FEDERAL IMMIGRATION JOBS Senate vote deals a setback to President Bush

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Election-season winds are gusting strongly in the Republican-run Senate, which disregarded a White House veto threat and voted to bar President Bush from giving some federal immigration jobs to private workers.
In a victory for Democrats and federal labor unions, the Senate voted 49-47 Wednesday to add the prohibition to a $32 billion measure financing the Homeland Security Department next year.
Five Republicans from states with a significant labor presence joined Democrats in voting for the amendment: Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Christopher Bond of Missouri and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Bond and Specter are seeking re-election in November.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the provision's sponsor, said it would prevent Bush from replacing 1,100 immigration officers who screen applications and perform criminal background checks.
"Weeding out potential fraud in our immigration system must remain a responsibility of government employees, especially when the perpetrator of the fraud may be a dangerous criminal or terrorist," Leahy said.
Republicans said the jobs at issue were administrative, and would complicate completion of the Homeland Security measure.
"I would hate to see all our work go for naught" on the underlying legislation, said Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., chief author of the bill.
The White House budget office warned of the veto in a written statement to lawmakers.