Boehner draws another hard line on immigration reform

Morrow · 11-13-2013, 01:59 PM

Quote:

House Speaker John Boehner says he will not allow any House-passed immigration legislation to be blended with the Senate’s sweeping reform bill, further quashing the chances of comprehensive immigration reform legislation being signed into law anytime soon.

“We have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill,” Boehner told reporters Wednesday.

Immigration reform advocates had hoped that a “conference”- or legislative negotiation – between House and Senate lawmakers could incorporate ideas from both chambers into compromise legislation that might be palatable to those who say a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants – or at least legalization – is essential to fixing the country’s broken immigration system.

But some conservatives had been pushing against House passage of any immigration legislation, arguing that Senate Democrats would use the conference to inject more liberal policies and then force Republicans in the House to stomach changes they say are unfair to those who came to the country legally.

The GOP speaker has pledged for months not to bring the Senate “Gang of Eight” bill, passed with bipartisan support in the upper chamber this summer, up for a vote. That legislation would allow for a lengthy path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants – something that many Republicans decry as “amnesty" that could hurt job-seeking Americans.

Republican lawmakers have instead been working on smaller pieces of legislation that would address border security, employment verification, and possibly a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. Boehner refused to say Wednesday whether he plans to bring any of those measures to a vote before the end of the year.

Boehner pointed to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., as the chamber’s point person on the legislative efforts, saying Goodlatte “is working with our members and across the aisle on developing a set of principles for us to deal with this issue.”

He also dismissed the notion that Republicans are delaying reform legislation to focus on problems with the new health care law.

"We need to go about this in a way that the American people and our members can absorb,” he said.

The apparent dead end for comprehensive reform has not deterred immigration proponents, who have kept pressure on House leaders despite the dim outlook for legislation this year.

Hours before addressing reporters, Boehner was confronted by immigrant children while he was eating breakfast at a Capitol Hill diner. In a video released by the organization Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), Boehner told the protesters he is “trying to find some way to get this thing done.”

The White House has kept public pressure up as well.

President Barack Obama is meeting with faith leaders Wednesday to discuss the need for reform, and Vice President Joe Biden will give an address on the issue Thursday in Atlanta, Ga.

Frank Thorp contributed to this story.

By Luke Russert and Carrie Dann

VeryNicePerson1 · 11-13-2013, 02:28 PM

further quashing the chances...

...Dear lord, there has been so much quashing, I think there is nothing left...lol...

Pianoswithoutfaith · 11-13-2013, 02:44 PM

Even if there is talk about a cir it won't be about this year

Cloudless · 11-13-2013, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Republican lawmakers have instead been working on smaller pieces of legislation that would address border security, employment verification, and possibly a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

Just as I suspected, they want smaller bills because they only want to pass enforcement-only measures, except for their watered-down DREAM act.

These Republicans want to make sure nobody jumps the border anymore, and make sure people without papers can't find a job at all. Preventing undocumented immigrants from finding a job would force them to leave; this is Romney's "self deportation".

Pianoswithoutfaith · 11-13-2013, 02:48 PM

Well it's not like that isn't happening anymore. The amount of illegal aliens "crossing " the border as lowered. And deportations have gone up. Obama takes the credit for deporting the most amount of illegal aliens. Not to mention it's harder to get a job with E verify in the system down. These people want a 20 feet tall electric fence before they get their asses working

alexandernigth · 11-13-2013, 03:17 PM

SO AT LEAST SOMEBODY SPEAK THE TRUE, THE UGLY TRUE, BUT THE TRUE. DACA FOR AT LEAST UNTIL 2016 (national ) OR 2018 (congress). There are not any chance for CIR for the rest of this congress or even more if they (GOTEAPARTY) WINS or Keep they majority.

chopstix · 11-13-2013, 03:31 PM

This is a devastating news for our older Dreamers. Please hang in there bros and sis.

Cloudless · 11-13-2013, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pianoswithoutfaith

These people want a 20 feet tall electric fence before they get their asses working

Even if they get their Berlin wall, they still don't want to get anywhere close to legalizing undocumented people. To them the only acceptable solution for the 12 million undocs is deportation, whether voluntary or by force.

VeryNicePerson1 · 03:56 PM

Check this article out

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...p_ref=politics

It seems the gerrymandered GOP districts and the Tea Party in general are not budging and will probably never budge until voters actually vote someone else to replace them.

Rough stuff.

But, honestly...I understand when these politicians fight for whats best for the people who actually voted them into office. Not exactly the best thing for America, but still they are doing what they see is right by them and by the people who allowed them that 175k a year.

Cloudless · 11-13-2013, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeryNicePerson1

Check this article out

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/1...p_ref=politics

It seems the gerrymandered GOP districts and the Tea Party in general are not budging and will probably never budge until voters actually vote someone else to replace them.

Rough stuff.

But, honestly...I understand when these politicians fight for whats best for the people who actually voted them into office. Not exactly the best thing for America, but still they are doing what they see is right by them and by the people who allowed them that 175k a year.

The Tea Party is a minority in the Republican Party, a minority in the House of Representatives, and a minority in Congress. What gives them so much power is their oversized influence on the majority party in the House. Republicans are going to pay the price for giving too much power to the Tea Party.

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Boehner draws another hard line on immigration reform