MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- A group of U.S. senators painted an
                  optimistic new picture of U.S.-Mexico relations on Wednesday, 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
                  nations.

                  They also showered praise on new President Vicente 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
                  Domenici, R-New Mexico.

                  He was one of five senators who met with Fox and several of his Cabinet
                  ministers for more than an hour on Tuesday.

                  Although the meeting dealt with various issues, the senators said the biggest
                  achievement was unanimous support for a guest-worker program to bring
                  Mexican workers legally into the United States. They said it would slow the flood
                  of illegal immigration while providing Mexican workers with protection under
                  U.S. laws.

                  Sen. Phil Gramm, a powerful Republican from Texas 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 January 20, to meet as soon as
                  possible with Fox.

                  While none of the details have been worked out, Gramm said Fox and the
                  senators discussed a program to issue legal worker permits, first to Mexican
                  workers already in the United States illegally _ which some estimate to number
                  as many as 7 million -- 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 don't pass.

                  The law has caused great 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."

                  Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.