Reform measures unlikely to pass

Republican federal legislators are still working for tougher enforcement of immigration laws, but the mood in the nation’s capital heading into the weekend makes it unlikely reform measures will get through Congress.

Newport Beach Rep. John Campbell was one of 166 Republican House members who walked off the floor Thursday night to protest the outcome of a vote on an agriculture bill amendment.

On Friday, the partisan tensions continued to what Campbell called a boiling point.

He said Democrats refused to send the agriculture bill back to committee, which sent Republicans through the roof.

Arizona Sen. John McCain and two other GOP colleagues introduced a bill Thursday that would toughen immigration enforcement rules, but Campbell said such a bill has little hope of passing with such rancor in the air.

“It’s now been seven years that I’ve been in legislative bodies … and I’ve never seen an atmosphere as poisoned as this one is right now,” Campbell said.

What set the Republicans off was an amendment to an agriculture bill.

It would have prevented undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits from the bill’s programs, which included food stamps.

As Campbell described it, the vote on the amendment was tied, 215 to 215, when three Republicans and two Democrats ran down to change their votes. When the gavel came down to end voting, the tally showed the GOP amendment passed narrowly. But the House leadership allowed more Democrats to change votes after the gavel, so the amendment officially failed, Campbell said.

“Time ran out, they kicked a field goal, and because they control the scoreboard they counted the field goal, that made the difference in the game,” he said.

One news commentator noted the GOP pulled similar tricks when it controlled Congress, and this all happened when legislators were due to go on recess.

Despite the Congressional standoff, those pushing for tougher immigration enforcement may get some satisfaction. Homeland Security officials said Friday they’re working on new guidelines to ensure employers comply when they are notified that workers’ Social Security numbers don’t match federal records.

“Until now, there’s pretty much been no guidance outlining what steps they need to take,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Veronica Nur Valdes said. Details of the new rules have not been revealed, but Valdes said employers who can show they tried to follow the right steps will have some measure of protection.

Social Security Administration data from 2005, the most recent available, showed 28,938 employers in California were sent letters about incorrect worker information.

Not all of the problems were with Social Security numbers, administration spokesman Mark Hinkle said — some were simply because of unreported name changes due to marriage or divorce, for example.

Campbell said he didn’t expect the new rules to fully answer the need for more immigration enforcement but they will move things in the right direction.

Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce President Ed Fawcett, however, worried businesses won’t be penalized if they’re unable to do what the government itself hasn’t always adequately done.

Most employers aren’t trying to hire illegal immigrants, and there are some good document forgeries out there, Fawcett said.

“The government doesn’t have a foolproof system by which they can check them,” he said.