Immigration bill hurdles US Senate

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IMMIGRATION REFORM. US President Barack Obama (C) delivers remarks during an event in support of the Senate's bipartisan immigration reform bill at the White House in Washington, DC, June 11, 2013. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP
Bolstered by support from President Barack Obama, a landmark immigration bill passed a pair of crucial test votes Tuesday, June 11, in the US Senate, kicking off weeks of debate on the comprehensive reform. After months of initial wrangling and more than 100 new amendments offered to the underlying legislation, the Senate — in an act of broad bipartisanship — voted 84-15 to move to debate passage of what would be the most important immigration reform in nearly 30 years. Republican Jeff Flake, also an author of the bill, told AFP the votes marked “a good start (but) we have a long way to go,” citing potential roadblocks over border security issues and acknowledging what may be an uphill climb to pass similar legislation in the House of Representatives. The top Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid, has said he hopes to pass the bill by early July. The legislation provides a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million people living illegally in the United States, tightens border security, and aims to collect back taxes from undocumented workers.

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