Advocates expect vote on immigration bill
Say Senate could approve measure before week ends
WASHINGTON -- A stalled measure to overhaul US immigration laws is "alive and well" and will come back for a vote after a lobbying effort by President Bush, said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and other supporters of the bill.
The legislation might be approved by the Senate in as little as two days if Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, allows debate on the proposal to continue, Gutierrez said yesterday in an interview on CNN's "Late Edition."
"I believe the votes were there, and some senators felt like they needed more time," Gutierrez said. "This is first and foremost a national security bill. The reality is the law is weak, and this bill makes the law stronger."
The measure to offer 12 million undocumented immigrants legal status and create a guest worker program failed a procedural vote pushed by Reid to conclude debate after nine days. The Senate fell 15 votes short of the 60 required to end debate. Bush's involvement would give the proposal a 50-50 chance of approval, Senator Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, told "Late Edition."
Bush drew criticism from Reid and other Democrats for failing to win support from enough members of his own party and from some Republicans for attacking opponents of the legislation as fearmongers. Senator Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican who helped sponsor the plan, told Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital with Al Hunt" Friday that the president needs to "roll his sleeves up" to push the plan.
Bush, who has made overhauling immigration a centerpiece of his domestic agenda, plans to have lunch with Senate Republicans tomorrow to help revive the measure, according to a Senate Republican aide.
Seven Republican senators voted to end debate on the immigration measure, with 38 against it. The issue is damaging the party, said Senator Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican.
"It hurts greatly. There is no political winner in this for us," Kyl told "Late Edition." "Maybe we could get it to a neutral, but that's not very good politics."
Still, Kyl predicted that the measure would pass the Senate before July 4. 