GOP pushing to add immigration to defense bill

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Washington • A House chairman says supporters are making headway in an effort to give young immigrants brought to the country illegally a path to resident status through the military.

The idea is to make the immigration bill part of the annual defense bill.

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is Republican Howard "Buck" McKeon of California. McKeon says the bill's sponsor is rounding up votes to add it to the defense bill. McKeon says there are some procedural hurdles, but the leadership has promised to help.

That's after McKeon said last week he wouldn't add the immigration measure when his committee votes on the defense bill in May.