Senate makes new try for immigration bill

Key vote expected Friday, but many senators are barred from adding amendments.

By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

from the June 21, 2007 edition

Page 1 of 3

Washington - Drafted in secret, the once-derailed Senate immigration bill is making a comeback.

But because it is being redesigned with unusual restrictions on debate, the legislation is drawing protests from critics. Not only will the resulting bill ignore broad concerns of immigration hard-liners, it may not even pass.

"The process has been orchestrated by a handful of people behind closed doors, and they are paying a price for that," says Sen. John Thune (R) of South Dakota. "People are feeling shut out."

An early test for party leaders and the bipartisan group of senators who crafted the compromise could come as early as Friday, when the Senate is expected to vote on whether to reopen debate on the bill. Supporters of the bill need at least 60 votes.

The key criticism involves the unusual restrictions that supporters have put on amendments to the bill. As a condition for giving the bill a second chance, Senate majority leader Harry Reid persuaded Republicans to whittle down scores of proposed amendments to a dozen. Democrats will be allowed 10 to 12 amendments, too.

But a draft list of which amendments would be included, which was leaked to the press this week, did not include any from the bill's hard-core opponents.

Supporters are offering debate on amendments to a persuadable group of senators who opposed the bill on the last key vote on June 7. Many of them say they could vote for the revised bill, if their concerns are met.

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