April 29, 2010
Alternate Plan Devised for Immigration
Senate Democrats Pivot to Strategy for Moving Ahead Without GOP Support
By John Stanton and Kathleen Hunter
Roll Call Staff
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Senate Democrats appear dead set on moving comprehensive immigration reform this year even if it comes without GOP support, and they began laying the groundwork Wednesday for a Democrats-only alternative to a bipartisan deal.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.) released a detailed summary of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The outline — which is based on negotiations between Schumer and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that collapsed earlier this month — would require a series of border security benchmarks to be met before broader reforms could be implemented.

The legislation includes tougher controls on the hiring of illegal immigrants, new work visa provisions and a pathway for citizenship.

Publicly, Democrats insisted Reid, Schumer and Menendez still are hoping to bring Republicans to the negotiating table this summer.

“This is a draft that reflects months of bipartisan work — it is not a Democrat-only bill but is intended to serve as an invitation to Republicans to look at it and sit down to solve problems with us,â€