Reid Says He'll Easily Get the 60 Votes to Pass Immigration Bill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it will be "pretty easy" to get the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate's immigration overhaul legislation, which would mark a significant milestone for one of the president's top initiatives.

"I think we have 60 votes," the Nevada Democrat said in an interview for the television program "To the Point," according to The Las Vegas Sun.

"Remember, we start out at 55 Democrats. I think the most I'll lose is two or three. Let's say I wind up with 52 Democrats. I only need eight Republicans, and I already have four, so that should be pretty easy."

The bipartisan bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a number of amendments last week. Reid, who has the authority to determine the order of legislation, told reporters last week the measure is the first item on his agenda after the farm bill, which is currently pending, according to Roll Call.

Nevada Sen. Dean Heller is one Republican who recently signaled his intention to vote for the immigration measure.

"In order for immigration reform legislation to be successful, it must continue through Congress with an open process. These past several weeks, I have been able to work with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and other senators involved in this important bill, and we are finding ways to make this legislation even better," he wrote Sunday in an op-ed piece carried in The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"I am hopeful that this same pattern of transparency and openness will continue as members debate the legislation on the Senate floor."