Senate Set for Test Vote Over Immigration
Senate Set for Test Vote Over Immigration
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent Thu Apr 6, 5:30 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Two political parties, two rival plans to deal with the nation's burgeoning illegal immigrant population.
And barring a breakthrough, no guarantee that either of them can pass a Senate riven by election-year partisanship.
"This is a vote that for millions of Americans is a question about whose side you're on," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Wednesday in advance of a test vote on legislation offering legal status and eventual citizenship to many of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Democrats, led by Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada, needed 60 votes to advance the measure. They seemed unlikely to prevail, especially since one-time Republican allies melted away to support a GOP alternative instead.
If so, that would clear the way for a similar 60-vote showdown on the competing Republican measure that Majority Leader Bill Frist unveiled late Wednesday.
The White House offered no reaction to the GOP plan, although
President Bush has called for comprehensive legislation that includes steps to offer legalized status to those in the country unlawfully.
In general, both bills would increase border security, regulate the flow of future immigrants and offer legal status to many of the men, women and children who came to the United States unlawfully or overstayed their visas.
The rival plans differ on the details, though, and so far, at least, attempts at a bipartisan compromise have failed.
"The course we're on is to leave here in a few days having accomplished nothing for the American people," Frist said Wednesday several hours before announcing an alternative patterned after an approach that Democrats had rejected.
In general, the measure backed by Democrats would grant most of the 11 million immigrants legalized status and the opportunity to apply for citizenship after meeting several conditions. They include payment of a fine and any back taxes, passing a background check and learning English.
By contrast, the Republican approach requires illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two years and five years to return to their home country briefly, then re-enter as temporary workers. They could then begin a process of seeking citizenship.
Illegal immigrants here longer than five years would not be required to return home; those in the country less than two years would be required to leave without assurances of returning, and take their place in line with others seeking entry papers.
Whatever the outcome, the issue has generated huge public rallies, exposed divisions within both political parties and already left an imprint on the midterm election campaigns for control of Congress.
Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., who has been involved in seeking bipartisan legislation, said in remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday that the immigration issue had generated an unusual amount of emotion.
Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles provided evidence of that from 3,000 miles away when he urged Catholics to pray for passage of legislation allowing illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. The debate marks "one of the most critical weeks in the history of our country," he said.
Senate debate was marked by an unusually personal speech by Reid after GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record) of Alabama had referred to a position the Nevadan had once taken.
In near-confessional tones, Reid said he had once supported legislation to close the borders between Mexico and the United States, "in effect, stop people from coming across our borders into the United States."
His wife, whose father was a Russian immigrant, confronted him, Reid recalled, and he later held a town hall meeting at which friends told him he had made a mistake.
The bill was a "travesty," he said, the worst mistake of a 40-year career in politics, and "I have done everything since that meeting in Las Vegas and the conversation with my wife to undo my embarrassment."
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On the Net:
Senate: http://senate.gov
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060406/ap_ ... mmigration
