WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- One week after suffering a major setback in his effort to overhaul the country's immigration system, U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday called Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration bill so that he can sign it into law this year.

    Bush said he was disappointed last week when the bill was temporarily withdrawn by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democratic from Nevada, who failed to garner enough votes to limit debate on the bill and move it for a final vote.

    "Leaders of both parties since then have expressed their commitment to resolving the issues ... and I urge them to do so as quickly as possible so Congress can pass, and I can sign this year, comprehensive immigration reform," the president said at a meeting of the Associated Builders and Contractors in Washington.

    Bush said the need for immigration reform was urgent, and the immigration system had been broken for many years.

    People had different perspectives on how to reform the immigration system -- many said the most important issue was to secure the border, others said an important part of immigration reform was to find the workers to help a growing economy, while still others said that it was important to resolve the status of 12 million people already here illegally, and help immigrants assimilate into our society, Bush said.

    All these concerns should be addressed, and that why he strongly supported comprehensive immigration reform, he said.

    "I'm confident that we can pass a bill into law this year," Bush said.

    The Senate failed in a crucial vote last week on the bill, the outcome of months of negotiations between the White House and some Senate members, that could provide a path toward legal status to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.

    The bill would also punish employers for hiring illegal immigrants, establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants, and included an amendment that would discontinue a guest worker program within five years.

    Immigration reform was one of Bush's priorities in his second term. If the Senate fails to revive the bill in the coming weeks, there could be little likelihood that the bill could get passed this year, media reports said.