Immigration reform gets green light

from Bloomberg News as published in today's Chicago Sun Times:

January 8, 2007
BY NADINE ELSIBAI

WASHINGTON -- The new Democratic-controlled Congress is likely to give President Bush the immigration legislation he wants, congressional leaders of both parties said.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Bush expects an ''easier time'' dealing with Democrats on immigration, after his proposal was blocked by House Republicans last year.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said immigration, as well as changes in Social Security, were two of the ''significant'' items of business that are likely to get done.

''Divided government is the only way where you can kind of share the blame for doing big things that will sometimes become controversial,'' McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said on the ''Fox News Sunday'' program.

Divided power works

Hoyer said history has shown divided government can achieve results on major issues such as Social Security. ''We need to do it,'' Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said on the Fox program.

Bush said in his weekly radio address that he is ''confident'' of finding common ground with Democrats, now in control of the House and Senate, during his last two years in office.

The president had sought a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for some of the 11 million illegal workers already in the U.S. That measure stalled in Congress after House Republicans demanded any changes focus on security and border control. He was forced to settle for legislation, which he signed Oct. 26, authorizing construction of 700 miles of fence along the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico.

for a link to the article, click HERE.