Republicans on Wednesday presented a large package of 15 enforcement-focused bills, many designed to shut off the flow of illegals. No provision in the package mimics the 2006 comprehensive immigration reform measures — proposed by Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — that focused on allowing guest workers into the country.
The specific pieces of legislation deal with everything from completing the 700-mile border fence already in progress, establishing English as the national language, instituting tougher workplace enforcement rules, stripping local police agencies of funding if they support "sanctuary cities" and banning driver's licenses to illegals, something that tripped up Democratic presidential candidate and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton earlier this year as her state's governor initially supported the idea.
Leading the fight this time is Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who has butted heads with the White House on numerous occasions on immigration reform, decrying President Bush's call for a guest worker program and legalization of the 12 million illegal immigrants estimated to be in the U.S.
"One thing that is not offered here is amnesty," he said, using the word conservative opponents often employ disparagingly to describe the system proposed by Kennedy and McCain that would have let illegals get on a path to citizenship without returning to their home country or serving jail time.