Senate

The Republican leader, who is running for reelection in 2014, immediately took fire from his right flank for the decision.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt. ) won’t say whether he will offer his controversial amendments to extend equal treatment to gay couples in the immigration reform bill.

The deal paves the way for the most senior member of the Senate Republican Conference to support immigration legislation.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are focused on wooing two conservative Republican senators they consider crucial.

Conservative leaders blast bill as "bloated and unwieldy" package similar to ObamaCare or Dodd-Frank.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to maintain Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s power to waive the required deportation of immigrants guilty of three misdemeanors.

Two Democratic members of the Gang of Eight, Sens. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.) voted against the proposal, while two Republicans, Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.), voted for it.

It was sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and failed by a vote of 8 to 10.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a pivotal member of the Gang of Eight, on Monday broke with Democratic colleagues over proposed changes to asylum and student visa laws in immigration reform.

Rubio’s office cautioned colleagues that Congress should not change federal rules for political asylum and student visas before an investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing is complete.

Rubio was dismayed the Senate Judiciary Committee defeated an amendment sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to halt proposed changes until a coordinated review detailing the intelligence and immigration failures was submitted to Congress by the inspectors general of the relevant agencies. It failed by a voice vote.

"There are serious concerns about how shortcomings in our immigration system could have allowed the Boston Marathon terrorist attack to occur,” said Alex Conant, Rubio’s spokesman.

Democratic and Republican members clashed over a proposal to block millions of immigrants from a major cash assistance program.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans this coming week to test the Republican filibuster threat against Richard Cordray.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday postponed action on visas for high-skilled workers, an issue that has split members of the Gang of Eight.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) have yet to reach agreement on a controversial package of amendments covering H-1B visas for high-skilled workers.