Sen. Lindsey Graham ("Flaming-'Mo" R-S.C.) believes that a sudden turn to immigration could 'destroy' any hope of a major climate and energy bill this year. AP A top Senate negotiator on climate change believes that a sudden turn by Senate Democrats to immigration could “destroy” any hope of a major climate and energy bill this year.
“This comes out of left field,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), after hearing that Democratic leaders may now push immigration reform ahead of a climate bill. “I’m working as earnestly as I can to craft climate and energy independence, clean air and jobs, and now we’re being told that we’re going to immigration. We haven’t done anything to prepare the body of the country for immigration.”
“This destroys the ability to do something on energy and climate,” he added, questioning whether the Senate could take up both immigration and climate before November.
Graham has been working for months with Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (O-Conn.) on a bipartisan climate change bill that could garner enough votes to pass the Senate. The trio is planning to release the bill Monday.
President Barack Obama indicated as recently as last week that the Democrats would make climate legislation their next priority, after financial regulation. But on Thursday, amid reports that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have decided to push immigration reform before climate and energy, Graham expressed frustration that the Senate would be wasting its time.
Still, Graham continues to work with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on an immigration reform bill. He has insisted that getting big business on board for energy legislation is crucial to the bill’s success, but that on immigration, the business and labor communities are too divided over a temporary worker provision.
“I’m hopeful that me and him can put something together that other people would be excited to do it now,” he said. “We’re supposed to roll this [climate] thing out Monday. What am I supposed to do, write an immigration bill between now and Monday with Chuck?”
Yet in March, Graham told POLITICO that Obama needed to push harder on immigration reform. “At the end of the day, the president needs to step it up a little bit,” Graham said at the time. “One line in the State of the Union is not going to do it.”
Immigration was not expected to be taken up this year, but Democrats want to move quickly to quell frustration among Hispanic voters. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Reid all face tough reelection campaigns in states with large blocs of Hispanic voters.
Both immigration and climate have been important issues for Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Environment and Public Work Committee. But she declined to say which bill she’d prefer be taken up first. “Sixty is the key for me. Where do we get to sixty. They’re both so critical for the economy. We have to do more than one thing folks,” she said. “The more we get done the more we do.”
Poster Comment:
Posted on LP by Itzlzha. With the following excellent comment:
#1. To: Itzlzha (#0)
We haven’t done anything to prepare the body of the country for immigration.”
No thanks Lindsey, I don't swing that way. Try the log cabin Republicans.
FAG!
hondo68TTOR posted on 2010-04-23 23:33:48 ET Reply Trace