Word: mazzoli
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Belatedly, Congress is trying. After long hesitation, the House last week began debate on a bill, already passed twice by the Senate, that is supposed at least to slow the torrent of illegal immigrants across the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexican border. A floor vote on the Simpson-Mazzoli bill (named for its coauthors, Republican Senator Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Democratic Congressman Romano Mazzoli of Kentucky) is expected this week. President Reagan put in a plug for passage at his news conference Thursday night. Said he, with a touch of hyperbole: "We have lost control of our own borders...
...this country's integrity and willingness to use illegal immigrants without granting them basic civil rights, the bill ignores precedent. A similar project, the Bracero program which ended in 1965 actually spurred immigration because "the guests" brought along their families and overstayed their welcome. Here again, the Simpson-Mazzoli package, in trying to satisfy every interest group, neglected to consider what the real world response from employers and workers...
Like the Simpson-Mazzoli package, the Roybal alternative has an amnesty section, but with some key differences. This bill grants permanent resident status to those illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. since January 1, 1982. It reduces the administrative toll because it has one uniform policy instead of Simpson's two-tiered proposal. Furthermore, it eliminates the "residing continuously" qualification, allowing for up to 45 day absences annually and a waiver for absences due to "undue hardship of the alien, his spouse, parent, or child...
...Roybal's measure would result in significant civil rights extensions to immigrants by allowing those who have been here for more than five years to be eligible for federal aid. In contrast to Sen. Simpson and Rep. Mazzoli, Rep. Roybal recognizes that 73 percent of illegal immigrants pay federal taxes and that 77 percent pay social security taxes (though a neglible percentage receive social security benefits). This bill, supported by most Hispanic organizations, also includes a special section protecting illegal immigrants from deportation while they await decisions on their resident status, making it more likely that some of them will...
...Roybal's bill will not solve America's immigration problem. It would, however, set immigration reform in a new direction, without the serious threats to civil rights of Hispanic Americans and Mexicans the Simpson-Mazzoli proposal represent Rep. Roybal's bill may be less ambitious than Simpson-Mazzoli, but it is more feasible. Unlike Simpson-Mazzoli it does not count on employers and undocumented workers to come forward of their own accord. Rather than view this bill as an obstructionist ploy by a Hispanic congressman--as one senator referred to it--Congress and the President must address the issues...