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Cabinet woos senators over immigration |
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By Ian Swanson
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Posted: 03/14/07 07:37 PM [ET] |
Two Cabinet members have embarked on a series of meetings with members of the Senate to win more support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, particularly among Republicans.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez have been meeting with members since early February, a senior administration official said. The meetings include Democratic and Republican senators who supported the immigration bill approved by the Senate last year, as well as critics of that approach.
“I think we have met with all the key opinion leaders in the Senate to date,” said the administration official. He refused to confirm meetings with specific lawmakers, but those active on immigration include Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Mel Martinez (R-Fla.).
While the administration official said the talks have included both Republicans and Democrats, advocates for a comprehensive immigration bill said the effort is focused on Republicans. Only 17 Republican senators voted for last year’s immigration bill, and three of those supporters — former Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) — are no longer in the Senate.
The two secretaries “see it as their job to deliver” Republican votes, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum. In a conference call last week, he said the meetings reflect a White House “playing hard” and starting to work immigration in a consistent manner.
That work is critical to a Senate-first strategy on immigration that advocates see as the best road to passage. If Chertoff and Gutierrez can win more GOP support for a Senate bill, it will build momentum in the House, where Republican votes will also be necessary.
Democrats may need at least 20 Republican votes in the Senate to defeat a possible filibuster, while supporters of a comprehensive immigration bill think 40 House Republican votes will be needed to offset Democrat defections and secure passage. While the efforts of Chertoff and Gutierrez now seem focused on the Senate, the administration official said the two are also meeting with House members.
President Bush this week said the administration’s goal is for Congress to approve a comprehensive immigration bill before the August recess. Concluding work by then is key because when Congress returns in September, it is likely to be consumed with appropriations work. Immigration proponents also fear the 2008 presidential race could begin to complicate efforts this fall.
Chertoff and Gutierrez are uniquely poised to carry the administration’s position on immigration reform to potential friends and critics, said Tamar Jacoby, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
As secretary of commerce, Jacoby said, Gutierrez will bring the message that immigration reform is essential for U.S. businesses. Chertoff, on the other hand, would focus on the security front, arguing that improving U.S. security depends on tackling the problem of illegal immigrants by setting up a temporary-worker program. That could allow border agents to focus on drug smugglers and others that pose greater risks to U.S. security.
Gutierrez is also in a unique position as a legal immigrant from Cuba. “That’s the kind of person you want on this issue,” said one business lobbyist. He added that in a meeting with business representatives several weeks ago, Gutierrez made it clear that comprehensive immigration reform was his top priority.
Jacoby downplayed Gutierrez’s ancestry, stating the administration is putting him out front on the issue because he is secretary of commerce, not because he is an immigrant. But she said Gutierrez’s personal story could increase his effectiveness.
The administration official said meetings with Congress have been productive, and that there is more momentum for immigration reform than last year, when the House thwarted the administration’s efforts.
Still, several factors complicate the administration’s work. Some senators are frustrated that the main architect of a Senate bill, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), has been working closely only with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), business sources said. So far the two have not introduced a bill, even though observers have been predicting one for weeks. The administration is hard-pressed to secure endorsements of legislation that members have not seen, the official said.
Another complication is the fact that Democrats have control of the House. Last year, Republican senators voting for the immigration bill could be confident the legislation would not move to the left in a conference with the House, Jacoby said. Now they cannot be as sure, which could make them more reluctant to support a bill. |
