessee) - Supports legal immigration. ( Talk to Paul)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) - No position yet. Mentioned that has received a lot of calls from IV seeking support for legal immigration.

Sen. Jim Webb (Virginia) - No position yet.


TIER II.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO VOTED AGAINST CIR LAST YEAR BUT MIGHT CONSIDER SUPPORTING CIR THIS YEAR AND NEED EXTRA PUSH TO CROSS TO LINE.

Sen. Orin Hatch (Utah) - Is against amnesty, for secure borders. supports legal immigration at a reasonable level ( Talk to Mathew Sanders)

Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) - Supports comprehensive immigration ( Talk to Lander Dell, if I remember correctly)

Sen. John Kyl (Texas) - Wants comprehensive immigration but against amnesty. Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision. Will see how the bill looks before deciding. (Talk to George, he mentioned that he is ok with taking messages from non constituents like me and will pass them on)

Sen. Tom Coburn (Oklahama) - Supports legal immigration. Discussing with other Senators to reach a decision.

TIER III.
YOUR OWN CONGRESSMAN- I called my local congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo. Requested support for legal immigration and title V of the Strive act.

Called two local senators Diane Fienstien and Barbara Boxer from California at their Washington office.
************
It seemed that only three new senators from Teir I have any concrete positions on immigration, they are:
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Claire McCaskill & Sen. Jon Tester. Rest are still discussing with other senators but support legal immigration.

I didn't have a bad experience. All staffers were courteous and patient while listening. I followed the template laid out by Pappu. It was eazy. I feel so empowered. Where is the next list gimme more

[smohan]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/4685831.html

Looks like 2nd fortnight of May will be real hot!!

[pappu]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/4685831.html

Looks like 2nd fortnight of May will be real hot!!
call the lawmakers and take advantage of the changing environment in favor of immigration reform.

Do not wait for something to happen.

There have been few thousand phone calls by anti immigrants to key lawmaker offices. If we need to get our voices heard we need to all call more. Please encourage everyone on other threads to join this campaign as it is critical to the work we are doing now. We can discuss all strategies, opinions and ideas later.

[gg_ny]

I agree with Pappu. Recently, a new employee has joined one of the groups I know in my workplace who is a 'displaced' programmer (displaced from highech companies to 'non-profit' low paying research sector). This person seems to be disgruntled and believes that the turndown in his job prospects over the past 5 years has been due to the influx of H1Bs and to some extent 'GC-crowd', off-sourcing among other things. From what I gather listening to this person, associations of programmers ACROSS the country have been cultivating specific Congress members' staff over the months mainly by, guess what, phone calls.Instead of fighting alone, these 'disgruntled high skill labor citizens' have joined forces with 'naturally anti-immigrant groups' to thwart any efforts either for legal or illegal immigration. They were successul in 2005, and 2006. The two groups are very very very active now.


The impression I get is that, high skilled grievances give an edge to a few thousand anti-immigrant activists' efforts to undermine what all IV does. There are two fangs now: anti-illegal-immigrants, anti-amnestians targetting any 'comprehensive' relief to so called 'illegal immigrantion' and
anti-(legal) immigrants like programmers and those in IT fields who feel
targetted by H1B/EB privileges of 'high skilled labor'. Unfortunately, both are targetting teh same 'legislative package': CIR/STRIVE. If I am a congressman, then I would be hearing against voting or supporting STRIVE or H1B/GC increase as that was the message I could gather from the 'feedback' from the community. Actually, the feedback is coming from a few thousand activists who make enough noise.

To counter this, GC applicants and aspirants under EB 2/3 categories need to act now. There are NOT million anti-immigrant activists but only a few thousands, who know the ropes and tricks to reach out to the congressmember offices: phone calls, community BBQs, fund raising events under different cloaks (which people like McCain fought against before subscribing to such things) etc. They make a huge noise creating an impression that there are millions who are 'voicing their thoughts' against immigration. No. nada. there are only a few thousand acitivists who are loud enough. Thus it becomes very important that IV members and their friends reach out to the same congressmember offices to sound the need for pro-immigrant steps.

This is almost like a 'do or die' situation. It would only be a miracle for something positive to happen to support even legal immigration in future if nothing is done in the present political set up. But if these efforts to legislate pro-GC fail this time, it would not be due to millions of citizens/voters were against it; but rather because Congress was led to believe so by a few thousand xenophobic, anti-immigrant activists.



call the lawmakers and take advantage of the changing environment in favor of immigration reform.

