Senator Harry Reid Limits Amendment and Debate on Immigration Bill

Senate awaits Corker-Hoeven language to proceed on immigration

By Ramsey Cox - 06/20/13 10:39 PM ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced late Thursday that the Senate would complete work drafting a GOP border security amendment on Friday.
Reid had been delaying adjournment for the evening in hopes that the GOP border security amendment from Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) would be completed, but he said it was “senseless” to continue work Thursday night.

Instead to Senate will continue work on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Senators Jeff Sessions & Mike Lee Discuss Immigration Bill and Amendments

Reid is expected to file cloture on the Gang of Eight’s bill in addition to the Corker-Hoeven amendment. The bipartisan group of eight senators, known as the Gang of Eight, introduced S. 744, which would create a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, toughen border security, create a guest worker program and boost high-skilled immigration.
In the underlying bill, an e-verify system and entry-exit system at air and sea ports must be in place before anyone is given a green card. The amendment from Hoeven and Corker would also require construction of 700 miles of southern border fencing, the purchase of more than $3 billion in new technology for border security, and the hiring of 20,000 more border patrol agents mandatory before green cards are issued. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would have 10 years to implement those requirements.
Republicans had complained that the original bill made too many “promises” that were dependant on DHS drafting a plan. With the Corker-Hoeven amendment certain border security measures must be included in the DHS border security plan.
The Senate considered only 12 amendments to the comprehensive bill, most of which were GOP amendments aimed at ensuring border security measures occurred before any immigrants were granted legal status — those failed.
The Senate is expected to pass the immigration bill next week. Reid has said the bill needs to be complete before the July 4th recess.

Senate awaits Corker-Hoeven language to proceed on immigration 

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Cornyn expresses ‘shock and amazement’ at Corker-Hoeven border enforcement amendment

"After his controversial border security amendment was shot down during today’s Senate session, Sen. John Cornyn was visibly bewildered as Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker and North Dakota Republican Sen. John Hoeven took to the chamber floor to propose alternative legislation that demands even tougher enforcement.
While Cornyn said the Corker-Hoeven proposal “moved this bill in a constructive direction,” he questioned how the amendment differed from his own to garner the support of Gang of Eight legislators — including Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who slammed Cornyn’s amendment last week on the Senate floor."

"The amendment was tabled 54-43, “disparaged as a budget-buster,” Cornyn said.
To what Cornyn described as his “shock and amazement,” the Corker-Hoeven proposal requires an additional 350 miles of border fencing (on top of the 350 miles already required in the underlying bill) and even more border patrol agents — a whopping 20,000.
“How is it going to be paid for?” Cornyn asked Hoeven.
Hoeven said $30 billion of what a Congressional Budget Office study released Tuesday projected to be a $197 billion surplus in government revenue generated by the bill would be used to implement the enforcement measures.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said the bill would “create economy growth in the country” — “Take the CBO’s word for it,” he urged."

Cornyn expresses ‘shock and amazement’ at Corker-Hoeven border enforcement amendment