Senate passes immigration bill; GOP advocate of crackdown pledges ‘battle'

By Kathy Kiely
USA TODAY 

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan coalition held together to give President Bush the comprehensive immigration bill that he says he wants. But the president may have to shatter his own party's unity in the House of Representatives if the bill is to become law.

“The ball is in the president's court,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday as the Senate approved the first rewrite of immigration law in 20 years with mostly Democratic and independent support.

The 62-36 vote capped a month-long debate punctuated by lawmakers' stories of their own immigrant roots. In the end, 38 Democrats, 23 Republicans and one independent supported the bill.

The Senate bill would add staff and technology at the nation's borders, expand opportunities for foreigners to work in the USA and give millions of illegal immigrants who have lived here since Jan. 7, 2004, a chance to become citizens.

“It strengthens our security and reflects our humanity,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., an architect of the bill. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., opposed the bill, calling it “a tremendous budget-buster.”

The legislation faces strong opposition in the House, which passed a bill in December that would make illegal immigration a felony, increase penalties for hiring undocumented workers and beef up border security.

Some backers of the House bill say the Senate version awards amnesty to lawbreakers. They promised to take a tough line in the House-Senate conference committee that will hammer out differences between the bills.

“I'd rather see no bill than a bad bill,” said Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y. “An overwhelming majority of House Republicans are opposed to legalization.”

Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican who has become a national spokesman for cracking down on illegal immigration, sounded a defiant note. “The battle has been joined,” he said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., a supporter of the Senate immigration bill, joined Democratic leaders in calling on Bush to overcome GOP opposition. “We are looking forward to the president's more intensive participation,” he said.

Specter and House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., have said they want to begin ironing out differences. “The public deserves to know where their elected representatives stand on this before the elections in November,” Sensenbrenner said.

Specter warned that Republicans, who control the House and Senate, could pay a price if Congress fails to reach a compromise. “There is an election in November, and our leadership position as Republicans is on the line,” he said.

That could put Bush in the politically awkward position of relying on Democrats to produce an immigration bill. Of the Senate's 55 Republicans, 32 voted against the bill containing many elements the president favors. The House bill was supported by 203 of the chamber's 231 Republicans.

Democrats and Republicans said Bush will have to flex his muscle to get a bill he can sign. “His biggest work is ahead of him,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.