US:A plan to reform immigration laws that would allow most undocumented immigrants, including thousands of Irish people, to remain in the US legally, hung in the balance last night after it failed a crucial vote in the Senate. A move to limit debate on the Bill, which was drafted jointly by Democrats and moderate Republicans, fell 27 votes short of the 60 needed.
This followed a series of amendments that upset the delicately balanced compromise negotiated by senators and the White House and makes it less likely that the controversial changes can be enacted before President Bush leaves office.
Democratic leader of the Senate Harry Reid set another vote for later yesterday in a bid to rescue the Bill, but Republicans were seeking assurances they would get chances to add several conservative-backed changes that would toughen up the measure.
A "grand bargain" between Democrats and Republicans started to unravel early yesterday when the Senate agreed by 49 votes to 48 to phase out the Bill's temporary worker programme after five years. Business interests and their congressional allies were already angry that the programme had been cut in half from its original target.
Senator Edward Kennedy said politicians would work to patch it up in hopes of eventually passing the Bill but Mr Reid yesterday floated a possible exit argument in case no agreement is reached.
"This is the president's Bill," he said, adding that "a vast majority of Democrats want this legislation to go forward."
