The Hill, 06/14/2013 –

“The House Judiciary Committee will begin marking up a series of immigration reform bills next week, the chairman announced Friday [June 14].

“The Judiciary panel will attempt to send two proposals to the chamber floor. The first, which is designed to bolster the enforcement of immigration laws in the nation's interior, will be marked up Tuesday [June 18]; the second, which relates to the guest-worker program catering to the nation's agriculture industry, will follow.

POLITICO, 06/13/2013 –

“The Senate finished its first week of debate Thursday [June 13] on a massive immigration reform bill…

“…Senators delivered hours of speeches and filed dozens of amendments. But they never figured out a way to begin casting votes on all of those proposed changes.

“The most anticipated policy fight in years got off to a slow start because Democrats and Republicans deadlocked over process.

USA Today, 06/11/2013 –

“The Senate overcame a critical hurdle on Tuesday [June 11] toward advancing the first immigration overhaul in a generation that would affect the nation's 11 million unauthorized immigrants, all U.S. employers and future legal immigrants.

“A procedural vote to begin formal debate on the bill was approved 82-15 on a bipartisan vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both voted to advance the bill despite lingering resistance from some elements of both parties.

“…Previous attempts to pass an overhaul of immigration laws have not gotten this far.

Associated Press, 06/10/2013 –

“Senators prepared…for the first votes in the full Senate on a landmark immigration bill, readying amendments on contentious issues…

“…The two votes scheduled for Tuesday afternoon [June 11] are on procedural measures to officially allow debate to move forward on the far-reaching measure to remake the nation’s immigration laws and offer eventual citizenship to some 11 million people now here illegally.

“Both votes are expected to succeed by comfortable margins, because even some senators with deep misgivings about the immigration bill say that the issue deserves a Senate debate.

Roll Call, 06/09/2013 –

“Sen. Kelly Ayotte announced Sunday that she will back the bipartisan immigration overhaul — giving it a boost as it heads to the Senate floor this week.

“The New Hampshire Republican has been a pivotal vote before in the Senate…

“…Ayotte’s decision isn’t necessarily a surprise, however — she has close relationships with Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John McCain, R-Ariz., two of the four Republican members of the group of eight senators who wrote the bill.

POLITICO, 06/09/2013 –

“Speaker John Boehner has been stunningly silent about his plans to move immigration reform through the House.

“But privately, the Ohio Republican is beginning to sketch out a road map to try to pass some version of an overhaul in his chamber — a welcome sign for proponents of immigration reform.

“…The speaker wants House committees — Judiciary has primary jurisdiction — to wrap up their work on a version of immigration legislation before the July 4 recess. And he would like immigration reform to see a House vote before Congress breaks in August.

National Journal, 06/10/2013 –

“Following a scheduled vote Monday evening [June 10] on final passage of its farm bill, the Senate…will press ahead with what is anticipated to become intensely combative floor action on major legislation to legalize 11 million undocumented immigrants.

“Weeks of floor debate on the bill are still on tap, with Senate Democratic leaders holding out hope for completion by the congressional recess that begins July 1. But the road is expected to be strewn with perhaps dozens of amendments that reform advocates fear are designed to undercut the bill.

The Hill, 06/05/2013 –

“A bipartisan House immigration group has lost one of its eight members, as conservative Rep. Raul Labrador…informed colleagues Wednesday [June 5] that he could not sign on to legislation the group hopes to release in the coming weeks.

“Labrador told reporters…that he was leaving the group because of concerns that the bill would not sufficiently protect taxpayers from footing the healthcare bill of undocumented immigrants.

“‘I’m just going to move on and work with other members of the House Judiciary Committee to try to craft legislation that can actually pass the House,’ Labrador said.