Democrats pledge to move toward 2010 vote on immigration reform

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and other Democrats made
that pledge as they unveiled their outline of an immigration reform plan,
which has been widely viewed as a political exercise to help Reid and other
Democrats with Hispanic voters, a growing electoral bloc.

Democratic strategists say the issue is not a clear winner
like the Wall Street reform bill; Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), the plan’s
primary author, acknowledged that dealing with an estimated 10.8 million
illegal residents is “morally complex” and “politically explosive.”

Even so, Democrats see it as more divisive for the
Republican Party, which is under pressure from Tea Party conservatives to be
tough on illegal immigrants but also does not want to lose Hispanic voters.

{mosads}Schumer insisted a bill could get done this year despite
widespread skepticism on and off Capitol Hill that the divisive issue can be tackled.

“In the past several weeks, pundits and columnists,
reporters have almost all been saying the prospects for comprehensive
immigration reform looked weak. I completely disagree,” Schumer said.

Lawmakers downplayed politics and challenged Republicans to
help them fix “a broken system,” taking a similar approach to the argument they
used to persuade GOP lawmakers to begin debate on Wall Street reform.

“What I say to my Republican colleagues: Work with us to fix
this broken system, secure our borders and do other things that we’ve got to
do; don’t just say no,” Reid said at a press conference late Thursday.

Reid emphasized that Schumer had put together his proposal
after “months” of negotiations with Republicans.

“Those negotiations have been built on the bipartisan work
of Senate colleagues in previous years,” Reid said, making reference to
legislative pushes that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made during George W. Bush’s
presidency.

That line was similar to the argument Reid and other
Democrats made in recent days by highlighting the contributions of Sen. Bob
Corker (R-Tenn.) to the Wall Street reform bill.

In a bid to win GOP support, Democrats say they have made
securing the nation’s borders the top priority in the bill.

The bill focuses on three areas: It would tighten security
along the nation’s northern and southern borders; register illegal
immigrants with the federal government and set them on a path to citizenship if
they pay fines, learn English and stay out of criminal trouble; and
crack down on employers who hire illegal workers.

“Our proposal will require the government to secure the
border first before we adjust the status of a single person here illegally —
just what many of our colleagues are saying on the other side of the aisle,”
said Schumer, who insisted the border security proposals he is advancing are
tougher than those considered during Bush’s tenure.

Schumer also highlighted a proposal to implement a
nationwide worker-verification program, which would require every worker to
carry a national identification card with biometric information within six
years.

That proposal has already drawn fire from the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU), but Schumer said it is essential to stem the tide of illegal
workers.

“Our proposal recognizes that no matter what we do on the
border, we’ll only succeed in dramatically reducing future illegal immigration
by creating an employment verification system that holds employers accountable
for knowingly hiring illegal workers,” he said.

The ACLU panned the proposal in a press statement earlier in
the day, saying it would “usher government into the very center of our lives.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in an earlier interview that
it was not realistic to expect the federal government to completely secure the
border with Mexico.

“It’s a challenge beyond description to say we’re going to
stop every single truck and car and to make sure they’re not harboring illegal
immigrants,” Durbin said. “But we can commit ourselves, and this bill does, to
dramatically increasing the resources in that effort to show we’re serious
about it.”

Some immigration groups greeted the legislative framework
warily because of the strict employment-verification measure and other
restrictions on immigrants but acknowledged it as an important first step.

“The proposal revealed today is in part the result of more
than a year of bipartisan negotiations and represents a possible path forward
on immigration reform,” Ali Noorani, executive director of Reform Immigration
for America.

“This
framework is not there yet,” Noorani added.

Reid said that he expected President Barack Obama to fully
support the effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform, despite comments
from the president Wednesday that some in the media interpreted as a splash of
cold water on the idea.

“I don’t want us to do something just for the sake of
politics that doesn’t solve the problem,” Obama told reporters Wednesday night
aboard Air Force One.

A Democratic source close to the White House said the
president was completely supportive, pointing to a statement Obama issued
Thursday.

“The proposal outlined today in the Senate is a very
important step in the process of fixing our nation’s broken immigration system,”
Obama said.

Some liberal groups have called for more involvement from
the president on the issue.

“The other player that has to come to the front and center
is the White House,” said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy
at the Center for American Progress.

Earlier in the day, Durbin said Obama could help bring
Republicans on board.

“I think the White House can help us with this,” Durbin
said. “I don’t know if they’re inclined to, but I think they can help us by
finding those Republicans who are willing to step up and tackle a challenging
issue.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who had been negotiating with
Schumer on the issue, pulled back in recent days, voicing frustration about the
prospect of Democrats moving an immigration bill ahead of energy reform.

Schumer has since met with other Republicans. He met with
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) on Thursday, who voiced interest in the framework’s
labor provisions, Schumer said.