Thread: White House complicates debate over immigration

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hea ... 71804.html

April 5, 2006, 10:22AM

White House complicates debate over immigration
Administration opposes what it sees in Senate bill as 'automatic path' to citizenship
By GEBE MARTINEZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration roiled the debate over immigration reform Tuesday when it came out against some of the provisions in a bill pending before the Senate.

The White House and the backers of the Senate bill favor a measure that combines border enforcement with a guest worker program. But the administration questioned some of the provisions in the Senate legislation, which would create an 11-year path to legalization for the nearly 12 million illegal immigrants now in the country.

The administration said it opposes an "automatic path to permanent residency or citizenship" similar to the amnesty law passed in 1986.

That statement complicated a debate that already has Republican senators disagreeing among themselves over whether the pending bill offers "amnesty" to illegal immigrants.

Supporters of the bipartisan measure, sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., maintain their plan does not offer "automatic citizenship," but instead calls for an arduous, "earned" legalization process.

By joining the debate, the White House is "trying to help us," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.

But critics of the McCain-Kennedy proposal said the president's statement reinforced their argument that the bill amounts to amnesty.

"The administration's statement is clear: Amnesty is unacceptable, and we must create a temporary worker program that also addresses our economic needs," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has filed a rival bill that would require temporary visa holders to go home after their work period has ended.

Republican lawmakers are inching toward a possible compromise that would let illegal immigrants who have established roots in the U.S. remain. However, illegal immigrants who have been here less than five years would be required to register at a port of entry.

Those who entered the country illegally within the past five years — about 40 percent of the illegal immigrants — could eventually gain legal status. Under one idea, the group would have to go through more steps to return, such as readmission under a probationary status.

Kennedy said he disagreed with an approach that would treat one class of illegal immigrants differently from another.

The McCain-Kennedy bill has the backing of a solid majority of senators.

However, the plan does not have the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster by mostly Republican opponents, prompting a last-minute attempt to find a delicate compromise that can pick up Republican votes without losing Democratic support.

Fearing that the McCain-Kennedy bill could lose momentum if it is not finished this week, Democrats took procedural steps to force a vote on Thursday.

gebe.martinez@chron.com

Originally Posted by Brian503a

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/3771804.html


Kennedy said he disagreed with an approach that would treat one class of illegal immigrants differently from another.

How about that Sen Kennedy so do we.