Senators Unveil Bipartisan Immigration Reform Plan; Foster Calls for Similar Compromise from House

Bipartisan bill has backing of John McCain, Dick Durbin; proposal could signal compromise on immigration policies.

Eight U.S. Senators — four Democrats, four Republicans — on Monday proposed legislation what would allow undocumented immigrants to seek legal work status without returning to their home countries, according to a CNN report. Newly elected Illinois Congressman Bill Foster, D-11, released a statement lauding the plan and calling for a similar compromise plan from the U.S. House of Representatives. While the proposal garnered bipartisan support, some conservatives objected, including Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican. "When you legalize those who are in the country illegally, it costs taxpayers millions of dollars, costs American workers thousands of jobs and encourages more illegal immigration," Smith said, according to Reuters. The …

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Patch on Politics

Bipartisan Backing for an Obamacare Play in Illinois

Durbin and Kirk support $150 million loan for SimpleHx • Few approve of Quinn • Convicts collect $2 million in unemployment • Poll: Biggert-Foster very close • State House candidate's domestic battery case dropped with scant attention.

One aspect of Obamacare is drawing bipartisan support — at least in Illinois. Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Mark Kirk both back an outfit called SimpleHx, which wants a $150 million federal loan to establish the state's first health insurance co-op under the president's federal healthcare law. The people behind SimpleHx met at Northwestern University last year while pursuing their MBAs, according to Modern Healthcare reporter Kristen Schorsch. SimpleHx is competing against four proposals, including one backed by the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, a trade group founded in 1935 that represents more than 150 local hospitals and health care organizations. If the proposals are similar, in terms of promises to save money and …

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