Republican Rep. David Valadao is backing a comprehensive House Democratic bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system.
The California congressman said in a statement Wednesday that he is joining with like-minded Republicans to show to the House GOP leadership that it should deal with immigration legislation before the end of the year.
Valadao is the third Republican to back a Democratic bill that would provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living here illegally and tighten border security. California Rep. Jeff Denham and Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen have announced their support for the bill.
Most Republicans have shown little interest in a comprehensive bill, favoring a piecemeal approach to addressing the issue.