Labor, business accord on workers praised, but Rubio says immigration bill not finished



Estimated number of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

— Even with one of the largest hurdles to an immigration overhaul overcome, lawmakers on Sunday cautioned they had not finished work on a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million unauthorized immigrants.



“With the agreement between business and labor, every major policy issue has been resolved,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’ve all agreed that we’re not going to come to a final agreement until we see draft legislative language.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also a member of the bipartisan eight-member team working on a bill, said on CNN’s “Face the Nation”: “There are a few details yet. But conceptually, we have an agreement between business and labor.”


“Reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature,” said Rubio, a Florida Republican who is a member of the bipartisan group.

Calling for a “healthy public debate” on whatever legislative proposal the Senate group puts forward, Rubio’s statement added that “this process cannot be rushed or done in secret.”

Democrats and immigration advocates say Rubio is crucial to the process of overhauling the nation’s laws. They recognize the need for Rubio to move deliberately as he attempts to pull conservative factions into the fold on immigration policy.




Rubio detailed his own proposals for a path to legalization and, potentially, citizenship for illegal immigrants in a round of media interviews this year. That pushed him to the forefront of the debate opposite President Barack Obama, who has made immigration reform a priority.

The breakthrough between the nation’s leading labor federation and the powerful business lobbying group was brokered by Schumer. Under the compromise, the government would create a new “W” visa for low-skill workers who would earn wages paid to Americans or the prevailing wages for the industry they’re working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department would determine prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so that it would vary from city to city.


