Far-reaching U.S. immigration legislation neared a final committee vote on Tuesday. "There have been 300 amendments. Why shouldn't we have one more?" said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat. He spoke in response to concerns that a vote on the issue inside the Senate Judiciary Committee could unravel months of work on the bill, which gives a chance at citizenship to millions of immigrants living in the United States illegally. The measure also creates a new program for low-skilled foreign labor and would permit highly skilled workers into the country at far higher levels than is currently the case. At the same time, it requires the government take new steps to guard against future illegal immigration. Overhaul of the immigration system is a second term priority for President Barack Obama. Leahy, who has presided over days of committee work on the legislation, said an end was in sight, perhaps as early as Tuesday night. The bill's ranks of supporters inside the committee grew during the day as the result of a compromise setting the terms of the expansion of H-1B high tech visas. Under the deal, the number of highly skilled workers admitted to the country would rise from 65,000 annually to 110,000, with the possibility of a further rise to 180,000 depending in part on unemployment levels.
