Will Bush get his "Guest Worker Program" now?  Could this be a win for some of his policies?
828271
If the house now passes their version of the Kennedy / McCain immigration bill then it could happen.  What I don't know is if the new senate has to vote on it again.
957397
They are in favor of a "path to citizenship" (DNC Website) which is the same thing as Bush's "guest worker program".  Look for amnesty coming up.
596354
The problem is that the legalization elements have been all entwined in the guest worker program which is a really bad program.  One Senator ran projections of how many poor immigrants would come here under the program (on TOP of the current rate of immigration and on TOP of the current illegal immigrants) and he came up with 185 million to 217 million poor immigrants in the next 20 years.  Even California Senators Boxer and Feinstein who have been pushing for legalization as their main goal in the program voted against this element of the program. (They lost.)\n\nCan  your school and neighborhood fit and support that many poor immigrants?  Mine can't. Do you see that many jobs around? I don't.  This is a big business idea to keep wages depressed for unskilled and semi skilled labor into the indefinite future.\n\nIf the border is truly secured, I want to deport felons and want illegal immigrants to actively start learning English as a condition of legalization.  However, as you say, they are already here.  The problem is that if you say you want legalization people now say 'I want the guest worker program' and most of them don't have a clue what is in it.\n\nIf there is a way to frame the bill during conference into qualified illegal legalization plus MAJOR border security, I would be in favor of it.  To tell the truth, though, I'd rather have no bill at all than the Senate Bill in its current form.
691725
There is no flip flopping. Bush has always supported a guest-worker program. Some people feel this is amnesty, others do not.\n\nBut, yes, Bush supports some form of an amnesty. He seems to be under the impression that there are jobs in america that Americans will not do. This is completely untrue. There ARE however, jobs that Americans will not do for $3 a day. If these jobs were forced to provide decent wages, there would be plenty of people legally here in the country that would be willing to do those jobs.\n\nCheers :)
1079325
Oh, better than 'minimum wage'.  'Prevailing wage' applies.  It doesn't apply to Americans except at government sites.  However, this is to keep guest workers from being brought in just to depress wages, so that part I am OK with.\n\nI just think the whole idea that we will keep track of them once they get here, when we have never kept track of visa holders before is ludicrous.
607894
There are two bills, one in the House, and another in the Senate.  The House bill has been passed, and is much more strict than what is expected from the Senate (it would make being an illegal alien a felony, and would make aiding or giving shelter to an illegal alien a felony.)  I can't see it passing in that form and expect the House wanted a position it could negotiate from when it comes time to 'conference' the two bills together into one the House and Senate can agree upon.  \n\nThe Senate Bill would likely create a some form of guest worker program, and a path to citizenship for those who meet its requirements.  Both Bills would seek to strengthen the border, which the volume of illegal immigration has demonstrated to be a national security disaster, if nothing else.  The President wants a guest worker program and path to citizenship.\n\nThat is how I understand things stand at this point.
623373
He should, but he wont.\nHe works for big business, and it better for their profit to pay as little for labor as possible.  Thats why Republicans are against raising the minimum wage, against unions, against single payer health care, and want illegals to be able to get temporary work visas to come here.  Its also why they dont crack down on companies that hire illegals.
502521
Of course it is.  President Bush was very clear about giving guest workers a clearly defined path towards citizenship.  They must abide by certain rules, pay taxes, learn English... nothing unreasonable.
505173
Definitely.  The issue seemed to arise from nowhere and suddenly the government is devoting 100% of their media time to it.  Bush has been criticized for his domestic policies and focusing too much on Iraq, so illegal immigration gives him a "worthy" cause at home... I imagine that he'll run his mouth for a few more weeks and then just drop the issue completely.
659480
5. Impact of amnesty proposals on Illegal Alien numbers \nhttp://www.theamericanresistance.com/ref...\n\nOn January 9, 2004, President Bush proposed a guest worker program- A thinly veiled amnesty for illegal aliens.\n\nA February 29, 2004, Fox News article subsequently stated that from 50 percent to 90 percent of illegal aliens apprehended claimed they were coming here for the "amnesty" (their words). \nOne Border Patrol officer stated that "They believe that they are only responding to an invitation."\n\nAlthough correlation does not necessarily imply causation, it seems reasonable to presume a relatively modest 25 percent increase in illegal aliens starting January 15, 2004, through the rest of the year as a result of the "guest worker" proposal. \nThis 25 percent is a conservative estimate of the increased flow of illegal aliens into the U.S. as a result of President Bush's amnesty proposal. \n\nIn fact, official Border Patrol apprehension statistics show that total 2004 apprehensions as of June 30, 2004 represent \nA 190 PERCENT INCREASE over total 2003 apprehensions.\n\nShort Answer - No It Is NOT A Wise Decision \nTo Grant "AMNESTY" Or "GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS" \nThe Result Will INCREASE The Amount Of ILLEGAL Aliens Entering Our Nation
952817
Bush gets to keep financing for Iraq and the democrats get to finance their social pets.\n\nNo fix for the immigration issue.  Higher taxes on the middle class.
