Bush offers concession on immigration
In search for votes, scramble on for deal on mandatory border money


The "Dreams Across America Tour", scheduled to show up in Washington on June 19, is a caravan of several dozen legal immigrants who will cross the country by train while making stops to tell their stories of coming to the United States.

Updated: 7:24 a.m. PT June 14, 2007
WASHINGTON - President Bush, hoping to salvage immigration overhaul legislation, has agreed to an upfront infusion of money for federal border security efforts in a concession designed to win over skeptical conservatives.

Bush supports setting aside all the fees and penalties in the bill solely for tougher security on the border and workplace enforcement, White House press secretary Tony Snow said Thursday. The president on Monday morning will make the announcement of his backing for an amendment that two Republican senators have proposed to accomplish this end.

The provision would immediately divert $4.4 billion toward border security, with that amount to be paid back once the new fees are in place, Snow said.

The group behind the compromise was hoping to reach agreement to allow votes on a limited set of changes from the Republican and Democratic sides in exchange for a commitment from GOP holdouts to let debate on the bill resume. Architects have argued their so-called "grand bargain" could collapse under the weight of too many amendments, or those designed as "poison pills."

The legislation stalled last week when only seven GOP senators supported a Democratic bid to limit debate - called a cloture vote - and expedite a final vote.

Snow said the White House feels good about its chances for bringing the bill back to the floor now.

"We feel confident there are going to be enough votes for cloture," he said.

The mandatory border security funding amendment, proposed by GOP Sens. John Kyl of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, is designed to show that the extra border security and workplace enforcement measures in the bill have a dedicated funding stream. That way they would not be subject to the whims of the yearly congressional appropriations process.

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