Washington D.C. (KCBS) -- Senate leaders are planning to introduce their immigration bill next month in hopes that the new Democratic majority in Congress will push it towards passage.
Lawmakers say the new bill will put illegal immigrants on a straighter path to becoming citizens.
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren of San Jose is supposed to play a key role in the debate because of her new job as head of the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security.
During a live interview with KCBS today, Rep. Lofgren said this time around the debate should be more focused and there "should be more of a bi-partisan comprehensive approach to the issue that I think was lacking in the last Congress," she said.
The representative points out that many of the politicians who pinned their re-election hopes on being tough on immigration lost in the midterm elections. "So I think that has been a wake up call for the Republicans that people want some practical solutions," she added.
She said an amnesty program is under consideration but there still must be some consequences for those who have blatantly violated the law.
Lofgren said the goal is to get some true legislative reform next year in order to avoid the congestion of the presidential elections in 2008.
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