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 News from Around the Americas | June 2007 
Bush Confident US Immigration Bill Will Pass
 Agence France Presse
| | Corina Arevalo (C) and her daughter Nataly Perdomo hold up a US flag during an immigration rally outside the US Capitol 02 June 2007 in Washington, DC. US President George W. Bush was confident Monday that the most sweeping overhaul of US immigration laws in two decades will ultimately clear Congress once he gets home from his European tour. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski) |
US President George W. Bush was confident Monday that the most sweeping overhaul of US immigration laws in two decades will ultimately clear Congress once he gets home from his European tour.
Speaking in Bulgaria's capital Sofia, Bush acknowledged disappointment that the legislation - aimed at bringing 12 million illegal immigrants out of the shadows - collapsed Thursday in the Democratic-controlled Congress.
"Listen, the immigration debate is a tough debate. I'm under no illusions about how hard it is," he told a news conference.
"There are people in my (Republican) party that don't want a comprehensive bill. There are people in the Democrat Party that don't seem to want a comprehensive bill."
But he said that he would, upon his return to Washington, get in touch with leading Democrats and Republicans who do support the legislation to get it firmly back on track.
"I'll be going to the Senate to talk about a way forward on the piece of legislation," he said.
"I'm going to work with those who are focused on getting an immigration bill done and start taking some steps forward again. I believe we can get it done. I'll see you at the bill signing."
Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), the Democratic leader of the Senate, withdrew the bill Thursday after senators, seeking to add amendments, voted twice within nine hours not to move it towards a final vote as he had demanded.
Billed as a "grand bargain," the proposed law would grant a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, establishing a merit-based points system for future immigrants, and create a low-wage temporary worker program.
It also envisions a border security crackdown, punishment for employers who hire illegal immigrants and an attempt to wipe out a backlog of visa applications from those who have gone through legal channels.
Bush, who has made immigration reform a top priority of his second presidential term, is due to attend a Senate Republican policy lunch on Tuesday following his trip to Europe. |
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