House to take up immigration measures

House leaders are planning to move two separate immigration bills to the floor before the end of the session, pressing ahead with a plan to shore up the nation's borders without taking up changes sought by business interests and the White House to establish a guestworker program.

Homeland Security Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., late Monday introduced legislation that would beef up border surveillance and control, as well as end the "catch and release" program by requiring all illegal immigrants to be detained.

Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., is expected to introduce his own immigration legislation soon.

House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the acting majority leader, said Tuesday that the chamber would vote on both bills the week of Dec. 5, indicating that passing immigration legislation was a priority for the chamber.

"We wouldn't intend to leave here in December without having a vote on enforcement and border control on the immigration side," he said.

King said the House is responding to a growing public outcry to secure the nation's borders before taking on other proposed changes in immigration laws.

"There's a growing consensus that before we do anything, we have to be sure we can enforce our borders," King said.

King's bill would require the Homeland Security and the Defense departments to coordinate efforts on a plan to secure the borders. It would also boost the use of military resources for border control.

But members who favor a comprehensive immigration bill -- one that includes a guestworker plan -- are complaining that House leaders are taking too narrow an approach by focusing only on the borders and not on other changes in immigration policies.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is co-sponsoring legislation that includes a guestworker program that would allow workers to ultimately apply for permanent citizenship.

"Everyone knows if you're going to have enforcement, you have to have laws you can enforce," Flake said. "I think [leaders] want to make a statement that we're doing something because we haven't gotten off the dime; they just want a statement bill."

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., is circulating a draft of comprehensive immigration legislation he plans to mark up in his committee.

Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., has said the Senate likely will not get to immigration legislation until early next year, although the chamber's bill, unlike the House version, will also include some version of a guestworker program. Susan Davis of CongressDaily contributed to this report.