[h=3]By COREY BOLES And SARA MURRAY[/h] WASHINGTON—Tensions between the House and Senate approaches to an immigration-law overhaul emerged Thursday, as the House Judiciary Committee chairman said he would begin considering a series of individual bills rather than a single, comprehensive measure, as the Senate is considering.
Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R., Va.) told reporters that he plans to start with a measure to create an agricultural guest-worker program, followed by a bill that would require employers to use software that would determine the legal status of a prospective employee. He declined to say how many bills could ultimately be involved.
He said that he welcomed Democratic input to the bills, and hoped each measure would have bipartisan backing.
Mr. Goodlatte wouldn't say whether one of the House bills would deal with the question of providing a pathway to legal residency for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. He said he doesn't back granting citizenship to the group, but would be in favor of some form of legal status.
The top House Democrat said she doubted any members of her party in the House would support legislation that didn't include an ultimate pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the country.
"I don't think we want America to be a place where we have two kinds of people in our country," Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), the House minority leader. "We always make comments about other countries where they have workers coming in and are in a different category. I don't see House Democrats supporting legislation of that kind."
Ms. Pelosi said that she supported the Senate bill and hoped there would be bipartisan support for that legislation if the Senate is able to approve it and send it to the House.
Mr. Goodlatte didn't rule out eventually stitching the bills together into a single legislative package that could move to the floor, which is the approach the Senate is pursuing. But he made it clear that the House would take its time on consideration of the proposals.
The Senate is far ahead of the House in its work on a comprehensive modernization of immigration laws. A group of bipartisan senators unveiled legislation there two weeks ago, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has begun formal hearings on that bill.
Mr. Goodlatte signaled that the House won't move as quickly as Senate lawmakers who have made clear they feel now is the time to push aggressively for a sweeping immigration bill. Asked whether a bill needed to be passed this year, the lawmaker responded: "election years are more difficult than non-election years."
He acknowledged the continuing efforts of a bipartisan group of House lawmakers that have been trying to reach agreement on an immigration bill, but didn't commit to the panel moving forward with that bill if the group is able to reach a deal.
Members of the Senate immigration group also were quick to point out perceived flaws in the House approach.
"Any attempt to say, in the House, that you will not have a path citizenship will be a nonstarter," Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday. "I'd say that, unequivocally, it will not pass the Senate. I don't think it would get a Democratic vote."
Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) echoed Mr. Schumer's sentiments at the event. He added that offering only a permanent legal status without any chance of citizenship, "offends our fundamental principles of fairness in our society."
The group of eight senators crafted an 844-page comprehensive bill designed to increase border security, create new work-visa programs and offer a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin debate May 9 on the bill.
"You can't do individual bills because the problem is people say, 'What about me?' " Mr. Schumer said. "The best way to pass immigration legislation is actually a comprehensive bill because that can achieve more balance. Everybody can get much, but not all, of what they want."
The two senators set a high bar for their legislation in the Senate: They hope to win 70 votes in the Democrat-controlled chamber. "We need that and I think it's doable," Mr. McCain said.
Senators crafted the bill with an eye toward winning more GOP support, Mr. Schumer said. After growers in the Southeast protested some of the provisions in a deal for agricultural workers, senators spent a couple more days revamping the approach in the hopes it could help them win over Republican senators from the region.
Mr. Schumer said his ultimate hope would be to get a majority of votes on both sides of the aisle. Passing the bill with just a handful of Republican votes "would bode poorly for the House," he said.
Write to Corey Boles at [email protected] and Sara Murray at [email protected]
Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R., Va.) told reporters that he plans to start with a measure to create an agricultural guest-worker program, followed by a bill that would require employers to use software that would determine the legal status of a prospective employee. He declined to say how many bills could ultimately be involved.
He said that he welcomed Democratic input to the bills, and hoped each measure would have bipartisan backing.
Mr. Goodlatte wouldn't say whether one of the House bills would deal with the question of providing a pathway to legal residency for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. He said he doesn't back granting citizenship to the group, but would be in favor of some form of legal status.
The top House Democrat said she doubted any members of her party in the House would support legislation that didn't include an ultimate pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the country.
"I don't think we want America to be a place where we have two kinds of people in our country," Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), the House minority leader. "We always make comments about other countries where they have workers coming in and are in a different category. I don't see House Democrats supporting legislation of that kind."
Ms. Pelosi said that she supported the Senate bill and hoped there would be bipartisan support for that legislation if the Senate is able to approve it and send it to the House.
Mr. Goodlatte didn't rule out eventually stitching the bills together into a single legislative package that could move to the floor, which is the approach the Senate is pursuing. But he made it clear that the House would take its time on consideration of the proposals.
The Senate is far ahead of the House in its work on a comprehensive modernization of immigration laws. A group of bipartisan senators unveiled legislation there two weeks ago, and the Senate Judiciary Committee has begun formal hearings on that bill.
Mr. Goodlatte signaled that the House won't move as quickly as Senate lawmakers who have made clear they feel now is the time to push aggressively for a sweeping immigration bill. Asked whether a bill needed to be passed this year, the lawmaker responded: "election years are more difficult than non-election years."
He acknowledged the continuing efforts of a bipartisan group of House lawmakers that have been trying to reach agreement on an immigration bill, but didn't commit to the panel moving forward with that bill if the group is able to reach a deal.
Members of the Senate immigration group also were quick to point out perceived flaws in the House approach.
"Any attempt to say, in the House, that you will not have a path citizenship will be a nonstarter," Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast Thursday. "I'd say that, unequivocally, it will not pass the Senate. I don't think it would get a Democratic vote."
Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) echoed Mr. Schumer's sentiments at the event. He added that offering only a permanent legal status without any chance of citizenship, "offends our fundamental principles of fairness in our society."
The group of eight senators crafted an 844-page comprehensive bill designed to increase border security, create new work-visa programs and offer a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin debate May 9 on the bill.
"You can't do individual bills because the problem is people say, 'What about me?' " Mr. Schumer said. "The best way to pass immigration legislation is actually a comprehensive bill because that can achieve more balance. Everybody can get much, but not all, of what they want."
The two senators set a high bar for their legislation in the Senate: They hope to win 70 votes in the Democrat-controlled chamber. "We need that and I think it's doable," Mr. McCain said.
Senators crafted the bill with an eye toward winning more GOP support, Mr. Schumer said. After growers in the Southeast protested some of the provisions in a deal for agricultural workers, senators spent a couple more days revamping the approach in the hopes it could help them win over Republican senators from the region.
Mr. Schumer said his ultimate hope would be to get a majority of votes on both sides of the aisle. Passing the bill with just a handful of Republican votes "would bode poorly for the House," he said.
Write to Corey Boles at [email protected] and Sara Murray at [email protected]