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Citizenship-offer hurdle may trip any immigration reform

By Mary M. Shaffrey
JOURNAL WASHINGTON BUREAU

The U.S. Senate continued debate on an immigration-reform package yesterday, passing provisions that would give illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship, create 370 miles of fence along the border with Mexico, and bar convicted felons from being eligible for citizenship.

Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C, said last night that as result of the citizenship option - one he considers an offer of amnesty - he was not optimistic about being able to support the final version.

"It's not a piece of legislation that I would support voting for," Burr said.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C, welcomed the felon provision, something she has consistently said was necessary to earn her support, but she remains undecided.

"We're still in the process of looking at the overall picture here. There are other things that are important," she said before heading into the Senate chamber.

The anti-felon amendment passed 99-0.

The fence-building amendment passed 83-16, with both Dole and Burr voting yes.

It was the first win for those who have said that border security must be the top priority of any immigration package.

"Good fences make good neighbors," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the amendment's sponsor. The provision also calls for 500 miles of vehicle barriers to be built along the southern border.

Collectively, the day's developments gave fresh momentum to legislation that followed President Bush's call for a comprehensive immigration bill.

Senate passage is likely next week, and the White House appeared to be turning its attention to rebellious House Republicans, whose support will be needed if a bill is to emerge from Congress this year.

Karl Rove, the deputy chief of staff to the president, met privately with House Republicans yesterday morning about immigration reform.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican who represents North Carolina's 5th District, said she appreciated much of what Rove had to say, particularly about how the National Guard would be dispatched to the border under the president's plan.

Foxx said, though, that Rove did not convince her to support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, which is a key provision of the president's plan.

"I haven't changed my mind.... I am totally opposed to amnesty," she said.

The debate on the Senate floor was at times heated as senators who support the citizenship provision denounced those who called it an amnesty.

"This is not amnesty, so let's get the terms right," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who was visibly annoyed with some of his Republican colleagues.

But Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who spent a fair amount of time on the floor yesterday deriding the plan as an amnesty, questioned Hagel's tone.

"It sort of reminds me of the famous line, 'Methinks thou dost protest too much,'" he responded.

Vitter unsuccessfully tried to strip provisions in the bill that related to illegal immigrants because of his concerns that they amounted to giving the immigrants a free pass. The bill failed 33-66. Both Burr and Dole voted for Vitter's amendment.

Across the Capitol, conservative members of the House of Representatives repeated their claim that if the Senate passes a bill with any program granting a pathway to citizenship, they will oppose it.

"If you break the law to come to this country, you will not respect the law once you are here," Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-10th, told a group of activists.

The newly formed group, called You Don't Speak for Me, is comprised of Americans of Hispanic descent who oppose the pathway-to-citizenship program.

It was established, according to its Web site, to present a counter argument to those who were participating in the immigrant-rights rallies held nationwide in recent months.

Claudia Spencer, one of the activists affiliated with the group, legally immigrated to the United States from Mexico in 1998 and became an American citizen last May.

Spencer said she was angered by the rallies and questioned the patriotism of those who would take part in a boycott that could hinder the American economy.

"To be an American citizen is a great honor, (and) it's a great responsibility," she said.

• Mary M. Shaffrey can be reached in Washington at (202) 662-7672 or at mshaffrey@wsjournal.com

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.