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The Senate appears to be finally closing in on a bill to revamp the nation's immigration policies. A vote today shut off any possibility of a filibuster on a compromise plan. That compromise includes both a path towards citizenship for immigrants already in the country and tougher enforcement at the border.
More from NPR's David Welna.
DAVID WELNA: The Senate's vote to limit further debate on the immigration bill was 73 to 25, 13 votes more than what's needed to break a filibuster. Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy hailed that outcome.
EDWARD KENNEDY: This creates major momentum for this legislation and I think that's enormously important. Bipartisan, overwhelming bipartisan support.
WELNA: And Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter, who managed the bill through days of debate and amendments, defended what others have criticized as an unworkable plan for legalizing the status of millions now in the country illegally.
ARLEN SPECTER: Is it too unwieldy? No. Does it respond to a very complex set of facts? Yes. Is it a way to reconcile a lot of divergent points of view? Yes. Does somebody have a better approach? Not yet. But we're still open for business.
WELNA: And if the Senate bill passes, as expected, business will shift to a House/Senate Conference Committee tasked with hammering out differences between a Senate bill that's generous to illegal immigrants and a House bill focused only on border security and enforcement. Illinois Democrat Barack Obama declared today's vote a good start.
BARACK OBAMA: My hope as we go forward is that the House of Representatives takes a look at this vote and the strong bipartisan support that it has and gives some thought to how it wants to approach Conference Committee in a constructive way.
WELNA: But some prominent House Republicans have expressed strong skepticism about agreeing with the Senate on a compromise bill. South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had a message for them.
LINDSEY GRAHAM: To those who believe that no bill is a good answer, you're dead wrong. The American people know what the answer should be. It's within the body of this bill. Subject to being changed, yes. But people like what they see and what they hear coming out of the Senate.
WELNA: Opponents of the Senate bill say there's no way it will prevail in a conference committee. Texas Republican John Cornyn voted to limit debate today precisely so he, as one of the designated conferees, could change the Senate's bill in conference.
JOHN CORNYN: I think the bill will be significantly different in a final conference report if we're successful. But I think from my perspective it'll be better.
WELNA: House Republicans discussed immigration legislation today behind closed doors with White House advisor Karl Rove. Georgia's Jack Kingston detected scant support for the Senate version.
JACK KINGSTON: I can say unequivocally if the vote was today, there would not be support for anything that came close to amnesty or forgiveness or waiving the law or whatever you want to call it.
WELNA: Kingston says Republicans would be smart to enact an immigration bill before the November elections, but House Majority Whip Roy Blunt says there's no rush to do so.
ROY BLUNT: This is more important that we get this done right than that we get it done. And I think our commitment needs to be sure that we get this done right. Don't worry about the politics of it, worry about the reality of dealing with this problem. If we do that, that'll be appreciated whether it produces a bill by November or not.
WELNA: A final vote on the Senate bill could come by tomorrow.
David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.
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