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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Immigration Drops Off The Political Calendar WASHINGTON — As Congress returns to work this week after a month-long break, little progress is imminent on an issue that leaders of both parties have identified as urgent: illegal immigration. RELATED: Labor Day immigration rallies draw smaller crowds No meeting has been scheduled for House and Senate negotiators to resolve differences between the two chambers' competing plans for tackling the problem. Both measures include beefed-up border security and penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. The Senate bill would offer most of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now working in the USA a chance to become citizens; the House bill would not. A major reason for the lack of action: the Nov. 7 elections. Both the House and Senate plan to recess at the end of the month. Lawmakers' need to campaign will limit the time they have to work on legislation and has made them less willing to compromise. "So many of the campaigns want to use this as a political football," said Cecilia Muñoz of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization. "You can't do that and legislate seriously." Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., an author of the bipartisan Senate bill, said last week that no action is likely unless President Bush, who supports the Senate approach, forces Republican congressional leaders to the negotiating table. "If he wants to put this as a prime issue before the Congress, he can do it; he can influence the Republican leadership," Kennedy said. "This requires presidential attention and leadership. Without it, we're going to have a difficult time." Many Republican conservatives, led by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., oppose legislation that would provide what they describe as "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona and the conservative Heritage Foundation say the Senate bill would expand the U.S. population — and federal spending — by adding millions of citizens, who then could petition for their relatives to enter the USA. The White House is signaling that Bush would prefer to put off a showdown with those opponents until after the elections. Bush wants an immigration bill, but "we recognize it will be a heavy lift with such a short legislative period," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "Our aim is to get a good bill that meets the objectives outlined by the president. If that requires more time, we will use it." La Raza is expressing concern over the tone of the immigration debate. "Campaign ads from both parties are crossing the line," Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the organization, said in a statement last week. Murguía called on leaders of both parties to discourage "inflammatory" rhetoric and campaign tactics that "demonize immigrants and Latinos." Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., echoed that view. "We're talking about real people, the overwhelming majority of whom have just come to this country to work," he said. Pence is promoting a compromise bill that would allow illegal immigrants to become "guest workers" by leaving the country and applying to re-enter with legal status. He said Republicans may be making a political mistake by putting off work on immigration until after the election. "Congress has spent the last 18 months telling the American people the immigration system is broken," Pence said. "Without significant progress, there may be a price to pay." In a report last month, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate immigration bill would increase federal spending $126 billion over the next 10 years. The largest cost, $24.5 billion, would be tax credits for low-income workers who would become legal under the legislation. An earlier CBO estimate pegged the cost of the House bill at $1.9 billion over the next five years. Supporters of the Senate legislation say there will be social and financial benefits from granting legal status to a large population of underground workers and from permitting more foreigners to work legally. Some leading Republicans, such as Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas, hold this view, as do Republican-leaning business organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
...right along with the Republican majority in the House.
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