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Senate to consider immigration in late March
By Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press Writer |
February 2, 2006

WASHINGTON --Majority Leader Bill Frist told a group of key lawmakers involved in immigration legislation the Senate will take up the issue on March 27, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said Thursday.

"That's when the fireworks begin on the floor," Cornyn said.

Cornyn was among the handful of Republican senators who met in Frist's office for the strategy session. Also at the meeting were Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee chairman.

Cornyn is optimistic the Senate bill will include President Bush's proposal for an expanded immigrant guest worker program to help curb illegal immigration.

"Obviously everyone understands border security is the foundation of any comprehensive bill," Cornyn said, "but I think in the Senate there's also broad acceptance of the need to deal with not just security issues but economic issues as well, which means a temporary worker program to in some way deal with 11 million (illegal immigrants) here."

The House passed legislation last month aimed largely at curbing illegal immigration but voted against including a guest worker provision. The bill had some tough measures, including a call for building fences in five places along the U.S.-Mexican border and classifying illegal entry as a felony.

"I think what the House did was strategic from the standpoint they knew if there was going to be tough enforcement as part of a comprehensive immigration bill, the most likelihood of success would be by starting with that," Cornyn said. "They are not under any illusion Congress will not pass a comprehensive bill."

Cornyn, chairman of the Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, also plans a March 1 hearing on the recent border crossings by men dressed in military garb who had an armed confrontation with Texas law officers. Mexican officials say the men were drug smugglers. No shots were fired.

His hearing will follow one planned for Feb. 7 by Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Austin, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee's investigations subcommittee.

Cornyn said he doesn't see a lot of support in the Senate for a provision denying children of illegal immigrants born in the United States citizenship or for building a fence on the southern border. But he said differences remain on giving any sort of legal status to people already in the country illegally.

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