President Bush appears to be encountering greater resistance from the U.S. Congress as he continues to push for comprehensive immigration reform. On Tuesday, House Republican leaders announced they will be holding public hearings across the country on the Senate bill that includes guest worker and legalization provisions.

This is the latest sign of reluctance amongst the House leadership to negotiate a final compromise bill that would include a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Conservatives still maintain that the Senate measure is the equivalent of amnesty. House representatives favor a tougher border control and workplace enforcement bill and oppose the legalization plan in the Senate's proposal.

The House bill became the focus of massive protests this spring across the country by mainly Hispanic groups and their supporters. Bush appears to support the Senate bill and acknowledges the growing political influence of Hispanic voters, however, opposition to the bill has been very vocal about not supporting any measure that would reward illegal immigrants for breaking the law. This issue has divided Republicans, many of whom consider the Senate bill to be amnesty.

The Republican House majority claims that they need more time to assess the proposal and focus on getting a proper bill created without being pressured during an election year. All in all, the public hearing only serves as a delay tactic to push House and Senate negotiations beyond the November congressional elections.

The hearings are designed to build support for an enforcement-only approach towards illegal immigration. Democrats fear that the House decision to hold public hearings on the bill is an effort to stop the Senate legislation and a tactic for The Republican House majority to defeat the Senate bill.

This move by House Republicans seeks to rally their core voters in the months prior to the midterm elections. House conservatives recognize the impact that immigration discussions, and specifically border security and enforcement, have on voters. Most House conservatives advocate strong enforcement and the summer hearings may be indicative of their lack of desire to find common ground with the Senate. Brian Bilbray, who recently won the House seat previously held by Rep. Randy Cunningham in San Diego is an example of how immigration is factoring into politics and resonating with voters. He campaigned almost entirely on the need to crack down on illegal immigration. Clearly enforcement issues are having an impact at the polls.

The excuse for more deliberation is absurd given that The House of Representatives previously approved a punitive bill that did nothing to address the nation's need for a supply of labor nor did it deal with the illegal residents of this country. The Senate version at least offers a system by which millions of undocumented workers could finally have a path to legalization without being deemed felons. Conservative Republicans are clinging to the notion that a massive, guarded wall must be erected before discussions can even begin over what to do with the millions of illegal immigrants already here.

Thus, the odds are against any compromise bill making it to the president's desk this year. Discussions over the Senate's version of the bill may resume in September at the earliest. It is unclear weather House leaders still intend to negotiate with the Senate on the Immigration Reform Bill, but the July and August public hearings make it unlikely that a final agreement will be reached before the November elections. When Congress reconvenes in September, most lawmakers will be preoccupied with their campaigns and not focused on addressing Immigration reform at that time.

About the Author: James Root

Root Law Group is a full service, exclusive immigration law firm which handles cases in all areas of immigration and nationality law. James Root, principal attorney for Root Law Group, has dedicated his entire legal career to fighting for and protecting the rights of U.S. immigrants and their U.S. employers. He is proactive in advocating reforms to the U.S. immigration laws and policies, especially those affecting professional workers and their immediate family members.

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