The Republican Party formally endorsed a guest worker program on January 20th that would permit more workers from abroad to work legally and temporarily in the United States .  This vote preempted an Arizona activist’s resolution that argued that permitting guest workers would fuel more illegal immigration. Observers believe that had the Republican National Committee supported the anti-immigrant resolution, efforts to push for a guest worker program in Congress would have ground to a halt.

According to the Los Angeles Times, aides of President Bush and other Republican strategists agree that taking a hard lined stance against immigrants would alienate Latino voters.  The activist and national committee member from Arizona , Randy Pullen, told the press that he represents many Republicans.  He said that letting foreign workers take jobs legally is unacceptable to his voters in Arizona .  Pullen withdrew his resolution after the full committee voted almost unanimously in favor of the guest worker program.  Pullen was the only committee member to oppose the guest-worker proposal.