July 13, 2013

President Barack Obama has called for passage of a Senate-backed immigration bill that would strengthen border security and offer a pathway to earned citizenship for people who are currently in the country illegally.

Obama said Saturday that the bill passed by the majority-Democratic Senate would provide "a big boost" to the nation's economy. He said immigration reform would make it easier for highly skilled immigrants and those studying at U.S. colleges and universities to start businesses and create U.S.-based jobs.

He called on Americans who agree with him to urge their legislators in the majority-Republican House of Representatives to pass the bill so he can sign it into law.

In the weekly Republican address, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi spoke about health care, calling for an across-the-board delay of health care reforms, nicknamed "Obamacare," that he said would collapse under their own weight. He said people are already losing insurance coverage through their employers, as health care costs skyrocket. He said it is time to admit that what he called a "partisan experiment in government-run health care" is failing.