Pelosi
suggests that she may have the votes to pass a bill IF the Senate passes it version of an immigration bill.
Quote:
Immigration reform legislation must originate in the Senate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday.
If the Senate passes an immigration bill, the speaker said, she believes she can find the votes for the legislation in the House.
"This immigration bill must start in the Senate," Pelosi said during her weekly press conference.
"I believe so," the speaker asserted when asked if she could find the votes for such a bill.
The speaker's remarks come amidst signs that the Senate is preparing to possibly move onto immigration reform after it wraps up its work on Wall Street reform legislation.
President Barack Obama has already begun working the phones on immigration, calling Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to chat about it earlier this week. Obama during the call reportedly told Brown that immigration is next in the Senate.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been working with some centrists like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to craft a bipartisan bill, though previous supporters of comprehensive reform, like Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), have said that border enforcement needs to be the top priority for now.
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