The new immigration amendments: More of the same old,, same old

Yesterday, I posted up the leak from the AP about them. The commentary that followed was free of charge, and available to all. I said they didn't cut the mustard yesterday. Today, Hugh Hewitt received an e-mail "from a gnome on the Hill." It's a Democrat e-mail that was sent to him that lists the amendments, minus the language of those amendments. I think they're pretty self-explanatory:

Democratic Amendments
1199 Dodd Family parent visas
1313 Webb Community ties for Zs
1236 Baucus-Tester Strike all reference to REAL ID
1332 Sanders Employers to certify no mass layoff
1344 Byrd Border security immigration fee
1317 Menendez Increased family points in merit system
1340 Brown Employers post job at state agency
1468 McCaskill Repeat violators who hire undocumented workers
1486 Levin Iraqi religious minority refugees
1386 Leahy Refugee Scholars (may instead be 1289 on EB-5 investors)
------ Schumer Tamper-proof biometric social security card (no language yet)
1198 Boxer Reducing Y visa cap by number of Y workers who overstay

Republican Amendments
1161 Alexander Oath of allegiance for naturalization (may move to manager’s package)
1255 Bond Prohibits green cards for Z holders
1473 Coleman information sharing/sanctuary cities (Coleman is redrafting, new language not available)
1335/1258 Domenici Federal judgeship increase (redrafting)
1490 Ensign Preclusion of social security benefits
1465 Graham Enforcement, plus other potential agreed upon amendments folded in (redrafting, content not clear)
1441 Grassley-Baucus Obama Strike and replace Title III (small changes possible)
1440 Hutchison Touchback/strike and replace title vi (redrafting)
1174 Thune Probationary legal status triggers
1318 Chambliss Totalization agreement
1282 Isakson Preemption/Home Depot (redrafting)
------ Graham Criminal penalties/mandatory minimums for overstays

Now, because we don't have any language for any of the amendments yet. But I'm going to tell you folks now that there are three amendments that look promising. those would be the ones proposed by Sens. Bond, Graham (1465), and Thune. Senator Thune's sounds very promising. But without the language to examine, it's hard to make a solid determination.

Again, the fence isn't addressed; the "people of special interest" aren't addressed; and the Z-Visa still has a loophole large enough to squeeze the Titanic through. I'm not holding my breath on this passing the Senate, especially after hearing the interview with Jeff Sessions by Roger Hedgecock today. Senator Sessions assures people that there is still not breah in his caucus to prevent this bill's cloture despite the fact that Trent Lott and Mitch McConnell seem intent on whipping the GOP to support the bill.

Does that mean our work is done? Hardly. Man those phones and drop those e-mails in their boxes. Tell them that this bill doesn't fix the problem, but it's sure to bring us more than have been forewarned.

Publius II