The Senate passed a landmark overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, but the battle is far from over.Backers and opponents of reform are gearing up for what promises to be an even tougher fight in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives,where Speaker John Boehner has all but ruled out a vote on the Senate bill.I do not see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that does not have the majority support of Republicans, he said.President Barack Obama is urging an all-out effort by the pro-reform side to demand a House vote on a bill that boosts U.S. border security and provides a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, like this man.The only thing we are looking for is the same opportunity that all the immigrants had since the beginning of this country, said an undocumented immigrated who called himself Oscar.The coming weeks will see rallies and intense lobbying efforts to pressure lawmakers.Reform opponents are gearing up, as well.Jim Gilchrist views legalization as amnesty for law-breakers.You cannot expect me or 310 million other Americans to respect the rules of law if you are going to give preferential treatment to those who violated the laws, he said.Meanwhile, backers of marriage rights for same-sex couples are hailing Supreme Court decisions that significantly advanced their cause.The court ruled the federal government must recognize gay unions, and set in motion a resumption of same-sex marriages in California, America’s most-populous state.
