Washington:
A key committee in the Republican-led House of Representatives moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused US immigration bill, over objections from Democrats and disruptions from protesters shouting "Shame, shame, shame!"
Meanwhile in the Senate, a Republican lawmaker floated a compromise border security proposal he hopes can win over support for sweeping immigration legislation under consideration there that opens the door to citizenship for 11 million immigrants now here illegally.
And on a day of fast-paced developments on an issue that is a top second-term priority for President Barack Obama, the leader of the House, Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, moved to quiet speculation that he might bring the Senate immigration legislation up for a vote despite opposition from many conservatives in his chamber. Some of these conservatives are concerned they might face a challenger in a primary election if they are not tough on immigration overhaul.
"Any immigration reform bill that is going to go into law ought to have a majority of both parties' support if we're really serious about making that happen. And so I don't see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that doesn't have a majority support of Republicans," Boehner said. He added that enforcement along the Mexican border would be key for any immigration bill, "And I frankly think the Senate bill is weak on border security."
As Boehner addressed reporters, the House Judiciary Committee was meeting to consider a bill, called the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, by Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican. It would empower state and local officials to enforce federal immigration laws, make passport and visa fraud into aggravated felonies subject to deportation, funnel money into building more detention centers, and crack down on immigrants suspected of posing dangers.
As soon as Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Republican gaveled the proceedings open, more than a dozen protesters who had been seated in the hearing room stood up and began clapping and chanting, "Shame, shame, shame! More of the same!" They were ushered out but their cries could still be heard in the hallway and Goodlatte stopped the proceedings until the protesters had been dispersed.
Goodlatte said that the bill under consideration - the first immigration bill to come to a vote in a House committee this year - "provides a robust interior enforcement strategy that will maintain the integrity of our immigration system for the long term."
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat, said that "this bill must be opposed, it would turn millions of undocumented immigrants into criminals overnight." She predicted mass protests were the bill to become law, along the lines of what happened in 2006 after the House passed a similarly tough enforcement bill.
The move by the House Judiciary Committee comes less than two weeks after the full House voted to overturn Obama's 2012 election-year order to stop deportations of many immigrants brought here illegally as youths.
Together the two moves highlight the challenges ahead in getting a comprehensive immigration bill through Congress this year, as Obama wants. For many House conservatives, the priorities when it comes to immigration remain enforcing the laws and securing the border, not allowing the millions here illegally to gain legal status or citizenship.
Still, No. 2 House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer predicted Tuesday that if the Senate passes an immigration bill with bipartisan support, "I think the Republican leadership will be under great pressure to let the House work its will" - congressional jargon for letting the House take up legislation even without majority support from the majority Republicans.
"I think the presidential wing of the Republican Party is absolutely convinced they need to be for an immigration bill," Hoyer said, saying they believe they have to "forge some bridge" to the Hispanic community. He added, "That same motivation does not apply to the congressional wing" of the Republican party. The Hispanic community voted overwhelmingly for Obama in last November's election.
As in the House, border security is at issue in the Democratic-led Senate, where senators have been jousting over how to strengthen the provisions in a far-reaching bill being considered on the floor this week to remake the nation's immigration laws. The bill would allow tens of thousands of high- and low-skilled workers into the country, and require all employers to check their workers' legal status. At its heart is a 13-year path to citizenship for people now here illegally, but that is contingent on certain border security goals being met.
Republican critics say those "triggers" are too weak and have been demanding amendments to strengthen them. The Senate planned to vote Tuesday on an amendment by Sen. John Thune, a Republican, requiring 700 miles ( 1,226 kilometers) of double-layered border fencing before anyone here illegally could get a permanent resident green card.