State chamber defends Kyl on immigration/amnesty front
State chamber defends Kyl on immigration/amnesty front
The Business Journal of Phoenix -
12:47 PM MST Thursday, May 31, 2007
by Mike SunnucksThe Business Journal
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry and some leading state Republicans are coming to the defense of U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl in the bitter debate over illegal immigration and proposed federal reforms.
The Arizona chamber said earlier this week in a statement that it supports Kyl's efforts on immigration and that the senator is trying to work out immigration reforms that balance security with a guest worker plan and other aspects of the debate.
Business groups, including the Arizona chamber and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, support the immigration plan favored by Kyl and fellow U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. They like the measure's guest worker component, which would allow between 200,000 and 400,000 foreign laborers to get new U.S. work permits.
But Kyl is getting heat from the political right over his support for the bipartisan Senate plan. Immigration hawks, including Arizona Republican Party Chairman Randy Pullen and former Scottsdale Congressman J.D. Hayworth, oppose the Senate plan saying its legal path for some undocumented immigrants amounts to amnesty.
In last year's election against shopping center developer Jim Pederson, Kyl took a stance that put a priority on border security. Campaign ads included one criticizing Pederson for backing amnesty.
Kyl has said he took part in the immigration reform negotiations in the Senate to make the final bill more of a compromise rather than being dominated by congressional Democrats, namely U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Sun City/Glendale, and Republican public relations consultant Lisa James also have come to Kyl's defense in recent days.
James lost to Pullen in a tight race earlier this year for the GOP state party chair post. James and her husband, Gordon, are top executives with the Gordon C. James Public Relations in Phoenix,. Lisa James was state campaign manager for Bush/Cheney in 2004.
The immigration plan backed by Kyl, McCain, the Bush administration and business groups also faces criticism from labor unions and some Democratic lawmakers concerned about the guest worker program displacing U.S. workers and depressing wages.
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