House GOP draws line on immigration

The Boston Globe reports on the House and Senate clash:

``If the Senate gets off of the dime of pushing for amnesty -- even though they call it something different -- then I think there's room for negotiation," said Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican. ``I would like to see a bill passed and signed into law. However, I'm a realist."

The House bill approved late last year focused exclusively on securing the nation's borders. But the Senate bill that passed Thursday included both border security measures and a path to citizenship for most of the estimated 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants who are in the country. The Senate bill also includes a new ``guest worker" program for those who are living in other countries.

Sponsors of the Senate bill say a final measure must include a citizenship provision, a position that also has the support of the White House. They say only a measure that takes a realistic approach toward undocumented immigrants can have a meaningful impact on the problem of illegal immigration.

Key Republicans, including Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina, have joined Democrats in making clear that taking out a path to citizenship would be a deal-breaker.

``It won't come out of conference [negotiations] if this isn't part of it," said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who helped draft the Senate bill. If House members won't back down, he said, ``it's gone."

House leaders insist that the senators must back down. But Kennedy expressed hope that massive public demonstrations by immigrants can work in tandem with pressure from Bush, McCain, and other conservatives to persuade skeptical House Republicans to support a bill that's closer to the Senate approach.

``This has touched the soul of America," Kennedy said. ``This is an opportunity for the president to really galvanize the national spirit and this national movement."

So,let's look at the Kennedy logic: if you are here illegally and you set up mass demonstrations Congress is supposed to pass legislation to help you and the millions more who want to do the same thing in the future.