Groups have also met with top lawmakers and undertaken a letter-writing campaign to urge Congress to defeat the immigration proposals.

But the groups differ on how supportive they expect top lawmakers to be of a federal constitutional amendment.

In another end-of-session tradition, top lawmakers made a raft of new proposals.

The bill had been stalled by disputes between House leaders and top lawmakers on the highway committee over the amount they could spend on roads.

Bankers and many top lawmakers want the law changed to allow the agency to pay the banks more and then absorb the losses.

But aides to the top lawmakers now say that progress was quietly being made on spending issues all along.

Still, top lawmakers, joined by Pentagon leaders and administration officials, say there are definitely no plans to resume the draft.

The effort in Congress could split top Republican lawmakers.

The eagerness of the nation's top lawmakers to abdicate responsibility did not please the judge.

A1 A top lawmaker said a tax increase is undoubtedly needed to reduce the budget deficit.