<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Washington, D.C. -</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.15.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/Obama_on_Immigration_stance_praise_BANNER.jpg" alt="Cropped Images Friday 02152013" /></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Obama’s State of the Union earlier this week addressed his proposed immigration overhaul. His nonconfrontational delivery garnered praise from lawmakers of both parties. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Obama’s strategic decision to give both parties room to maneuver on the sensitive political subject of immigration could pay off as talks continue, according to senators who gathered for the first hearing on the proposed changes.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The president, who most recently laid out his own immigration principles in a January speech in Las Vegas, told Congress on Tuesday night that “the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.” It was a refrain he repeated several times to applause, according to the New York Times. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/ObamaBody02.jpg" alt="Walmart Tests Scan & Go App - IMAGES" /></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“He’s walking a tightrope here, trying to allow Congress on a bipartisan basis to come up with a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the Senate,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat. “He encouraged us, told us he doesn’t want this to drag on forever, and if we can’t get it done he’ll play more forceful role.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Mr. Durbin, a member of a bipartisan group of eight senators working on an immigration bill, added, “The reason he’s on this tightrope is the Republicans don’t want to make it appear that they are bending to the president on this issue.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Obama also received praise from Republicans. Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the party’s vice-presidential nominee last year, said the president’s tone on immigration was measured and constructive. “I thought on immigration he used the right words and the right tone, which tells me he actually doesn’t want to politicize this, which is conducive to getting something done,” he said. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, and a member of the bipartisan group, said he had “no complaints — actually I thought it was good for the process.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Secretary Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security. met resistance from key Republicans — including Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, the committee’s ranking member, and Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas — over enforcement. “I do not believe that the border is secure,” Mr. Cornyn said. “And I still believe we have a long, long way to go.” </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.whitehouse.gov/” target="_new">White House</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
