The Senate breathed new life into the stalled immigration bill today, voting to resume debate on the signature legislation of President Bush's second term. With a slew of amendments waiting in the wings, passage is hardly a sure thing, the Times reports, but the bipartisan coalition that crafted the measure took heart.
The bill opens the "pathway to legalization" to 12 million illegal immigrants, said majority leader Harry Reid, who supervised the parliamentary maneuvering that led to today's cloture vote. The 64-35 vote to take up the bill spotlights a GOP rift that extends to the White House; Reid predicts failure if Bush can't enlist 25 or so Republican votes in favor. (More immigration stories.)