House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, is keeping a watchful eye on a handful of House members who have been meeting in secret these past weeks to bring out an immigration bill at the same time as President Obama's State of the Union address.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's vow last week to put the immigration bill through the regular Senate process of committee hearings and floor amendments may sound inconsequential, but it marks a major shift for the Nevada Democrat.
Sen. Jeff Flake, in Wednesday morning comments on Fox News, said President Obama ought to look at border security first and pathways to citizenship second, given the security and fiscal issues facing this nation.
Seeking to boost the bipartisan momentum in Congress for tackling immigration reform, President Obama said Tuesday that he now sees "a genuine desire to get this done soon" — but warned that the debate will get more heated in the weeks ahead.
Marking the boldest move of his brief congressional career, Sen. Marco Rubio walked out on a limb this week by joining a move to pass comprehensive immigration reform — thrusting him into the middle of a thorny political debate that carries risk and reward for the freshman lawmaker.
Previous attempts to enact immigration reform may have failed, but Sen. John McCain believes this time will be different.
President Obama will begin a major push to overhaul the nation's immigration laws next week, starting with an address during a trip to Las Vegas Tuesday.
The United States and its allies from the Group of Eight are meeting in Washington this week to improve international cooperation on counterterrorism and anti-crime measures, including moves to stop the use of fertilizer in roadside bombs and measures to combat the growing encroachment of Latin American drug cartels in West Africa.
Leander Paes is the only prominent player in a depleted Davis Cup squad announced Friday by the All India Tennis Association for the match against South Korea following an impasse with other players over their demands.
