Obama Tells 'Meet the Press' Immigration Reform Coming

President Obama, in an interview Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, says he intends to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform in the weeks ahead, despite looming battles with Congress over the budget, taxes, entitlement reform and gun control.

"I've said fixing the immigration system is a top priority. I will introduce legislation in the first year to get that done," the president said. "I think we've talked about it long enough. We know how we can fix it. We can do it in a comprehensive way that the American people support."

Obama wants a comprehensive bill that includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants living in the country. Also on the table is DREAM Act legislation that would allow young illegal immigrants who came here as children to stay in the country and work or study.




http://immigration.about.com/b/2012/12/30/2765.htm

Obama names immigration as top second-term priority

President Obama says immigration is his major second-term priority, on par with his push for health care in his first term, according to an interview aired Sunday that continues to boost the issue to the top of the political conversation.

“Fixing our broken immigration system is a top priority. I will introduce legislation in the first year to get that done,” Mr. Obama told NBC’s “Meet the Press” host David Gregory, who had asked the president what the second-term equivalent would be to his all-encompassing push for health care during his first term.

He also said he would like to expand U.S. energy and set the U.S. economy on firmer footing.

The immigration pledge is similar to a vow Mr. Obama made four years ago to Hispanic audiences, when he also promised to take up immigration in his first year in office, only to see if fall behind the stimulus, global warming and health care.

But Democrats, who four years ago were uncertain of the politics of immigration, now believe it is a clear winner for them, and they are eager to force a debate.

Mr. Obama’s vow to introduce legislation also goes beyond where he stood in his first term, when he refused to write his own bill but instead quietly pushed Sens. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, and Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, to strike a deal.

Those efforts collapsed, and neither the House nor Senate ever held a debate on a broad immigration bill — though both took up the Dream Act legislation to legalize young adult illegal immigrants in 2010. That bill passed the House but fell to a bipartisan filibuster in the Senate during a lame-duck session of Congress.

The NBC interview was taped Saturday and aired Sunday morning, as Mr. Obama awaited word from Capitol Hill of whether there would be a deal to avoid tax increases and spending cuts.


Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...#ixzz2GYqkq9yJ

Wait, wait, wait...I've just finished watching MTP, and he was being very vague. "I will "introduce" legislation in the first year".

During the presidential campaign he repeatedly said he would have 5 more years to get this done. Everyone go back and read that DHS memo on a massive registration program without legislation and its timeline, because that is where we're headed. The question is who will and who will not be included.

Also, the White House said they will move on immigration right after the inauguration, but just recently the president said gun reform would be priority.

I'm sorry, but they need to learn to multi-task and a become a bit better at interpersonal skills. President Obama doesn't have the ability to get lawmakers' votes the way Clinton or Reagan did, so I believe that is the reason negotiations for anything in his administration take a whole effing year. You've got 4 more years, one for Tax Reform, one for Gun Control, one for Fiscal responsibility, one for Immigration Reform...

I kinda stop believing what Obama said 4 years ago when he said an immigration reform would be one his main first term priorities

We will just have to wait and see how it plays out.

Oh, and the President cannot introduce legislation, only lawmakers. "Introducing" a bill in "2013". So, technically, Christmas Eve a year from now we'll get an "introduction". No one cares about introductions, we need passage of legalization.

the President can introduce legislation to Congress, he just can't bring it up on either floor of the Senate or House.

^I hear what you're saying,the article I posted mentioned:
I guess June it is for the Senate Judiciary but considering the issues on the table of how Republicans are acting so absolutely childish makes me wonder if it will even pass.

Yes, but how long can debate on gun control take? One week..two weeks..a month tops? Surely it won't take over like half a year. I don't see any reason to further delay CIR unless the GOP doesn't want it and continues obstructing. I feel like GOP will cave in this time. Surely the Democrats will not avoid it anymore because Obama doesn't have any other election to win. The next election is two years away. If they delay it this time, Democrats will be exposed surely. Next few months will decide whether the Democrats have been on our side or are our real foes. COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM! These words should be heard loud and clear to those Congressmen through their windows on Capital Hill!