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NRA shifts to more favorable view of immigration bill

WASHINGTON After meeting with President Bush, officials of the National Restaurant Association voiced support Friday for the so-called immigration reform bill currently being considered in the Senate, but expressed hopes of nudging certain provisions in a direction more favorable to the trade.

Specifically, said lobbying chief John Gay, the group would like to rework the proposed systems for verifying the legality of a job applicant, and soften the penalties currently being considered for an illegal hire. Wrong-doers should be punished, but “we don’t want to see fines that could put someone out of business,” he said.

Chairman Dick Rivera expressed disappointment that the measure permits only 200,000 temporary workers to be allowed into the country on a two-year visa every year, instead of the 400,000 permitted under an earlier bill.

Those components, along with requirements that the heads of illegal households return home before the family seeks legal residency, had prompted the association to criticize the compromise bill after it was hammered out by Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John Kyl (R-Ariz.) about two weeks ago. At the time, Gay called the compromise measure “worst than expected,” and cited “a lot of potential concern.” Similarly negative assessments were offered by the National Council of Chain Restaurants and other groups representing employers.

“While it is not likely to make everyone happy, it does have the majority of what people wanted,” Rivera said Friday about the measure. “It’s worthy of support.” He called it “good architecture,” and indicated the association would support its passage while working on such specifics as raising the number of visas that would be granted to temporary workers.

The alternative, warned Gay, senior vice president of government affairs and public policy, would be state or local measures calling for “increased enforcement” of immigration laws, “without addressing the underlying problems.” He noted that 1,159 bills on immigration have been introduced in statehouses this year, or double the tally for all of 2006.

“We have concerns with the [Kennedy-Kyl] bill, but nothing can be accomplished if it dies in the Senate,” Gay said. “It doesn’t mean we’ll not at least try to change some things. We can look to increase the numbers with the current architecture.”

Speaking with industry just minutes after returning from the White House, Rivera and Gay said the President had made it very clear that he intends to push through an immigration reform bill before 2008 election campaigns kick into high gear.

“The President has said he wants this on his desk and he wants action now,” said Gay.

Rivera said the President wanted to know “if we were for him or ‘agin’ him” on the measure.” The Commander in Chief was apparently assured that he had the industry as an ally.

”The bill currently working in the Senate is worthy of support,” Rivera stressed to the reporters. “The timing is right.”

Gay said the Senate will likely vote early next week on whether or not to close debate on the bill, which could lead to a vote by the full Senate on Thursday or Friday.

The measure is expected to face some resistance in the House of Representatives. “It’s important that it gets passed in the Senate, and by a significant majority, to send a message to the House,” said Rivera. “There’s an emotional, activist group out there that’s making its voice heard, and most of us are trying to serve another lunch or another dinner. We need to get the grassroots going on this.”

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