Even if Congress waits, immigration issue won't
Palm Beach Post Editorial

Monday, June 11, 2007

Comprehensive immigration reform is one of the most complex and politically contentious issues Congress has faced in, oh, the 21 years since the last major immigration bill. But postponing action for perhaps another two years isn't just unacceptable; it's self-defeating.

The bipartisan Senate bill went on the shelf Friday after supporters got only 45 votes of the 60 they needed to end debate. The likelihood of bringing the bill back fades as next year's election nears and campaigns of both parties begin to worry more about voting blocs than doing the unpopular work the nation needs. If not this year, reform efforts probably will have to wait until 2009, when there's a new Congress and a new occupant in the White House. That would keep the 12 million illegal immigrants already here in limbo and leave local and state governments stuck dealing every day with the mess Washington won't clean up.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., outsmarted himself by forcing a vote to end debate without having the votes to win. Sen. Reid criticized President Bush for not working harder on a bill the White House supports. That's buck-passing. Mr. Bush was at the Group of Eight summit in Germany on Friday, but with his approval rating sliding to new lows, his potential influence would have been marginal even if he had been in Washington.

If Sen. Reid can't keep moderates from his own party in line, it's hard to believe that the president could do better with the other side. This was supposed to be the president's top domestic priority and a chance to salvage something to enhance an otherwise dismal legacy. Leadership from the White House seems essential to brokering a compromise, but Sen. Reid knows that President Bush has demonstrated little of that in his six-plus years.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center showed how vulnerable the issue is to political distortion. When the word amnesty wasn't used, 62 percent of Republican respondents said they approved of allowing illegal immigrants who are here a chance at citizenship if they have jobs. But add the word amnesty with the same conditions, and only 47 percent of Republicans approved. Strong majorities on both sides of the issue are opposed to amnesty but can't agree on what it is. Two things polls consistently show are that Americans want tougher border security and are willing to give illegal immigrants legal status as part of the deal to get it.

If Congress isn't up to dealing with the toughest issues, who needs Congress? Sen. Reid should keep bringing the bill back until there's some courage in the Capitol

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