House Speaker John Boehner today praised the ongoing efforts of two bipartisan groups of congressional lawmakers, but he emphasized that an effective overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws will take time.

“We’ve got our first hearing on the issue today in the Judiciary committee,” Boehner, R-Ohio, said, as the House of Representatives begins its first hearing examining the country’s immigration laws.

“This is not about being in a hurry. This is about trying to get it right on behalf of the American people and those who are suffering under an immigration system that doesn’t work very well for anybody.”

The House Judiciary Committee is holding its first hearing of the 113th Congress on immigration, examining existing opportunities for legal immigration and whether the Obama administration is effectively enforcing the country’s existing laws to target illegal immigration.