McCain Optimistic on Immigration Vote

In LI, McCain pushes immigration bill, troop surge

BY TIMOTHY ROBERTSON
timothy.robertson@newsday.com

Newsday, June 23, 2007

Presidential hopeful John McCain appeared in Upper Brookville Friday for a fundraiser in which he said he was "guardedly optimistic" about the success of immigration reform legislation that will return to the Senate for consideration on Tuesday.

The Arizona Republican, a co-signer of the immigration bill, which secures the Mexican borders and puts 12 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship, spoke at an event hosted by real estate magnate Mark Broxmeyer.

The fundraiser drew approximately 220 people to Broxmeyer's residence and brought in more than $340,000 for the candidate, campaign officials said.

He will make a second fundraising stop on Long Island, in Southampton, later this week.

At the Upper Brookville event, McCain said he hopes to have the immigration reform legislation wrapped up by the end of the week, before Congress breaks for the Fourth of July recess.

"There will be some tough votes," the senator said. "I think we have the votes; I'm guardedly optimistic."

The bill will need 60 votes on Tuesday in a test vote that would limit debate on the legislation.

Two weeks ago, the test vote only received 45 yeas -- and just seven from Republicans, meaning that debate was open-ended and the bill could be bogged down.

The candidate warned that if the stalled legislation isn't pushed through before the break, it "maybe a long time before we take it up again."

"If we do nothing, we have broken borders, we have 12 million people with de facto amnesty," said McCain, who has drawn sharp disapproval from the conservative base for his position on the issue.