PenceBlog: <b><i>Fred Barnes:</i> Hutchison-Pence bill tries to bridge the immigration divide</b> - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence : 6th District Of Indiana

Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, penned this column about this morning's announcement of the Hutchison-Pence Border Security Immigration Reform Plan.

Here are key excerpts:

SENATOR KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON of Texas and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana introduced a compromise immigration bill on Tuesday that amounts to the last serious opportunity for broad--or "comprehensive"--immigration reform this year. The measure is a long shot, but it has the tacit support of President Bush. And key Republicans in the Senate and House appear willing to go along.

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To break the deadlock, the two Republicans have come up with a measure with significant elements to please both houses and the president. Bush has consistently urged passage of a bill with three main elements: stepped-up border security, a temporary worker program (TWP), and a plan for allowing illegal immigrants to become American citizens. The Hutchison-Pence bill--or Pence-Hutchison--would do all three, but not at once.

It would start with the buildup of law enforcement along America's southern border: more border guards, drug enforcement agents, helicopters, detention facilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, and miles of fence. This enforcement-only beginning is aimed to appeal to House conservatives.

Once a series of specific benchmarks were met and certified by the president--a two-year lag is expected--the guest worker program could start. Illegals in the United States would have to return to their home country to sign up at private "Ellis Island centers." If they had a job in the United States, they would get a tamper-proof ID card and quickly return to the States. After 17 years, they would be eligible to begin the process of gaining American citizenship.

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The basic framework for the proposal came from Pence, a rising leader of conservatives in the House. He has tirelessly lobbied for his plan, meeting with (and impressing) the president, conferring with Bush adviser Karl Rove, spending an hour with Kennedy, and working with Hutchison to develop a Senate-House compromise bill.

It's not etched in stone. Hutchison says: "What Mike and I are trying to do--we've been meeting for a month--is put something out there and say, 'Let's start.' We're not saying this is perfection. We're not saying this is the end result." In short, they are ready to compromise further.

posted by Pence Press Office # 10:39 AM