Passing of Recent Immigration Bills in the Past and Present.

I was just reading The Washington Post online when I came across the story for the passing of legislation addressing the problem of illegal immigration. One thing that struck me in particular was the difference in the reform bills between the senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. For a summary of the bills please click on this link, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701201.html

Anyway, the thing that struck me the most was that for probably the first time, President Bush is in competition with many of the conservative republicans that normally support him, and all this over what to do about the illegal immigrants that live in our country. Obviously, the bill passed by the House in December was too hardcore for the president, because no where did it call for amnesty for the immigrants. Instead,it called for immediate deportation and a huge increase in penalties for helpers to the illegal immigrants.

Let's fast forward to the present and our president is working along with Democrats and moderate Republicans in the effort to give these illegal immigrants amnesty. The new bill passed just this week will do just that and to me it is a beautiful thing for two reasons:

1. It is in all fairness that immigrant that came over and made something of their lives by working hard will finally have a chance at citizenship and the immigrants that committed crimes during their stay are leaving.
2. There is some sort of unity between the parties when a republican president can come together with democrats and make something of their hard work .

I hope to see more come from this bill introduced by the senate can grow into something and as more news comes, there will be more said from me, the young political mind.