国际英语新闻:Obama calls on U.S. Congress to move forward immigration reform this year

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday called on U.S. Congress to move forward the immigration reform this year, after the once hot-button issue has been overshadowed for months in Washington.

Obama made remarks in a televised White House event, renewing his efforts to build momentum for immigration reform, the top legislative priority of his second-term.

"We should pass immigration reform. It's good for our economy. It's good for our national security. It's good for our people," said Obama, "And we should do it this year."

Obama said although Democrats and Republicans still have some " really big disagreements" on certain issues, everybody knows the country's "immigration system is broken" across the country and across the political spectrum.

Obama tried to increase pressure on Republicans in the House of Representatives, saying that now it is up to them "to decide whether reform becomes a reality or not."

He urged them to pass an immigration reform bill similar to the one that was passed in June by the Senate, which he said was not perfect but still "fair and just" and met "core challenges."

The Obama administration's focus on immigration reform has been distracted for months following turmoil in Washington over the National Security Agency's secret intelligence surveillance, the Syria chemical weapons crisis, the Iran nuclear issue and the recent 16-day partial government shutdown. The issue is also widely expected to meet greater resistance in House of Representatives.