Carney said the president believes the package also should include recognition of gay couples where one partner is American and another is not.
“The president has long believed that Americans with same-sex partners from other countries should not be faced with the painful choice between staying with the person they love or staying in the country they love,” Carney said.
Sen. John McCain called the issue a “red flag” in an interview Tuesday on “CBS This Morning.”
The Arizona Republican also said he didn’t think the issue was of “paramount importance at this time.”
“We’ll have to look at it,” McCain said. But he added that the highest priority is finding a “broad consensus” behind the immigration bill already being planned. He said the country must do something about 11 million people “living in the shadows.”
Obama’s previous proposals for creating a pathway to citizenship required those already in the U.S. illegally to register with the government and submit to security checks; pay registration fees, a series of fines and back taxes; and learn English. After eight years, individuals would be allowed to become legal permanent residents and could eventually become citizens five years later.
The Senate group’s pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. would be contingent upon securing the border and improving tracking of people in the U.S. on visas. Linking citizenship to border security could become a sticking point between the White House and lawmakers.
The Senate framework would also require those here illegally to pass background checks and pay fines and taxes in order to qualify for a “probationary legal status” that would allow them to live and work here — but not qualify for federal benefits — before being able to apply for permanent residency, a critical step toward citizenship. Once they are allowed to apply they would do so behind everyone else already waiting for a green card within the current immigration system.
Passage of legislation by the full Democratic-controlled Senate is far from assured, but the tallest hurdle could come in the House, which is dominated by conservative Republicans who’ve shown little interest in immigration reform.
The senators involved in formulating the immigration proposals, in addition to McCain, are Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado; and Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona.
Several of these lawmakers have worked for years on the issue. McCain collaborated with the late Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on comprehensive immigration legislation pushed by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, only to see it collapse in the Senate when it couldn’t get enough GOP support.
Why is it when it comes down to a white man’s created rule, everyone else is in the wrong. This country once belonged to Mexicans and “Native Americans”. The Whites were the Immigrants in the beginning. But since they have come over and bullied everyone out of their rightful place NOW those that were here first are Illegal and immigrants. Just like after the hurrican in New Orleans there were refugees everywhere, but New York and New Jersey were never referred to having not even one refugee, was it because there were more whites involved this time around? The system is corrupt and twisted to suit the powers that be.
Blacks will be most affected by illegals becoming citizens. This means more competition for grant money for college, more competition for jobs. This will affect all of us but will definitely have a huge impact on the black community. Not to mention Obama’s stance on abortion knowing that blacks have the highest abortion rates. He’s replacing aborted black babies with illegals.