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Immigration Bill Walks Fine Line

Senate coalition sees its bipartisan brainchild grow from concept to pending legislation

By Ben Worthen,  Newser User

Posted Jun 4, 2007 12:30 PM CDT
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(Newser) – The "grand bargain"—the compromise on which the proposed immigration bill turns—is the product of a process that saw senators from every point on the political compass unite around a common goal. With the senate scheduled to take up the legislation this week, the LA Times goes behind the scenes to look at the forging of an unusual consensus.

Senators joined in and dropped out. The White House dispatched Cabinet secretaries. Voices were raised. When the dust settled, a bipartisan team of a dozen senators led by Ted Kennedy and Jon Kyl had vetted every phrase of the 628-page bill. Final amendments are up next, and the grand bargainers will be back at the negotiating table—together.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., left, accompanied by fellow Senators, speaks about the immigration legislation, Thursday, May 24, 2007, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are, Kyl, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., Sen. Arlen...
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., left, accompanied by fellow Senators, speaks about the immigration legislation, Thursday, May 24, 2007, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are, Kyl,...   (Associated Press)
Mexican migrants walk towards Sasabe town, Mexico after they were chased by the U.S. Border Patrol in the Sasabe desert, Mexico, Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Democrats are seeking to slash the number of foreign workers who could come to the U.S. with temporary working visas Wednesday as the...
Mexican migrants walk towards Sasabe town, Mexico after they were chased by the U.S. Border Patrol in the Sasabe desert, Mexico, Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Democrats are seeking to slash the number of foreign...   (Associated Press)
A sign at the Sabal Palm Audubon Center near Brownsville, Texas, May 10, 2007, reminds visitors to avoid area with Border Patrol sensors. Wildlife enthusiasts fear the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge could be ruined by the fences and adjacent roads the U.S. government plans to erect along the...
A sign at the Sabal Palm Audubon Center near Brownsville, Texas, May 10, 2007, reminds visitors to avoid area with Border Patrol sensors. Wildlife enthusiasts fear the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge...   (Associated Press)
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US • Politics

 
immigration • immigration reform • Senate • Jon Kyl • Ted Kennedy • reform • negotiation

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