US Senate advances "Gang of 8" immigration legislation to full Senate debate

By a vote of 82-15, the US Senate voted to advance the current "Gang of 8" immigration bill to full Senate debate.

From USAToday:

A procedural vote to begin formal debate on the bill was approved 82-15 on a bipartisan vote.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., both voted to advance the bill despite lingering resistance from some elements of both parties.

"There are 11 million reasons to pass common-sense immigration reform that mends our broken system — 11 million stories of heartbreak and suffering that should motivate Congress to act," Reid said. Previous attempts to pass an overhaul of immigration laws have not gotten this far.

The bill would allow most of the nation's estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants to apply for citizenship within 13 years provided they

• learn English
• pass a criminal background check
• pay $2000 in fines.