Senate panel OKs guest worker plan

The Senate Judiciary Committee has tried to put some common sense back into immigration reform. We'll see if reason or the yahoos prevail.

Senate Panel Approves Broad Immigration Reform

Reuters
Monday, March 27, 2006; 6:01 PM

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An immigration reform bill that would create a guest worker program pushed by President George W. Bush and give millions of illegal immigrants a chance to earn citizenship was approved on Monday by a U.S. Senate panel.

The first step toward comprehensive legislation was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and now goes to the full Senate for debate.

Including the contested guest worker program, which would allow future temporary workers a chance to become permanent residents, sets the stage for a bruising battle over immigration. The bill would also give some of the millions of illegal immigrants a chance to legalize their status and earn eventual citizenship.

AP notes:

After days of street demonstrations that stretched from California to the gounds of the U.S. Capitol, the committee also voted to strip out proposed criminal penalties for residents found to be in this country illegally.