Washington lawmakers are gearing up for a showdown over a pair of controversial immigration bills.
House Republicans, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (WI), are voicing strong opposition to the Senate bill, which was passed last week. It calls for a guest worker program for millions of the country’s illegal immigrants. Nursing home providers were pleased with the bill’s passage because it would help to ease the shortage of certified nursing aide positions in nursing homes.
The House passed a bill in December that pushes for tougher border enforcement. It does not contain a guest worker provision or the controversial “amnesty” possibility that the Senate bill does. Lawmakers from both chambers will attempt to find compromise in the coming months in order to send a unified bill to President Bush for his signature.
The immigration issue has produced demonstration marches across the country while sharply dividing the Republican party. Some GOP members, including President Bush and Sen. John McCain (AZ), endorse the Senate version, while others, such as Sensenbrenner, condemn it.
