Associated Press

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 10 -- A group of U.S. senators painted an optimistic picture of U.S.-Mexico relations today, pledging to forge a guest-worker program to
slow the tide of illegal immigration and to try to end a drug certification program that has created tension between the two countries.

The five senators, who met with President Vicente Fox and several Mexican ministers Tuesday, said the biggest achievement of their talks was unanimous support for
a program to bring Mexican workers to the United States legally. They said this could reduce the number of illegal immigrants while providing Mexican workers with
protection under U.S. laws.

Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.), who led the delegation, said he believes the program could be in place within a year and that he has no doubt President-elect Bush would
support it. The senators said they planned to start working on the program next week and would encourage Bush, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, to meet Fox as
soon as possible.

The Bush transition office said late today that it would not comment on the proposal until after Bush takes office.

While no details have been worked out, Gramm said Fox and the senators discussed a program to issue legal work permits, first to Mexican workers already in the
United States illegally -- as many as 7 million, by some estimates -- and eventually to workers in Mexico. The size of the program would be based on variables such
as the U.S. unemployment rate.

The program could include worker training paid for by U.S. companies, as well as health insurance and full protection for the workers under U.S. labor laws. Gramm
said it would significantly reduce illegal immigration by Mexicans, by far the largest such group in the United States.

"Mexico stands to gain equitable treatment for its citizens . . . and the United States gets control of its borders," Gramm said. "It's clear that it's the kind of program
that Mexico wants . . . and we think the American people can be sold."

Gramm also predicted moves to end the U.S. drug certification program, under which the State Department annually evaluates the drug-fighting performance of other
countries and imposes economic sanctions if they fail. The law has caused resentment among countries around the world.

"It was a bad idea to begin with," Gramm said. "President Fox wants to get rid of it. We want to get rid of it."

The senators also showered praise on Fox. "I've been a senator 28 years. . . . I've never been privileged to sit with a chief executive of a foreign country that
impressed me more," said Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.).

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