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White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Friday the administration has to be “realistic about what this Congress is going to be willing to do” with regard to comprehensive immigration reform, all but pronouncing chances for a bill dead. “I think that the leaders in Congress have decided that this is not something that they’re going to take up,” Perino told reporters. “And so I think the president, while he would like to have seen comprehensive immigration reform, does not believe that the Congress will be able to get that done.” The administration had announced earlier that it would use new tools to curb illegal immigration, including tightening border security and imposing stiffer penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Meantime, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a vocal critic of the White House immigration policy and long-shot presidential candidate, said that while the new initiatives look great on paper, he would follow them closely to see to see how they are carried out. “In fact I think it would be prudent if we offered our own State of the State of the Border speech to keep them honest,” said Tancredo. “It’s not that we don’t trust them, it’s just that — well, we don’t trust them.” The immigration debate had put a wedge between Bush and his loyal Republican base. While the president wanted a comprehensive bill with a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for people here illegally, many Republicans rejected such plans as amnesty and argued that a stronger border was the only solution. “Perhaps it’s my previous experience with this administration that is making me hesitant to jump for joy, but it seems to me that many of these tough-on-illegal-alien programs have existed for some time, and this may simply be cover for the White House to bring back their amnesty push next year,” Tancredo said. |
