Senate bill sails toward passage
House continues debating roadblocks on path to citizenship
WASHINGTON — Immigration legislation cruised toward passage in the Senate as House Republicans pushed ahead Wednesday on a different approach that cracks down on millions in the United States illegally rather than offering them a chance at citizenship.
There was no doubt the Senate bill was on track for passage today or Friday.
Supporters posted 67 votes or more on each of three procedural tests Wednesday, more than the 60 needed to prevail.
More than a dozen Republicans sided with Democrats, assuring bipartisan support that the bill’s backers hope will change minds in the House.
The Senate legislation includes several steps to prevent future illegal immigration, while it offers a chance at citizenship for millions living in the country illegally.
It provides for 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, requires completion of 700 miles of fencing and requires high-tech devices to secure the border with Mexico.
Businesses would be required to check on the legal status of prospective employees. The government would be ordered to install a high-tech system to check on foreigners’ comings and goings at selected airports.
Other provisions would expand the number of visas for highly skilled workers relied upon by the technology industry. A separate program would be established for lower-skilled workers, and farmworkers would be admitted under a temporary program.
Some farmworkers country illegally can in the qualify for a green card, which bestows permanent residency status, in five years.
Many of the bill’s supporters cheered a Supreme Court ruling that said married gay couples are entitled to the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples. The decision would let gay married citizens or permanent residents sponsor their foreign-born spouses for U.S. residency, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledged to implement it.
The legislation was drafted by four Democrats and four Republicans who fended off changes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. They then were involved in negotiations with Republican on tougher border security provisions that swelled support among Republicans.
Deal-making that smoothed the way for the bill frustrated GOP dissenters, who complained Wednesday that they weren’t allowed to offer amendments. Supporters of the legislation disagreed, until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., snapped: “I’ve just about had it on this.”
In the House, a bipartisan deal faltered, and majority Re- publicans began moving ahead on legislation tailored to the wishes of conservatives and opposed by Democrats.
The House Judiciary Committee already has approved two measures and agreed to a third Wednesday.
The House bill, approved Wednesday on a vote of 22-9, would require businesses to check on the legal status of employees within two years, compared with four in the Senate measure.
One of the bills approved earlier makes it a new crime to remain in the country without legal status. It also allows state and local governments to enforce federal immigration laws. It encourages those living in the United States unlawfully to depart voluntarily.
The second bill that cleared last week deals with farmworkers who come to the United States temporarily with government permission. Unlike the Senate legislation, it offers no pathway to citizenship.
Rules generally guarantee Democrats a chance to have the full House vote on alternatives, and they might seek a vote on the Senate bill.