June 5, 2007, 11:23PM
Senate GOP threatens filibuster on immigration bill
Texas legislators among those who want amendments heard after Reid moves to pare list
By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — The Senate's tenuous immigration compromise hit a speed bump Tuesday, with Republicans vowing to filibuster if forced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to vote Thursday to close debate about the bill.
With more than 100 amendments filed and many more waiting in the wings, Reid pressured the bill's authors to whittle down the list in hopes of completing action on the bill this week.
"There are efforts made to stall this bill," Reid said. "And when that happens, the only thing we can do is go by the Senate rules and procedures and move on."
Republicans bristled at Reid's tactic, which would cut off consideration of a flurry of amendments.
"It would be a terrible mistake," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "The idea that we're going to ram this through without an opportunity for amendment, an opportunity for debate, will be unsuccessful."
Reid warned that he would pull the immigration bill from the floor if Republicans filibuster. But both sides suggested they could avert a showdown by agreeing to debate a smaller number of amendments.
Cornyn and fellow Texas GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison raced to the Senate floor after Reid's announcement, intent on making sure they get votes on their amendments that would curtail aspects of the proposed program to give the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a path to legal status.
Legalization is a key component of a so-called "grand bargain" that would add more border and interior enforcement, create a guest-worker program and emphasize bringing in highly skilled legal immigrants.
"I don't want to be squeezed out," Hutchison said, demanding votes on her amendments that would deny Social Security credit for the time a person worked in the U.S. illegally and ensure that guest workers don't become Social Security beneficiaries.
After Cornyn threatened to bring debate on the immigration bill to a standstill, the bill's managers agreed to give the Texan a vote today on his amendment to deny legalization to an estimated 635,000 illegal immigrants who have defied deportation orders.
"It astounds me that this could be in the least bit controversial," Cornyn said, complaining that his measure had been denied a vote for 13 days. Democrats have been working to offer an amendment watering down Cornyn's measure.
Even as Cornyn and Hutchison moved to alter the bill, they made clear that they still have major problems with the legislation and cannot support it in its current form.
The two are not only under pressure to approve the bill from a powerful coalition of Texas employers but also are hearing major criticism from constituents.
"I'm not there yet," Hutchison said. "Everyone would like to make this a better bill, but it is so complicated and there are legitimate concerns."
The Senate approved a measure Tuesday seeking to ensure that employers take more steps to seek American workers before hiring guest workers.
michelle.mittelstadt@chron.com
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