New backdrop for immigration reform
With Democrats in control of Congress, President Bush is expected to make a renewed push for an immigration policy overhaul. And his guest worker program might have a better shot this time around. Dan Grech reports.
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SCOTT JAGOW: President Bush has a lot of things stacked against him as he delivers his 7th State of the Union address: low approval ratings, the problems in Iraq, and now a Democratic Congress. But on one big issue, the Democrats could the President’s ally. From the Americas Desk at WLRN, Dan Grech reports.
DAN GRECH: President Bush is expected to ask Congress tonight for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration policy.
He could get resistance from his own party.
Last year, Republicans in the House blocked his guest worker program. Congress voted instead to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
Angela Kelley is with the National Immigration Forum. She says Bush has a six-month window to push for comprehensive immigration reform before the 2008 presidential campaign takes over.
She hopes that push will start tonight.
ANGELA KELLEY: What I’m gonna be listening for is, OK, I know your heart’s in this issue, but where’s the muscle? Are you going to spend the capital you’ve got, make the phone calls that need to be made, and get this from the one-yard line into the end zone?
Bush wants to offer a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants. He wants to match foreign workers with U.S. jobs no Americans can be found to fill.
I’m Dan Grech for Marketplace.