US President Barack Obama on Tuesday welcomed passage of a bill to reform US immigration policies by a Senate committee, describing it as consistent with the values he supported and well placed to fix a "broken" system.

"None of the committee members got everything they wanted, and neither did I. But in the end, we all owe it to the American people to get the best possible result over the finish line," Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

"I encourage the full Senate to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor at the earliest possible opportunity and remain hopeful that the amendment process will lead to further improvements," he said.

Reuters

(China Daily 05/23/2013 page11)