Sessions on Senate immigration bill: "I don't think it's workable"

Sen. Jeff Sessions has firmed up his opposition to the immigration reform legislation currently being considered in the U.S. Senate. From the Birmingham News:

WASHINGTON - Sen. Jeff Sessions, who at one time was hopeful for a bipartisan compromise on immigration reform, said Monday he'll fight the deal that has been struck, which he believes is too lenient and expensive.

After a weekend of research and deliberation, Sessions, R-Ala., came out swinging Monday in opposition to the legislation, similar to his posture on last year's version. ...

The White House and Democratic leaders had been pushing for a quick Senate vote, possibly before the Memorial Day holiday recess. In a schedule change announced Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada agreed to extend the debate into the first week of June, which is still short of the month Sessions said the issue needed.

Despite the extending of debate, Sessions remained opposed, his staff said. He still planned to use three hours of time he had reserved on the Senate floor to voice his objections.

Although Sessions said he would prepare amendments, his first strategy is to stop the bill in its tracks. ...

"I don't think it's workable. The more I look at it, the more uncomfortable I've become about it," Sessions said. ...

Sessions this spring said behind-the-scenes negotiations on immigration reform were promising, but his optimism had vanished by Monday.

"I'm disappointed, almost heartbroken, because we made some progress," Sessions said on the floor of the Senate. "But the political wheeling and dealing and compromising and splitting the baby ... resulted in a circumstance where it just didn't get far enough."