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Immigration bill falters in Senate

Posted on: Friday, 7 April 2006, 14:51 CDT

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A plan to overhaul U.S. immigration law and give millions of illegal immigrants a chance for citizenship stalled on Friday in a sharply divided Senate, but the bill's backers vowed to keep trying.

"This fight is not over," said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, who just 24 hours earlier helped broker a bipartisan compromise that seemed to have majority support.

The bill would have created a temporary worker program, as proposed by President George W. Bush, and opened the way for over 7 million illegal immigrants to become U.S. citizens in the biggest reform of immigration in two decades.

But a test vote on the measure and another on a rival bill dealing with border security both failed to gain sufficient support, showing how difficult it will be to enact any immigration bill in a bitter congressional election year.

Leaders from both parties had agreed to the compromise on Thursday and predicted wide approval for the bill over the opposition of some Republicans who called it an amnesty for immigrants who illegally entered the country.

But the measure was shelved amid partisan bickering over amendments, with Democrats saying they were worried that Republicans would try to "gut" the bill.

Backers of the compromise fell 22 votes short of the 60 needed in the 100-member Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and move the bill forward. In the second test vote, a border security and enforcement measure sponsored by Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist also fell far short.

The votes reflected more the acrimony in the divided Senate than actual support for the legislation. Backers of the compromise say it ultimately could win as many as 70 votes.

"We don't intend to give up or give in," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who worked along with McCain to fashion the compromise bill.

Bush says he backs a comprehensive approach and the White House blamed Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada for blocking amendments and the impasse.

"We call on the Senate minority leader to stop blocking this process from moving forward so that we can get comprehensive immigration reform passed," said spokesman Scott McClellan.

Reid said he was trying to protect the bipartisan bill from Republican opponents who "hoped to kill it by amendment."

PROBLEM TOO BIG TO IGNORE

The Senate action complicates and could ultimately doom efforts to pass comprehensive reform before the November mid-term elections.

In addition, any Senate bill would have to be merged with a much more stringent House of Representatives bill that stresses border security and defines all of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country as felons.

Frist, who had embraced the bipartisan compromise, said it was not doomed. He pledged to try to revive it after lawmakers return from a two-week break that starts this weekend.

"It's too big of a problem," said Frist. "Our borders and interior enforcement absolutely require that we address it. ... So we will come back and address it."

The congressional debate has provoked large protests by Hispanics in many U.S. cities against the House bill. More demonstrations are planned in 10 cities on Monday.

The compromise bill would divide illegal immigrants into three groups. The more than 7 million who have lived in the country for five years or more would get a chance to earn U.S. citizenship by paying a fine, paying taxes, learning English and meeting some other requirements.

About 3 million who had been in the United States less than five but more than two years could apply for work visas, but would have to travel to U.S. port of entry to pick them up.

Those in the country for less than two years, roughly 1.5 million, would have to leave and apply to return.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro, Richard Cowan)

Source: REUTERS

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