May | June 2010 LEGISLATIVE NEWS Immigration:


pressures mount, but Legislative environment complicated


On March 21, a crowd of 200,000 -- twice the expect- ed number -- gathered on the National Mall in Wash- ington, DC, to call on Congress and President Obama to take up immigra- tion reform. The huge but peaceful assembly heard from a variety of speakers, ranging from faith, labor, and immi- grant rights leaders to members of the House and Senate, during a three-hour rally fol- lowed by a march. But, the call for action from the impressive event was largely drowned out by the simultane- ous raging health care debate and votes in the House of Representa- tives.


As the health care de- bate concluded, Sen.


Lindsey Graham (SC), the lead Republican negoti- ating the contours of an immigration bill with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), flatly stated that procedural maneuvers on the health care bill had likely elimi- nated the prospect for bipartisanship on comprehen- sive immigration reform. While Schumer and Gra-


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ham had published an opinion piece in the March 19 Washington Post laying out a vision and framework for reform, the effort has stalled out.


What is next? ANLA


sees four potential sce- narios.


The safer bet,


as always, is “nothing happens.” Congress has a long legacy of find- ing excuses to sidestep the issue of immigra- tion reform, and this year could be no different. A second scenario is that Democrats proceed with marking up a bill in the Senate Judiciary Com- mittee without any initial bipartisan buy-in. A di- visive failure and blame game would be the likely result.


Perhaps bipartisan nego-


tiations quickly restart and produce an agreement that has been elusive since last August. An agreement would need to be reached by about the first week of May. Challenges would be finding the Senate floor time and the votes, with many incumbents worried about the mood of voters as November elections


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