WASHINGTON Calling it a “cause for optimism,” the National Restaurant Association welcomed Thursday’s decision by leaders of the U.S. Senate to resurrect an immigration reform bill as early as next week after shelving the proposal just eight days ago.
Under the bipartisan agreement to revive the initiative, revisions would be limited to 22 amendments, with Democrats and Republicans each getting the opportunity to incorporate 11 changes. President Bush has urged that the measure be rewritten to provide $4.4 billlion for tighter security at the nation's borders, with the money generated in part through fines levied for violating whatever law is put on the books.
The NRA had voiced qualified support for the measure that stalled on June 7, when Senate leaders could not muster enough support to halt debate and move the proposal to a full-member vote. Officials spoke favorably of the Kennedy-Kyl bill’s “architecture,” saying it provided most of the elements the industry would like to see in an immigration reform bill. But they expressed hopes that certain provisions, including the hefty fines that would be levied on restaurateurs and other employers for hiring illegal aliens, could be adjusted during discussions on the Senate floor.
The revival of the reform effort provides another opportunity for the industry, said John Gay, the NRA’s senior vice president of government affairs and public policy. “It’s good news—it was exactly what we were asking for,” he said. “We were very concerned when they pulled the bill, and we hoped they’d revive it.”
Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the immigration bill would be reconsidered by the Senate as soon as it hammers out an energy bill. Observers have said the energy bill could be completed in a matter of days.
“It’s a cause for optimism,” Gay said of the immigration bill’s revival. “Because the alternative was death.”