[JURIST] House Majority Leader Jim Boehner (R-OH) on Wednesday scheduled seven more House hearings [press release] through the end of July on comprehensive immigration reform [JURIST news archive; House Judiciary materials], and characterized the first round of hearings [JURIST report] as a success for House Republicans who support strict enforcement-focused legislation. The new hearings, save one, will all be held in Washington DC, and will involve the House Homeland Security, Education, Judiciary, and International Relations [official websites] committees. After announcing the first round [JURIST report] of rare field hearings outside Washington late last month House Republicans denied they had timed them [JURIST report] to delay an immigration vote until after November elections.

There are few similarities between the Senate bill [S 2611 summary; JURIST report] and the House version [HR 4437 summary; JURIST report], which must be reconciled before a bill can be presented to the President. Last month, President Bush called on lawmakers to find a "rational middle ground" [JURIST report] between the Senate version, which includes a pathway to citizenship favored by Bush, and the House bill, which focuses border security. AP has more.