US Republican Leader Rejects Guest Worker Plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) April 9, 2006 — U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader John Boehner on Sunday rejected efforts to establish a guest worker program in the United States, despite calls from U.S. President George W. Bush to make provisions for millions of current illegal immigrants.

Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said he supported a bill already passed by the House that focuses on tightening up the nation's borders but does not include a program for temporary workers.

"You can't begin to talk about a guest worker bill until you secure the borders," he said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program. Otherwise, he said, "We're going to have an endless parade of illegal immigrants here in our country."

Boehner's position pits him directly against Bush, who on Saturday blamed Senate Democrats for failing to approve a bipartisan Senate plan that created a temporary guest worker plan and provided a path to citizenship.

The House bill, passed last December, is much tougher and defines the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States as felons.

Boehner stopped short of saying congressional efforts to pass immigration reform legislation had stalled, calling on the U.S. Senate to pass a bill when lawmakers return from recess in two weeks.

If the Senate passes legislation, lawmakers from both sides of Congress would have to work out differences for a final version of the bill.

Boehner said both the House and the Senate could resolve their disagreements.

Still, he said, "Until we begin to secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws, I don't think we ought to be talking about a more comprehensive approach."

Allowing illegal immigrants to stay and work "sounds too much like amnesty for most Americans," he said.

The issue has divided conservatives, some of whom are anxious to court the Hispanic vote and support Bush's efforts. But others worry that allowing millions of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico, into the country also could harm their election efforts.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter said most Senate Republicans generally support inclusion of a guest worker provision but want to be able to tell constituents they did everything they could first. He said a bill would likely get passed when Congress meets next.

"Everybody agrees there's an enormous problem, everybody agrees with the border security lines and there's general agreement that we have to craft a compromise," Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, told "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace.