Wall Street Journal
By Sara Murray and Corey Boles
April 18, 2013
A jovial group of senators formally unveiled a bipartisan immigration bill Thursday, allowing a brief moment to bask in its accomplishment before a brutal political battle begins.
With labor representatives, business interests and immigration advocates in the background, eight senators made the announcement that had been postponed so many times, mostly due to policy disputes but also from the Boston Marathon bombings.
“We’re either going to get a bill or have one hell of a fight,” said South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican who has been part of two previous attempts to overhaul the immigration system.
Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and John McCain (R., Ariz.) said their proposal was balanced, with border-security provisions that are tough but achievable and a path to citizenship that is difficult but inclusive. Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) celebrated the plan’s “Dream Act,” which would give people who were brought to the U.S. as children a speedier path to citizenship than others. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican who will be key to selling the plan to other conservatives, pointed to the benefits businesses will get from a host of work-visa programs.
After stressful negotiations culminating in a bill that was released around 2 a.m. Wednesday, members of the group appeared at ease. The ribbed each other about the size of Messrs. McCain and Schumer’s egos, and Mr. McCain thanked the group for putting up with his “tantrums.”
Mostly they seemed relieved to have finally reached a deal.
“No one got everything they wanted,” Mr. Schumer said. “There were moments when it looked like an agreement would not come.”
At times, it was an uneasy alliance for the group of eight. “At the very beginning, I wasn’t sure the commitment of all of my colleagues,” Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), said. “In fact, there was a real desire to solve a problem that has for too long gone unsolved.”
After Mr. Menendez wrapped up his remarks, Mr. Rubio – the perceived wildcard in the group because some lawmakers worried he would back away from negotiations – took the mic. “Actually, I changed my mind,” he joked, before assuring, “No, I’m kidding.”
Still, the senators acknowledged this was only the first hurdle. There is still a tough road ahead for their legislation to pass the Senate, survive the more conservative House and land on the president’s desk, lawmakers said.
Earlier that afternoon some of the bill’s chief critics convened their own press conference where they promised to fight the legislation.
Sen. David Vitter (R., La.) said that the bipartisan bill would grant “immediate amnesty” to illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S., in exchange for the promise of taking action to strengthen border security in the future.
“That fundamental model has failed in the past, and it will fail again,” said Mr. Vitter, at a press conference, flanked by law enforcement officers.
Several of those law enforcement representatives also spoke critically of the bill, saying it wouldn’t do enough to strengthen border security while rushing to reward people who broke the law by being in the country illegally.
Sheriff Sam Page of Rockingham County, N.C., a member of the National Sheriffs Association, said that law enforcement hadn’t been consulted adequately in drafting the legislation.
“We must secure our borders,” he said. “Homeland security begins at home. No. 2: Amnesty is amnesty, you call it what you want.”
The bill’s next stop will be the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold hearings on immigration Friday and Monday and is scheduled to mark up the bill in early May. Mr. Schumer said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) promised to take the bill to the full Senate by June.
“The Judiciary Committee includes some of the leading opponents of immigration reform, who will have their ample opportunity to challenge our ideas,” Mr. Schumer said. “This ensures the bill will emerge from committee battle tested.”
Members of the group said they welcomed amendments from other senators but promised to fight any changes designed to derail the legislation.
“If you’ve got a better idea, bring it on,” Mr. Graham said. “But if you want to kill it, we’re going to have a talk about that.”
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