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| Congress to vote on bipartisan immigration reform bill in June | Congress to vote on bipartisan immigration reform bill in June |
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| A law to legalise the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US will be voted on by Congress in June, according to a group of eight senators who launched their bill on Thursday. | A law to legalise the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US will be voted on by Congress in June, according to a group of eight senators who launched their bill on Thursday. |
| Fresh from the collapse of attempted political compromise over gun control, the bipartisan group led by Democrat Chuck Schumer and Republican John McCain went to great lengths to stress the wide alliance of interests lined up behind the plan. They were flanked not just by immigration campaigners, but also union leader Richard Trumka and taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist. Other senators in the group included Tea Party favourite Marco Rubio. | |
| The bill (pdf), which was published early on Wednesday morning, offers a path to citizenship not just for undocumented migrants in the US, but also those who have been deported for non-criminal reasons and have family in the US. | The bill (pdf), which was published early on Wednesday morning, offers a path to citizenship not just for undocumented migrants in the US, but also those who have been deported for non-criminal reasons and have family in the US. |
| In exchange, the Senate plan proposes a series of steps to secure the border with Mexico to prevent future illegal entry. It also includes a new visa category for unskilled temporary workers and removes the cap on high-skilled workers. | In exchange, the Senate plan proposes a series of steps to secure the border with Mexico to prevent future illegal entry. It also includes a new visa category for unskilled temporary workers and removes the cap on high-skilled workers. |
| Schumer hailed the deal as a sign Congress could still come together. "If you would have seen that room where we had our 24 meetings and how we came together, it was a sight that would give you some faith in the future of our democracy," he said. | |
| "When [business leader Tom] Donohue and Trumka got together one Friday night in late March it became clear that the agreement was there." | |
| But the bill still faces an uphill battle to pass the House of Representatives. The gang of eight said they would consider any amendment to the bill that preserved the basic principle of an "earned path to citizenship". | But the bill still faces an uphill battle to pass the House of Representatives. The gang of eight said they would consider any amendment to the bill that preserved the basic principle of an "earned path to citizenship". |
| The bill will be debated by the Senate judiciary committee on Friday and spend an estimated three weeks being amended and rewritten. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has agreed to schedule a debate and vote in June. | The bill will be debated by the Senate judiciary committee on Friday and spend an estimated three weeks being amended and rewritten. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has agreed to schedule a debate and vote in June. |
| The formal launch of the bill – delayed by the Boston marathon bombing – received an emotional welcome from the so-called Dreamers: children of immigrants who have grown up in the shadows of the US legal system. One Honduran campaigner, Gaby Pacheco, could be seen wiping a tear from her face. | The formal launch of the bill – delayed by the Boston marathon bombing – received an emotional welcome from the so-called Dreamers: children of immigrants who have grown up in the shadows of the US legal system. One Honduran campaigner, Gaby Pacheco, could be seen wiping a tear from her face. |
| But the senators revealed a list of more prosaic reasons for pushing the reforms. Marco Rubio, who like Democrat Bob Menendez addressed the audience in Spanish, said the primary reason for backing reform was that it was in the US national interest to bring undocumented migrants on to a legal footing. | |
| Senator Lindsey Graham added: "If we don't have legal immigration to supplement our declining population you are committing economic suicide." | Senator Lindsey Graham added: "If we don't have legal immigration to supplement our declining population you are committing economic suicide." |
| But it fell to McCain to spell out the real reason this bill is seen as having a better chance of passing than gun control. "Republicans have got to compete for the Hispanic vote," he said. "Passage [of this bill] does not gain a single voter but it does put us on a level. Right now we are not competitive because this issue has got to be resolved." | But it fell to McCain to spell out the real reason this bill is seen as having a better chance of passing than gun control. "Republicans have got to compete for the Hispanic vote," he said. "Passage [of this bill] does not gain a single voter but it does put us on a level. Right now we are not competitive because this issue has got to be resolved." |
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