White House tries to keep immigration on track

WASHINGTON — The White House sought to keep delicate immigration negotiations on track Tuesday as a key Republican senator distanced himself further from a draft bill President Barack Obama’s aides are readying in case congressional talks crumble.

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s office said Obama’s plan “injected additional partisanship into an already difficult process.” The White House, following the weekend leak of its draft legislation, insisted the president wants the bipartisan Senate group Rubio is a member of to put forward its own bill instead.

Obama spoke with Rubio Tuesday to reiterate his commitment to the Senate process and to make clear that he had his own legislation ready, the White House said. The president also called Republicans Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona, two other GOP lawmakers involved in the immigration negotiations.

“It is, by far, the president’s preference that the Senate process move forward, that the bipartisan group of eight have success, and that they produce a bill that wins the support of Democrats and Republicans in Senate,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Senate aides said privately Tuesday that bipartisan negotiations are in a good place and they did not feel as though the disclosure of details in Obama’s draft bill would disrupt their process.

In fact, Obama’s backup bill could end up spurring GOP lawmakers to rally behind a congressional plan with many similarities rather than support legislation attached to the president.

While they differ on some key details, both sides are contemplating legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S., tighten border security, crack down on businesses that employ illegal workers and strengthen the legal immigration system.