Senate Votes to Revisit Contentious Immigration Bill

GWEN IFILL:

President Bush had one more chance to rescue the immigration bill from oblivion today, and he took it.

GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: I view this as an historic opportunity for Congress to act, for Congress to replace a system that is not working with one that we believe will work a lot better.

GWEN IFILL:

But even though the Senate voted to revive the bill, it still faces a series of hurdles.

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS (R), Alabama: The American people do not like this bill. Our phones are ringing off the hook.

GWEN IFILL:

Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions, who supports the president on almost every other issue but this, has been bombarded with protest. The overwhelming message? Kill this bill.

CONGRESSIONAL AIDE:

He does not support the immigration bill in its current form.

CONGRESSIONAL AIDE:

He's certainly against the immigration bill in its current format.

GWEN IFILL:

Sessions and a handful of other unhappy Republicans helped stall the bill once, nearly three weeks ago, and said today they will do it again.

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS:

I don't know that the American people or members of this body realize it will double the legal immigration flow into America over the next 20 years, giving twice as many green card statuses, legal permanent resident statuses as the current law provides. So we're not going to get any substantial reduction in illegality; we're going to double illegality.

It will cost, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Treasury of the United States $30 billion, not from expenses of enforcement — none of that — but for additional welfare and other benefits that will be paid to those who come into the country illegally.

GWEN IFILL:

The last time the Senate weighed in on immigration reform, only seven Republicans voted to continue debate.

SENATOR:

The motion is agreed to.

GWEN IFILL:

Today, 24 Republicans joined 39 Democrats and one independent to revive the measure, but the decision to return to debate offered no guarantee of final passage. In addition to the bitter opposition from conservatives, several amendments are on the docket that could threaten already fragile bipartisan support.

Texas Republican John Cornyn said Americans doubt the federal government can keep its promise of increased border security.

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), Texas: Americans are asking, can they really get all of this done? Can they train, hire, and deploy up to 20,000 additional Border Patrol agents? Can they implement a worker verification system to screen more than 200 million workers throughout the country? Can they build the 370 miles of fencing and 300 miles of vehicle barriers?

GWEN IFILL:

Massachusetts Democrat Ted Kennedy, one of the measure's chief architects, argued that something has to be done.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), Massachusetts: The senator from Texas outlined in very considerable detail the kind of security that we believe that this legislation is committed to. Defeat this legislation, and all of that security is out the window.

GWEN IFILL:

Even if the bill were to survive yet another Senate test later this week, House opponents have vowed to derail it later. Indiana Republican Mark Souder.

REP. MARK SOUDER (R), Indiana: We're saying today that it's dead on arrival in the House. You can't have secret deals. This has to go through committee. It has to go in pieces. A comprehensive bill will not pass the House. There's significant Democratic opposition and the overwhelming Republican opposition.