Immigration reform faces hurdles

With emotions running high on both aisles in Congress, substantive changes won't happen easily

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

March 30, 2006

WASHINGTON - With a bruising Republican-on-Republican battle over immigration brewing today in the Senate, many on Capitol Hill are predicting that passing comprehensive reforms before the fall midterm elections seems increasingly like a long shot.

Even if the Senate agrees to an overhaul measure before the April 10 deadline set by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), immigration reform might face a hostile House, which passed a get-tough border protection measure in December.

"It's going to be tough to pass something before November," said House Homeland Security chairman Peter King (R-Seaford), reflecting a low-grade pessimism permeating both houses of Congress and both sides of the aisle.

The ultimate impediment could be conservative Republicans in the House, who are eager to hammer Democrats as soft on border security during this fall's election and are, on balance, happy with the bill they passed four months ago.

The House measure sidesteps controversial issues tackled by the Senate, including the guest worker provision backed by President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). It contains popular measures supported by both chambers, including increasing border patrols.

"The House will not accept an amnesty program and is unlikely to go along with a guest worker program," said Will Adams, a spokesman for Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), among the most hawkish House Republicans.

"In order to get a law passed, three things have to happen," he said. "First, the Senate needs to agree on a bill, and that might not happen. And then the House needs to create a conference committee, and there's no guarantee we'll even do that. And then we've got to reach a compromise with the Senate and the two sides aren't even close."

Still, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), who has kept a low profile during the debate, hinted at compromise yesterday, telling reporters, "We know that there's a need in some sectors of this economy for a guest worker program" - the first time he has made such a statement.

At high noon today, Frist is expected to introduce his border protection bill, which echoes the House approach.

But under an unusual arrangement many senators still found puzzling last night, Frist will allow Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) to substitute a far more lenient committee bill that creates a guest worker program allowing millions to remain in the country legally while they wait for their green cards.

Supporters of the measure say they have enough votes to pass it - but Frist promised a fight, blasting the proposal as "amnesty" and arguing that it will encourage more illegals to sneak into the country.

Speaking on the Senate floor last night, Frist, who had been vague about his position on the Specter bill, said, "I believe [it] goes too far in granting illegal immigrants with what most Americans will see as amnesty."

Specter, the son of Russian immigrants, shot back, "This word 'amnesty' is a code word, it is a code word to try to smear good-faith legislation."

Even with emotions running high, senators vowed to reach a compromise before Easter recess next week. Specter said he was open to reconsidering conservative proposals ditched during Monday's Judiciary vote.

"I think this problem is solvable," said Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), whose mother immigrated from Italy. "There's a willingness to work this out."