President Obama Backs Bill to Overhaul US Immigration as Debate Is Set Mark Landler and Ashley Parker - The New York Times
go to original June 12, 2013

President Obama spoke at the White House on Tuesday in favor of the immigration measure. He was joined by backers of the bill. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON — As the Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to begin debating an overhaul of the nation’s immigrations laws, President Obama offered a wholehearted endorsement of the bipartisan proposal, which presents him with a chance to reach the kind of landmark accord with Republicans that has eluded him on the budget and gun violence.

For Mr. Obama, who has picked his shots in the immigration debate to avoid stirring partisan anger on Capitol Hill, it was a moment of promise and peril. While he threw his weight behind the bill, he conceded that it would not satisfy all sides and said he anticipated a bruising fight over issues like border security and the path to citizenship.

The president, however, may have more leverage than in previous battles, not least because many Republicans believe rewriting the immigration laws is critical for the long-term viability of their party given the nation’s demographic shifts, even if doing so risks alienating parts of their base.

Read the rest at The New York Times

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