Bush urges compromise on immigration

WASHINGTON – President Bush, prodding a bitterly divided Congress, urged the House and Senate on Thursday to give ground as they seek to reconcile their daunting differences on immigration.

Bush set no deadline for action. But he made it clear that there was “no excuse” for failing to move on a compromise immigration bill. He also said that he would continue campaigning for a comprehensive package that includes a temporary worker program and eventual path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.

“The American people expect us to meet our responsibility and deliver immigration reform that fixes the problems of the current system, that upholds our ideals and provides a fair and practical way forward,” he said.

Bush, who addressed the nation on immigration in a rare prime-time Oval Office address May 15, will continue follow-up appearances next week with stops Tuesday in New Mexico and Texas.

On Wednesday, Bush will again speak on immigration in Nebraska, the home state of Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, one of the principal sponsors of the comprehensive Senate measure.

Back on Capitol Hill, compromise will be not be easy, Bush acknowledged, noting the wide gulf between the House bill that heavily emphasizes border security and the just-passed Senate bill that could position most of the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants toward citizenship.

While a joint House-Senate conference committee has yet to be named, the White House has noted some congressional leaders want to send a bill to the president before this November’s midterm elections.

But deep divisions – not only between Republicans and Democrats, but also among Republicans – will undoubtedly slow the process. And there is a sense in some political quarters that any reconciliation of the issue will be pushed after the elections to a lame-duck congressional session at the end of the year, if at all.