Senate Begins Debate on Immigration Reform Bill

The Senate began a full floor debate of the comprehensive immigration bill on Tuesday afternoon, just after the bill easily a cloture vote 82 to 15. That vote gave an early boost to supporters of immigration reform and a path to citizenship — though some of the Republicans who voted for cloture warned that they would not vote for the bill without substantial amendments to it. Another opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, warned that even if the bill passes the Senate, it will face a harder path through the GOP-controlled House. "This bill is going to pass the Senate, but as written, this bill will not pass the House," the outspoken opponent of the bill's reforms and of a path to citizenship said. Earlier in the day, President Barack Obama threw his support behind the bipartisan piece of legislation, saying "the moment is now" for reform. "If you’re serious about actually fixing the system, then this is the vehicle to do it," Obama said.

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