566439
Sensenbrenner (House Bill Sponsor) says the provisions about an illegal being a felon were put in at the request of the White House.  Press reports from last December have Bush saying good things about the House Bill. Somewhere he decided he could get his slave labor program put in, and now he wants that.\n\nHe sent a delegate to meet twice with the House and Sensenbrenner didn't even bother to go.  Others from the House just kept saying "The President isn't where the people are," according to press reports.\n\nThe one faction that wins from excessive immigration to the point where education and other services are ruined is big business.  That appears now to be what matters most to him.
465504
Your link drives to an add for a company that collects "a small fee" to send mail. Isn't this against the policies for Yahoo! Answers?\n\nRevised: Keep in mind that President Bush directs policy (he asked for Congress to do something about immigration in his State of the Union Address), but the people who are considering the new laws are your Senators and Representatives. These are the best recipients for any letters you wish to write at this time. Congress will take up the question again after their break having failed to get a law passed on Friday, April 7, as they had hoped. Any letters you write to them now are much more likely to get noticed!
856878
I think this issue will be revisited and revised to give American industry a fighting chance. We need to protect good paying jobs and industry that is vital to this country's economic success.\n\nLeogirl....I think he means the one George Bush Sr. spearheaded and congress continued to push for in Clinton's term by attaching language for tariffs on imported products that later were removed.....get your history right before blaming Clinton for that fiasco.
456800
Guest workers sound great in theory.  But it will be like having illegals with a voice.  Are they citizens?  No.  But they will march just like the pro-illegals marching tomorrow, and guest workers will have a legal foundation to their argument.  People will be more sympathetic:  "Oh, we invited them in."\n\nI'm against the guest worker program.  Read the following.  It's long but good, and I wrote it.\n\n----\n\n\nIllegals aliens are NOT citizens.  They have only HUMAN rights in the USA.  THAT'S IT.  They have no Constitutionally guaranteed rights.\n\nDeporting them is NOT a civil rights issue.  We have the right to manage our immigration policy however we see fit.\n\nAnd regarding compassion, I have tons of compassion for them.  But we have a country to run, and we can't let people just waltz into the USA.  WE CAN'T ALLOW THEM TO IMPORT POLITICS.  Poor, uneducated, illiterate people tend to like SOCIALISM.  I don't.  I'm not talking about good all-american bleeding heart liberalism. I'm talking about Castro quality SOCIALISM.\n\nAlso, they are massing in the Southwest by the MILLIONS.  Do you realize that the population of TEXAS is 22 million.  And the proposed legislation wants to make 12 million illegals citizens.  And MOST of those are in the Southwest.  So, don't you think the people of these states have the right to not get their vote diluted by potential SOCIALISTS. This is not about race.  I have no problem with people who are here legally.  But when you allow millions of people in, they congregate together and hold the same political leanings (like allegiance to Mexico and socialistic beliefs).  The fact that most can't speak English just strengthens their solidarity and reinforces their beliefs because they can't understand what most Americans are saying.\n\nThis has the makings of ethnic strife written all over it.  Look at Northern Ireland. Iraq. France. Cyprus. Sudan. Turkey AND Iran with the Kurds.  Quebec in France.  Rwanda.  Yugoslavia.  Chechnya.  China.  And let's not forget Mexico itself, with the indian uprising in the Chiapis.  There is a clear correlation between ethnic strife and large areas that do not integrate into the whole.  This is what will happen if we have entire cities with millions of new non-English speaking citizens spring up in the southwest.  And this will happen if we have an open border.  The 12 million that we're talking about right now is just a start.  What about the next 30 years???  \n\nThe homogeneous culture of America is probably what made America as great as it is.  It is the most populace country in the world with a homogeneous culture.  Yes, we are filled with different races, religions, and ethnicities.  But they all came in, interacted with the other ethnicities, and diffused into living side by side.  Small areas did spring up with primarily one race/religion/ethnicity -- and there was almost always some amount of strife in that area.  Fortunately the areas were small enough to not expand to the level of a national conflict.\n\nAnd don't be fooled by the "guest worker" program.  They'll still be dirt poor, but "legal."  Then they'll have a basis for petitioning for rights.  They WILL want citizenship EN MASSE.  It will be the exact same situation, but worse since they'll have been INVITED.\n\nThe best outcome would be that we can integrate them all in.  But that will not happen.  They are poor.  We are typically the product of our homes, and the homes will be uneducated and spanish speaking.  The second best outcome would be a peaceful secession.\n\nPersonally, I'd rather pay a dollar more per pound of oranges, rather than have my kids or grandkids bombed or have to fight a civil war.
