Sen. Graham: Slow Down on Amnesty Bill

Sen Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the lone Republican working with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the drafting of an Amnesty bill, said this weekend that he thinks the process needs to slow down. The Democratic Leadership, led by Pres. Obama, is looking to accelerate legislation in the aftermath of Arizona’s new immigration enforcement law.

Specifically, Sen. Graham is working with Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) on the climate change bill that’s supposed to be unveiled today,  but Graham is walking away from the negotiations on the climate change until Democrats tone down on immigration reform. Late last week, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that if Graham and Schumer didn’t offer a bill within the next three weeks then the Democratic Leadership would write up a bill.

According to CNN, Sen. Graham sent a strongly worded letter to Amnesty supporters, including unions, business groups and religious leaders.

“Moving forward on immigration – in this hurried, panicked manner – is nothing more than a cynical political ploy,” the South Carolina Republican wrote in a sharply-worded letter obtained by CNN.

Sen. Graham made it clear that he believes the Democratic Leadership is using immigration as a way to lure Hispanic voters after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on Friday. The law allows local police in Arizona to approach suspected illegal aliens and ask them for proof of legal status.

“Let’s be clear, a phony, political effort on immigration today accomplishes nothing but making it exponentially more difficult to address in a serious, comprehensive manner in the future”

“Unless their plan substantially changes this weekend, I will be unable to move forward on energy independence legislation at this time. I will not allow our hard work to be rolled out in a manner that has no chance of success.”

Sen. Reid said that he plans to move forward with both a climate change bill and an amnesty bill with or without Graham’s support. But without any Republicans, an Amnesty bill can’t make it through the Senate, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said that the House will not take up the issue in an election year unless the Senate approves it first.

For more, see CNN and The Hill.