WASHINGTON — President Bush lashed out Thursday at the Senate's Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, accusing him of using gimmickry to stall an immigration bill that millions of Americans want enacted.
"I was encouraged last week when members of the United States Senate reached a promising bipartisan compromise on comprehensive immigration reform," Bush said at a gathering of small-business leaders here. "That was a hopeful sign."
"Unfortunately, the compromise was blocked by the Senate Democratic minority leader," the president went on. "He refused to allow senators to move forward and vote for amendments to the bill.
"It was a procedural gimmick that meant he was single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people and impeding bipartisan efforts to secure this border and make this immigration system of ours more humane and rational."
Reid quickly rebutted Bush's assertions. "President Bush has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security," the senator said Thursday. He declared that if Bush is serious, "then he should join me in calling on Sen. Frist to bring immigration reform back to the Senate floor when we return," referring to the Republican majority leader, Sen. Bill Frist of Tennessee.
The Senate was unable to complete work on immigration legislation before adjourning for two weeks last Friday. Senior Republicans blamed Reid for the stall, while Democrats blamed Frist.
The politics of immigration are very complicated this election year, so much so that the Senate could not decide which of various competing bills it should vote on. And even if the Senate does eventually pass legislation, it will have to be reconciled with a measure the House passed in December that emphasizes border security.
The Senate appeared to be near action a week ago, as leaders of both parties reached accord on a compromise that would put most of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.
But conservative senators assailed the compromise as little more than amnesty for lawbreakers and sought to add amendments. Democrats countered by refusing to allow votes on the amendments, on the grounds that they were intended to gut the overall legislation.
The Senate rules, which can seem mysterious to those unfamiliar with the chamber, often enable a minority of senators to block legislation. The rules have been used by both parties over the years.
Coincidentally, Bush's remarks on Thursday echoed those of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy a week ago.
"This town's got too much politics to it," Bush said Thursday, expressing the hope that immigration legislation will yet be passed.
"I think politics got in front of policy on this issue," Kennedy, D-Mass., said a week ago, after the Senate was unable to agree.