The Senate Judiciary Committee considered around 300 amendments that were filed to the Senate immigration reform bill and passed the bill after approving some amendments. The Committee strengthened the bill and passed it and the US Senate began the debate on the bill that is expected to fix the country’s broken immigration system. This bill enjoys bipartisan support within the Senate but not in the House of Representatives. The House is now preparing its own bills and it is likely to come up with smaller bills. Republicans are not happy about the Senate bill as it creates a 13 year path to US citizenship for the unauthorized residents.
Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, opened the debate on the bill last Friday and he stated that the bill if passed would ensure that the country’s borders are secured and that it would help the undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status. Republican Senator John McCain, who is sure that the bill would get 60 votes and move to the next stage, stated that the bill must fix the issue of border security. Some members of the Republican party are now in favor of immigration reform as they seek to draw the attention of the Hispanics who voted in large numbers and re-elected President Obama. Many Hispanics have obtained US citizenship and the Republicans now want to attract them.
The Senators would initially vote on the Senate immigration bill on 11th June and the floor fight is likely to last until July 4th. Many believe that the Senate will pass the bill before the Fourth of July recess. Senators from both the parties are ready with several amendments and their aim is to reform and strengthen the country’s immigration laws. They also aim at putting an end to illegal immigration. Some members of the US Congress are in favor of the path to US citizenship that the bill would create whereas few others are more concerned about border security.