(Associated Press)Attention is shifting to the Republican-led House after the Senate approved a sweeping immigration overhaul that would extend legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants …
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(Associated Press)Attention is shifting to the Republican-led House after the Senate approved a sweeping immigration overhaul that would extend legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants while increasing border security.The Senate on Thursday voted 68-32 to approve the bill, following a series of test votes that already demonstrated the legislation had enough support to pass.The question now is whether the Senate vote can compel the Republican-led House to follow suit. Though 68 votes is a strong majority, backers fell short of the 70 votes they were hoping to secure, a number they felt would help persuade House leaders to move forward. Some Republicans have already declared the Senate bill "dead on arrival" in the House, but House lawmakers are nevertheless working on their own piecemeal version of immigration legislation.House Speaker John Boehner, who says both chambers should act on immigration, declined to say Thursday how his caucus would proceed."We're going to go home for the recess next week and listen to our constituents," he said. "And when we get back, we're going to ... have a discussion about the way forward."Despite the strong majority in favor of the bill on Thursday, Congress remains divided over the issue.Republican opponents of the bill voiced frustration as the Senate scrambled to finalize its work ahead of the looming recess. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, on Wednesday said he felt "used and abused," as he tried to slow down the process and call for more amendments to be considered.All Democrats, in addition to 14 Republicans, voted for the legislation on Thursday. All "no" votes came from the Republican side of the aisle.US Capitol image