Senators near compromise on immigration
By Donna Smith
Reuters
Thursday, March 16, 2006; 6:20 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Under pressure to produce broad immigration reform legislation by the end of the month, a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday neared agreement on a proposal that would give some of the 12 million illegal aliens living in the country an opportunity to earn citizenship.
Although no vote will be held until after a weeklong congressional recess, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday appeared ready to back a proposal by panel member Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, who has worked on the issue with his Republican colleague John McCain of Arizona.
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The panel, which is working on comprehensive immigration and border security legislation, will also consider a related proposal that would allow foreigners to enter the United States as legal guest workers and then have a chance to earn permanent status.
Republicans are divided over immigration policy, and the Judiciary Committee plan is likely to spark a firestorm from conservatives who oppose regularizing the status of illegal immigrants, saying they would be rewarded after breaking U.S. immigration law.
More than 70 members of the House of Representatives led by Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, fired off a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, saying measures the panel was considering "doom any chance of a real reform bill reaching the president's desk this year."
But backers cite both economic and security reasons. They say that providing a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship will avoid creating a permanent underclass of workers and help bring illegal aliens out of the shadows.
Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican who opposes giving permanent status to illegals, said after the meeting that the panel would probably vote for the Kennedy plan.
"The votes are there," Grassley said.