Do not wait for something to happen.

There have been few thousand phone calls by anti immigrants to key lawmaker offices. If we need to get our voices heard we need to all call more. Please encourage everyone on other threads to join this campaign as it is critical to the work we are doing now. We can discuss all strategies, opinions and ideas later.

[We_will_get_GC]

Two United States senators have proposed a bill that will give US workers first crack at technology job openings and toughen the H-1B visa program, reports said.

The Senators announced the filing of their bill on the same day that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency began accepting H-1B applications for the federal government's 2008 fiscal year.

The bill -- introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) just before Congress departed for its spring recess -- is designed to curb abuse of the controversial worker visa system, CNET News.com reported.

http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/apr/04visa1.htm

[We_will_get_GC]

After careful reading...It is not CIR...just for H1s

Two United States senators have proposed a bill that will give US workers first crack at technology job openings and toughen the H-1B visa program, reports said.

The Senators announced the filing of their bill on the same day that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency began accepting H-1B applications for the federal government's 2008 fiscal year.

The bill -- introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) just before Congress departed for its spring recess -- is designed to curb abuse of the controversial worker visa system, CNET News.com reported.

http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/apr/04visa1.htm

[beppenyc]

I have spoken with my lawyers, does not look so good, we have stallmate between the Repubblican and the democrats. It will be difficult, the problem is the provision for the 12 milion to go back home.
The Dems does not have any interest to push for the skill bill.
August is the deadline.

[amitjoey]

I have spoken with my lawyers, does not look so good, we have stallmate between the Repubblican and the democrats. It will be difficult, the problem is the provision for the 12 milion to go back home.
The Dems does not have any interest to push for the skill bill.
August is the deadline.

I would take what the lawyers say with a grain of salt. IV Core knows upto the minute information, they always seem to know the inside information. So dont worry, if IV Core dosent say it, there is nothing to worry.

[vagish]

I have spoken with my lawyers, does not look so good, we have stallmate between the Repubblican and the democrats. It will be difficult, the problem is the provision for the 12 milion to go back home.
The Dems does not have any interest to push for the skill bill.
August is the deadline.
lawyers know as much as we know, I won't any attention,
However it is not easy to get the comrpomise between rebpublicans and democrats, because of the touch back provision for illigals, democrats wants illigals to be given free ride, heck they could even go to an extent of government paying the fees for the illigals green card and citizenship process.

thanks

[beppenyc]

lawyers know as much as we know, I won't any attention,
However it is not easy to get the comrpomise between rebpublicans and democrats, because of the touch back provision for illigals, democrats wants illigals to be given free ride, heck they could even go to an extent of government paying the fees for the illigals green card and citizenship process.

thanks
Right, but it`s not only the Dems that they are agianst the Touch back provision, also the Chambre of Commerce and others istitute. It`s not looking good. If they can compromise about the touch back, (exemple 2 weeks? ) we can have something on the table.

Thanks

[srr_2007]

Right, but it`s not only the Dems that they are agianst the Touch back provision, also the Chambre of Commerce and others istitute. It`s not looking good. If they can compromise about the touch back, (exemple 2 weeks? ) we can have something on the table.

Thanks

Republicans want all the benefits to the employer/corporations. Dem's want all kinds of benefits for Illegals. Nobody talks about reality and take a middle ground. By this way all their agendas are fulfilled.

[vagish]

Republicans want all the benefits to the employer/corporations. Dem's want all kinds of benefits for Illegals. Nobody talks about reality and take a middle ground. By this way all their agendas are fulfilled.

A little bit of sense is required.
Why don't republicans want fair market wage clause in the bill, and why can't damocrats understand that illigals have broken the law and hence 10K for green card is peanuts, look at the people around the world, if they are told that after few years in waiting and paying 10K fees , they can get the green , you will see 1.5 million applications comming everyday to USCIS, just because they don't happen to share a porous border with U.S they won't be eligible, why only green card for 10K to illigals here , why not for propective immigrants in hugh numbers, none of the sides are taking any rationale position.

I was reading an article somedays back , as to why Mccain kennedy partnership failed in the senate over immigration.
it said kennedy wanted to add a clause of fair wage to future immigrants(all kinds) , but mccain was oppsed, as he felt that employers won't be inclined to get get guest workers at the first place( how silly is that ).

pitty on us, that we are caught in the middle of this.

thanks