House Kills This Year’s Immigration Reform

The House today killed, at least for this year, an attempt at immigration reform in which the Democratic leadership had tried to preserve, without chance for amendment, a compromise on the use of foreign farm laborers.

The House voted 202 to 180 for a motion that removed the bill from floor debate.

Asked if the bill was now dead, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, Rep. Peter Rodino (D-N.J.) said, “So far as I’m concerned.”

He said that “absolutely” no attempt will be made this year to revive the bill.

The vote had been engineered by those who demanded the right to offer an amendment to kill the agricultural worker compromise. The plan would grant legalization to foreign workers who harvest perishable fruits and vegetables, mostly in Western states.

Prison Terms, Fines

The overall bill would attempt to stem illegal immigration by subjecting employers who hire undocumented workers to prison terms and fines.

But the measure quickly bogged down over the foreign worker language. The Rules Committee had sent the bill to the floor with a provision that disallowed consideration of a proposal by Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Long Beach) to kill the foreign workers’ legalization program.

The Rules panel decides which amendments will be allowed on the floor.

The bill reached the House floor a year after the Senate approved its version of immigration control.

The House legislation was slowed by committee deliberations and by behind-the-scenes negotiations that were needed to build support from diverse coalitions.

But the painstaking months of talks apparently subjected the bill to the same fate suffered by immigration legislation two and four years ago: failure because of lack of time.

Adjournment Due Next Week

Congress adjourned both times before a compromise could be forged, and this year’s tentative adjournment date is next Friday.

The cornerstones of the legislation remain the same as in the past: tough fines and prison terms for employers hiring illegal aliens coupled with a legalization program for those who immigrated illegally but have become productive residents over a period of years.

Lawmakers with differing views agree that no immigration bill can pass without support from dozens of groups with special interests in particular provisions of the legislation.

The most powerful of these interests is Western growers of fresh fruits and vegetables.