Bipartisan group in the U.S. House agrees on immigration reform proposal

May 16, 2013

A bipartisan immigration reform proposal is making its way through the U.S. Senate, and now a House group is on the verge of unveiling its own package.

The group of four Democratic and four Republican representatives say it has reached a deal. The eight had been saying for months that they were near a deal, but in recent days talks appeared close to breaking down over a few unresolved details. These included a new visa program for lower-skilled workers, and how to handle health care coverage for immigrants currently in the country illegally who would gain legal status under the proposed bill.  The House group had struggled to come up with a plan that could have a possibility of passing the Republican-controlled House while also satisfying Democrats in the group. They have discussed a path to citizenship that would take 15 years for the estimated 11 million people living here illegally, two years longer than proposed by the Senate bill. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday held its third work session in continued efforts to go through nearly three hundred amendments to the Gang of Eight senators’ proposal. Steve Goldstein, KJZZ News.