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WASHINGTON (AP) - A bipartisan group of House members working in secret on a comprehensive immigration bill is nearing completion and has met with party leaders to brief them, aides said Friday.

A spokesman for Republican House Speaker John Boehner said that Boehner had a good talk Friday with Republicans in the group and that the lawmakers have made real progress.

The group's four Democrats met Thursday with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Pelosi's spokesman said she's optimistic about the prospects for reform.

The group had hoped to release their bill around the time of the State of the Union last month, but now an aide says they will aim for early April, once Congress returns from a two-week recess.

That's the same timeline that a negotiating group in the Senate is on. The Senate group has gotten more attention because House GOP leaders are expected to wait to see what if anything the Senate passes on immigration before taking any action on the issue.

A sweeping immigration bill is a tougher lift in the Republican-controlled House because of the conservatives who dominate the Republican conference, and members of the House immigration group have been struggling to write a bill that can have broad appeal. It remains unclear how they will handle a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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  • Abuse
    Michoacan wrote...
    Republican lawmakers are tripping all over each
    February 5, 2013 1:45 pm
    other trying to get to the front of the immigration reform line. Betrayed Conservative voters are beginning to feel the effects of the law of diminishing electoral returns. Isn't there anything that they can do to stem this rising tide of change? Unfortunately (for them) not.
  • Abuse
    Steve wrote...
    hope they discuss the outrageous
    February 5, 2013 2:00 pm
    Negative economic impact it will have.
  • Abuse
    wrote...
    Dreamers
    February 5, 2013 6:05 pm
    And the other illegals are owed nothing. Pathway to citizenship = amnesty.
  • Abuse
    1redcav wrote...
    This screams
    February 5, 2013 6:08 pm
    of anmesty, plain & simple.....and, of course, Oliar wants 11 million more democrap libtard voters....
  • Abuse
    Zapotec wrote...
    A complex problem
    February 5, 2013 7:41 pm
    that will take time and careful planning to find the right solution for everyone involved, not just illegal immigrants. Obama pushing for "swift" action and Dreamers interrupting the process is not going to help. Obama had 4 years to tackle this issue and he didn't do a thing. Why the rush now?
  • Abuse
    Wrote wrote...
    And
    March 15, 2013 1:38 pm
    will this one be another "we have to pass it to see whats in it" like the ACA? Amnesty is not the solution.
  • Abuse
    Truth_hurtz wrote...
    Lawmakers - More laws will not stop law-breakers
    March 15, 2013 2:09 pm
    This is true of gun control and illegal immigrants. They are breaking many laws simply by being here, why would they give 2 hoots about yet another law. They don't want to be citizens, they want to ABSORB the US into mexico.
  • Abuse
    The Chemist wrote...
    Get over it....
    March 15, 2013 4:08 pm
    It is NOT Amnesty. There is no free-pass to citizenship. There might be a simpler pass to legalization ONLY and that means no voting, no welfare, no SS, no medicaid nor medicare. So...nativists, calm down and don't get your panties in a bunch. Everything will turn out ok.
  • Abuse
    Steve wrote...
    Your naive chemist
    March 15, 2013 5:26 pm
    .
  • Abuse
    1redcav wrote...
    Jose'/Chemist,
    March 15, 2013 5:57 pm
    this IS back-door amnesty, so, get over it, and, help your criminal illegal invading felon friends do it the RIGHT way.....if you know how.