… and quacks like a duck…
The immigration debate and competing bills coming from the House and Senate are, like legalese everywhere, really difficult to wade through. That’s probably at least partly why the blogosphere seems so confused about terms like “felony” and “amnesty“. You can read the proposed bills yourself here — or you can read the AP’s timely synopsis, here (via the Houston Chronicle).
There really are some bizarre interpretations out in the world, and if you’re short on humor sources they’re worth reading. However, contrary to the apparent language barrier between the left and right (from the Chronicle’s article):
The Senate Bill does not, in fact, call for amnesty, but
_Allows illegal immigrants who were in the United States before 2004 to work legally for six years if they pay a $1,000 fine and clear a criminal background check. They would become eligible for permanent residence upon paying another $1,000 fine and any back taxes and having learned English.
Frist’s House Bill does not make everyone a felon, but
_Makes it a misdemeanor for an immigrant to be in the country illegally.
The real targets apparently are the coyotes and smuggling gangs.
But what really stands out for Polimom is that Frist’s conservative bill, which purportedly reflects the wishes of all the outraged Americans, does not include Bush’s pet: the Guest Worker program.
I think it’s a duck. And it’s limping.
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More helpful information at the LA Times, here, and the Washington Post, here.
Update: The San Francisco Chronicle has an excellent discussion of the amnesty confusion here.