WASHINGTON -
Republicans are
accusing the president of playing politics for quietly putting together an
immigration plan behind lawmakers' backs.
The immigration proposal was leaked to
the press over the weekend.
It would allow some
illegal immigrants to become permanent residents within eight years, boost
funding for border security, and require businesses to know the immigration
status of their workers.
But the president's
new chief of staff says the draft is only a backup, if Congress can't reach a
deal.
Republicans say they are successfully
working with Democrats towards a bi-partisan deal. And the leaked White House
proposal threatens to derail that process.
Republican Marco Rubio, one of the
senators working on a plan, says the White House draft would be dead on arrival
in Congress.
Democrats on the hill insist the
president is committed to working with lawmakers.
But the president has warned that if Congress
doesn't reach a deal, he will deliver his own bill and demand a vote.
The
President has said he wants Congress to have a bill ready to vote on next
month.
