Article
By RACHEL L. SWARNS
WASHINGTON, April 6 ? With a Republican compromise in hand, the Senate headed today toward a showdown vote on competing plans on the volatile subject of illegal immigration.
As predicted by Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, in televised interviews this morning, a bipartisan bill approved by the Judiciary Committee failed to gain the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster when it is brought to the floor.
The vote to cut off debate on the bill, which would put nearly all of the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants on a path toward citizenship, a provision that has been denounced by its opponents as offering "amnesty," failed by a wide margin ? 60 no votes to 39 in favor.
Mr. Frist said the Senate would then take up the new compromise, reached late Wednesday night by a group of Republicans.
But while the compromise was endorsed by Mr. Frist, a Republican of Tennessee, it did not have the commitment of all Republicans, much less Democrats.
As described by Mr. Frist in the interviews, the compromise would place illegal immigrants in three categories:
?Those who have lived in the country at least five years would be put on a path toward guaranteed citizenship, provided that they remained employed, paid fines and back taxes, and learned English. Mr. Frist said said this group accounted for about 60 percent of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be living here.
?Those who have lived here for two to five years, said to number about three million, would have to leave the country briefly before reporting to an American port of entry, where they would be classified as temporary workers. They would be allowed to apply for citizenship but would have no guarantee of obtaining it. Those who did not would have to leave after participating in the temporary worker program for six years.
?The remaining one million or so, those who have lived in the country less than two years, would be required to leave. They could apply for temporary worker status but would not be guaranteed it.
Mr. Frist said in an interview with CNN that the key to the compromise was a recognition that illegal immigrants "are not a monolithic group."
Those who have stayed in the country more than five years "are more likely to be assimilated into society," he said. Also, there was a recognition "that it's impractical, it's impossible, to send everybody home."
Mr. Frist said the compromise bill would be combined with one he had proposed concerning border security and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
Senators of both parties and their aides had huddled in meetings throughout the day, trying to hash out a deal by week's end, the deadline set by Mr. Frist for a vote on an immigration bill. For the first time, senior Democrats, including Senators Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, joined in the negotiations, an acknowledgment that they lacked the backing to get a vote on broader legalization.
Mr. Frist said that the Senate would vote first today on legislation proposed by Senator Kennedy and Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, that was passed by the Judiciary Committee. Mr. Frist said that measure, which would have allowed nearly all illegal immigrants to eventually apply for citizenship, would fail to gain the 60 votes it would need to avoid a filibuster.
Then the debate would move to the new compromise, which Mr. Frist predicted would be voted on Friday or possibly tonight.
Lawmakers, who gave impassioned partisan speeches on the floor, had remained deadlocked late into the night Wednesday in a search for a compromise. Senators warned that if the negotiations collapsed, Congress might fail to take action this year on an issue that has riveted the nation and pushed tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters into the streets for rallies across the country.
Mr. Frist placed blame for the stalemate on Democrats, who refused to allow Republicans to vote on major amendments and have used a parliamentary tactic that will force lawmakers to decide Thursday whether the bill more favorable to illegal immigrants should be considered for a floor vote.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader, blamed the Republicans, saying they had continued to "stonewall" by seeking to pass amendments that would gut that broad legalization bill, approved by the Judiciary Committee last week with bipartisan support.
As the party leaders pointed fingers, Senator McCain rose on the floor and pleaded with his colleagues to come together to prevent a rare opportunity from slipping away.
"This is one of the greatest challenges we face in our time, securing our borders, taking 11 million people out of the shadows who are exploited every day, fulfilling the job requirements we all know are necessary to ensure the economic future," Mr. McCain said.
"Americans are passionate in general," he said, "but this issue has brought passion few of us have seen in this country ? in Los Angeles, New York City and around the nation. It seems we owe every American a resolution to this issue. Could we please move forward?"
President Bush, who met with Republican Congressional leaders on Wednesday, also pressed the Senate to move ahead. "I strongly urge them to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible and pass a comprehensive bill," the president said.
Republicans said the compromise, whose prominent backers include Mr. McCain and Senators Mel Martinez of Florida and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, would attract votes from their members who are uncomfortable with broader legalization. But the compromise cannot pass without the support of Democrats, who said they were still weighing their options.
"Aren't we entitled to at least a chance to have a vote on a comprehensive approach?" Mr. Kennedy said.
There were signs, though, that some of Mr. Kennedy's allies among business and immigrant advocacy groups were throwing their support behind the compromise proposal.
The leaders of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, which represents hotels, restaurants and other service industries, said a limited legalization would be better than a bill that focused solely on tightening border security.
Any bill passed by the Senate would have to be reconciled with one passed by the House that calls for deporting all illegal immigrants as felons, and would make it a crime to offer them assistance of any kind.
Mr. Frist said the impassioned debate in the Senate over the past two weeks "shows that it's not where the House is."
"Our approach is more complete," he said.
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"I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
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