WASHINGTON - Legal immigrants fluent in English could become U.S. citizens in four years rather than five under a proposal that could become part of a broad immigration bill.

The proposal by Sen. Lamar Alexander (news, bio, voting record), R-Tenn., was at the top of the agenda as the Senate began a second week of debate Monday on tightening U.S. borders against illegal immigrants, increasing penalties on employers who hire them and on whether to let more than 11 million undocumented aliens stay or make them leave at some point.

An estimated 7.2 million legal permanent residents have lived in the United States long enough to become Americans, according to the

Reasons that officials give for permanent residents not seeking citizenship include not speaking English well enough, an inability to pay the fee and not wanting to forfeit citizenship in their native country.

Alexander says a shorter naturalization wait might motivate more green card holders to seek U.S. citizenship.

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