In the midst of a heated national debate on immigration, which is fueling animosity between and within political parties, members of Congress have turned their attention to less polarizing facets of the debate, such as finding ways to get more visas in the hands of the rich and famous.

Bills to make it easier for athletes, fashion models and performers to work in the United States are flowing through Congress like alcohol at at a pre-rehab Amy Winehouse party, who by no coincidence is on the list of potential beneficiaries of new visa laws being proposed.  

At this year's Grammy awards ceremony, Winehouse, a British singer best known for her one-hit wonder "Rehab," was forced to accept her award via satellite since her visa could not be processed in time for the event.  The anecdote prompted action in Congress and this month, the House approved a bill to expedite visa processing for foreign artists and musicians.  

A similar bill sponsored by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Lakewood) would ease immigration restrictions on professional athletes by lifting the 10-year cap on visas they hold.  Advocates of the bill, like Sanchez, complain that these days, a decade just doesn't give athletes enough time to reach their peak physical performance.  Just ask Roger Clemens.  Ok, bad example.

And in a final act of pure philanthropy in support of disadvantaged foreigners desperate to pursue a better life in the US,  Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) proposed a bill  to create a new H1-B visa category for supermodels.  The new category would ensure that the models seeking entry into the US wouldn't have to compete with lesser "aliens of extraordinary abilities" like mathematicians, scientists, and engineers to obtain one of the 65,000 H-1B visas handed out annually.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) doesn't see the same genius in the "Weiner Bill" as others.  He told the L.A. Times that he could picture Weiner "in a posh downtown New York City hotel celebrating the passage of this bill surrounded by hundreds of energized, wildly ecstatic fashion models. And you know for a fact he's going to have an annual celebration. It's almost too much to bear...but not too much to oppose the bill."