Washington: A sweeping immigration law overhaul that would toughen border security and give millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn US citizenship, headed for Senate passage on Thursday and backers prepared for a bruising battle with the House of Representatives.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, said the bill was "on a glide path" to passage after the measure passed a key test vote on Wednesday by a strong margin.
A bipartisan coalition pushing the comprehensive bill withstood several attempts by opponents to unravel it.
Backers say strong bipartisan approval should strengthen their position in negotiations with the House, which passed a vastly different measure that would further criminalise illegal presence in the United States.
The Senate and House will have to merge their separate bills in a conference before they can send a final measure to President George W Bush for his signature.
It is unclear whether the two chambers will be able to resolve their differences before the November congressional elections.
"If we can get a good vote on final passage, then I think a conference committee represents a good set of possibilities," said Sen Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican.
Bush, mindful of the growing clout of Hispanic voters, backs a comprehensive approach close to the Senate bill. That measure couples border security and enforcement with a guest worker program and a plan to give some of the 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants a path to US citizenship.
Polls show immigration reform is important to Americans, and many Republicans believe that delivering a bill that assuages some of voters' concerns to Bush for his signature could help their sagging poll ratings.
Many lawmakers say Bush will have to become deeply involved in the bargaining for a final bill for it to be done before the November elections, when Democrats hope to make their best showing in more than a decade.
Bush, who has long supported immigration reform, has been trying to address conservative Republicans' concerns about border security.
In a nationally televised address this month he said that thousands of National Guard troops would be deployed to secure the leaky border with Mexico. But that approach was dismissed by many conservatives in the House as inadequate.
Comments
0 comment