Obama: Senate immigration bill would pass House if it got a vote

President Obama said Sunday the immigration reform bill that passed in the Senate would get through the Republican-controlled House if leadership put it up for a vote.

“It would pass, it would pass,” Mr. Obama told ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.”

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Immigration Reform

House Republicans are walking a fine line in discussing immigration reform, a debate that’s stalled as the party tries to reconcile its concerns about a path to residency status or citizenship for people who came to the United States illegally with its lagging support at the polls among Hispanics — a key and increasing voting bloc.

Mr. Obama said the legislation that passed the Democrat-controlled Senate — providing a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented residents while tightening up border security — “wasn’t perfect, wasn’t my bill, but got the job done.”

The problem, he argued, is there is a conservative faction of the GOP that thinks “compromise is a dirty word” and “anything that is even remotely associated with me, they feel obliged to oppose.”

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Discharge Petition? Only Pelosi has the power to do it?

Youtube link

Notice that George asked a two-part question:
1) How do you answer to folks that think this has been a lost year?
2) How do you save it?

Obama's answers:
1) The House GOP is holding the bill hostage.
2) [Did not address]

I really hope he can institute some form of Deferred Action for a limited subset of the 11 million

I think Obama's avoidance of answering that question has more to do with him waiting it out to see what happens, or at least I hope that is the case.

I don't think he wants to give the GOP an argument like "Obama is just going to issue executive action!!! Why must we continue this when he wants to bypass the correct process!!!!"

I really do hope he has a backup plan and is willing to do it as soon as possible once it is very certain that CIR/Dream Act is derailed again.

If Obama really wants something to pass, he'll push mountains for it (eg: Syria). His mindset on immigration reform seem to be, "would be nice if it passes, too bad if it doesn't".

There is NOTHING to discharge in the House.

We should request Sen. Reid deliver the senate bill to the House of Representatives ASAP.

With the Senate bill never delivered to the House, there would never be a vote.

The House could not vote on anything that is not officially received.

Ask Senator Reid to deliver the senate immigration bill to the House ASAP.

I hate to say you are right, but... it doesn't seem like any politician gives a damn. I personally feel DACA in 2012 was more political necessity since Hispanic voters weren't that excited for Obama's 2nd term and they needed to galvanize that group.

Now? What's really going to move people?

Yes, but Boehner wants the Hastart Rule right?

He can say whatever he wants.

Reid has always said he wanted the senate bill to pass the house. But, Reid ends up never letting the House have the senate bill to vote on.