Senate to consider gun control, immigration reform

The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider weighty issues next week, specifically gun control and immigration reform.

On Wednesday, members of the Judiciary Committee will ask Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano about the administration’s position on comprehensive immigration reform.

Last month, a bipartisan group of eight senators outlined immigration reforms that would later be turned into legislation addressing the “broken immigration system” in America. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy’s (D-Vt.) hearing next week will be the first to deal with immigration reform since the start of the new Congress. Leahy has said it is important that any changes to the immigration system include human rights measures.

A Judiciary subcommittee will also look at proposals to reduce gun violence without compromising Second Amendment rights.

Details on these and other Senate hearings follow:

Senate Armed Services

- Feb. 12, “The Impacts of Sequestration on the Department of Defense”

9:30 a.m., G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

- Feb. 14, “Wall Street Reform: Oversight of Financial Stability and Consumer and Investor Protections”

10:30 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Finance

- Feb. 13, “The Nomination of Jacob Lew to be Secretary of Treasury”

10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

- Feb. 13, “Solutions to the Crisis Facing the U.S. Postal Service”

10 a.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Judiciary

- Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights

Feb. 12, “Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence: Protecting Our Communities While Respecting the Second Amendment"

10 a.m., 224 Dirksen Senate Office Building

- Feb. 13, “Comprehensive Immigration Reform”

9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Senate Office Building

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