Congressmen Propose Alternative Path to Green Card for Illegal Immigrants.

Byline: Miguel Perez

Jan. 22--The Senate's top Democrat and a Republican colleague Wednesday proposed a new path to legal residency for millions of illegal immigrants.

The plan, introduced by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., would allow undocumented workers and their families to obtain a green card through work. It was touted as an alternative to President Bush's recent proposal for immigration reform, which calls for a temporary workers' program with no guarantee of legal permanent residence.

"America's immigration policy needs a healthy dose of common sense," Daschle said. "This bipartisan legislation cuts through ideology and offers a straightforward way to secure American borders, strengthen our economy, and help immigrants, while protecting American workers."

The two senators said their plan would improve national security, increase predictability in the …