Bipartisan immigration reform bill takes shape in House

WASHINGTON | Fri Mar 15, 2013 2:47pm EDT

(Reuters) - A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives is close to completing work on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will include a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people living in the United states, according to congressional aides.

Two of the aides confirmed the negotiators still are trying to agree on how to handle temporary laborers coming into the United States, many of them sought for work in the agriculture sector.

House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, was briefed on Friday on the legislation, which congressional aides described as being nearly complete. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi received a briefing on Thursday, according to aides.

Michael Steel, a spokesman for Boehner, said: "The speaker had a good talk with the Republicans in the bipartisan immigration reform group. They've made real progress on a tough issue." He said the group will continue to work on the measure.

Boehner's office would not comment on details of the bipartisan group's work.

The progress in the House comes as a bipartisan group in the Senate also nears completion on its own broad immigration bill, according to senators and aides.

Bipartisan immigration reform bill takes shape in House | Reuters