Senate OKs deal on immigration

Senate OKs deal on immigration
Copyright by The Associated Press
May 12, 2006
BY SUZANNE GAMBOA

WASHINGTON -- Senate leaders reached a deal Thursday on reviving a broad immigration bill that could provide millions of illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens and said they'll try to pass it before Memorial Day.

The agreement brokered by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) breaks a political stalemate that has lingered for weeks while immigrants and their supporters held rallies to push for action.

''We congratulate the Senate on reaching agreement and we look forward to passage of a bill prior to Memorial Day,'' said Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary.

Key to the agreement is who will be negotiating a compromise with the House, which last December passed a tougher bill that would subject the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States to felony charges as well as deportation. At least one opponent of the compromise measure, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), will be among the negotiators.

Reid acknowledged on the Senate floor Thursday morning that he ''didn't get everything that I wanted'' in the agreement, but said Frist didn't either.

Reid had been taking some criticism for refusing to move forward on the bill after complaining that Republicans were trying to undermine it with amendments and insisting that Democrats be allowed to have a say in who serves on the conference committee.

Republicans, too, have had opposition from conservatives to the compromise proposal. These critics consider its path to citizenship provision for illegal immigrants and hundreds of thousands of future guest workers to be tantamount to amnesty.

AP