Bush says immigration bill 'has a chance'

WASHINGTON -- The immigration-reform plan working its way through Congress "has a chance to pass," former President George W. Bush said.

"It's very important to fix a broken system, to treat people with respect, and have confidence in our capacity to assimilate people," Bush said in an interview on ABC's "This Week" that aired yesterday.

"It's a very difficult bill to pass because there is a lot of moving parts, and the legislative process can be ugly. But it looks like they're making progress."

He added, "Good policy yields good politics, as far as I'm concerned."

The Senate passed immigration overhaul legislation last month on a 68-32 vote.

The plan would create a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.

House Republicans, who make up the majority in that chamber, are expected to meet Wednesday on the matter after a weeklong July Fourth recess. Many of them oppose the Senate's citizenship provisions.

-- Bloomberg News