Senator Patrick Leahy says he wants the U.S. Senate to pass strong immigration legislation.
The Vermont Democrat is hoping for the best if the measure moves to the U.S. House.
Leahy chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and is leading supporters of the immigration bill in the Senate.
Some are arguing that the Senate should pass a more conservative immigration bill to improve its chances in the House.
But Leahy says the Republican-controlled House passed the Senate's bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act earlier this year, so he says he's hoping for something similar with the immigration bill.
