Thankful for a breakthrough, President Bush on Saturday praised senators of both parties for delivering a potential deal to overhaul U.S. immigration policy. The compromise aims to grant legal status to millions of people in the country unlawfully, stiffen border security and create a program for temporary workers. It also would reshape requirements for new immigrants and take measures to prevent illegal workers from getting jobs.
A victory for Bush is far from assured. The proposal must get through the Senate, where debate begins Monday, and the prospects of such a plan are also uncertain in the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Saturday she was not pleased with the immigration agreement.
Speaking to reporters after giving a commencement address at the University of San Francisco, Pelosi told reporters that it would create more restrictive rules on being eligible for a visa because of a relative. Spouses and minor children of legal residents and citizens could still get green cards, but other relatives would have to qualify under a point system that rewards advanced skills and education.
An unlikely alliance of liberal and conservative lawmakers championed the proposal, which was announced Thursday after months of private talks among senators and the White House. The president used his radio address to tout the deal and build momentum for it, without expressly lobbying lawmakers to vote for it. For Bush, approval of a comprehensive plan to improve immigration would be a signature second-term achievement. The package faces opposition from both sides. Conservatives say it is too lenient on those who have broken the law; liberals warn it would be unworkable and unfair to migrant families.
No comments:
Post a Comment