606615
Lordzander--we meet again :)\n\nI am surprised at the vehement hatred I see posted in answer to this question. \n\nI have family memebers that would benefit from the president's proposed guest worker program (no amnesty has been proposed), due to  a major screw up with immigration forms being mishandled and no opportunity being given to refile or correct. They are not from Mexico, however they are of latin origin. They are in limbo, waiting for a response. Been waiting two years. They were here on a religious workers' visa. I know of many people who would benefit from a guest worker program. It is a humane response to a very complicated problem.\n\nNow, those of you who don't hang with farmers--will you be willing to pick the crops?  If the food goes unpicked, how much will you be willing to pay for that very scarce head of lettuce?  $5.00 perhaps, if picked by legal American hands?  How could you afford to eat, let alone pay for gas?\n\nHave you considered that unemployment is 4%, which is about 9-10 million Americans. There are about 15-20 million undocumented workers here.  If we subtract that number we still have anywhere from 4~10 million jobs unfilled.  What will happen if we don't have our illegals willing to work for so little?  Competition for workers, jobs that just don't get filled, inflation, a shrinking economy and a falling dollar. None of these are very good things--they all lead to a downward economic spiral.\n\nBut, I can see that most of you who have answered are inspired by hatred rather than facts. Learn to love your illegals and be glad they are here; they allow so many of us to live a very comfortable life.
678338
Impact of amnesty proposals on Illegal Alien numbers \nhttp://www.theamericanresistance.com/ref/illegal_alien_numbers.html#amnesty\n\nOn January 9, 2004, President Bush proposed a guest worker program - a thinly veiled amnesty for illegal aliens\n. \nA February 29, 2004, Fox News article subsequently stated that from 50 percent to 90 percent of illegal aliens apprehended claimed they were coming here for the "amnesty" (their words). One Border Patrol officer stated that "They believe that they are only responding to an invitation." \nOfficial Border Patrol apprehension statistics show that total 2004 apprehensions as of June 30, 2004  represent  A 190 PERCENT INCREASE  over total 2003 apprehensions.\n\nIt is likely that in mid-2005 more than 20 million illegal aliens presently resided in the United States, with roughly 12,000 additional illegal aliens entering every day.\n\n"PRESIDENT" Bush Stated In His Speech The Other Day :\n\nWe are a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws.\n\n(Then Why Havent We Enforced The Existing Immigration Laws) \n\nTHE FACT IS that there is already a federal statutory framework in place which specifically prohibits the hiring of illegal aliens, which provides record keeping rules to verify an employee’s work authorization and identity, and which provides for monetary sanctions (Fines)to be levied against employers who violate the provisions of the law.\n\nTHE FACT IS that the Bush Administration has had the responsibility for “cracking down on employers who hire illegal aliens” and has failed miserably to enforce existing “employer sanction” laws. \nCAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION \nHAS ALLOWED THE NUMBER OF FINES AGAINST EMPLOYERS WHO UNLAWFULLY HIRE ILLEGAL ALIENS TO FALL FROM 400 IN 1999 TO ONLY THREE (3) IN 2004?\n\nTHE FACT IS that there are ALREADY laws on the books providing for the deportation of illegal aliens, whether they are simply here illegally, which, of course, is a crime in and of itself, or whether they have committed additional crimes as well.\n\nTHE FACT IS that the Bush Administration’s immigration policies, cannot be taken seriously as an advocate of strict enforcement of immigration laws. \n\nHe cannot be trusted to support or advance legislative measures to stop the flood of illegal aliens or secure our broken borders.