Obama's Immigration Reform to Begin This Month

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2398507.html

WASHINGTON -- Despite a bruising fiscal cliff battle that managed to set the stage for an even more heated showdown that will likely take place in a matter of months, President Barack Obama is planning to move full steam ahead with the rest of his domestic policy agenda.

An Obama administration official said the president plans to push for immigration reform this January. The official, who spoke about legislative plans only on condition of anonymity, said that coming standoffs over deficit reduction are unlikely to drain momentum from other priorities. The White House plans to push forward quickly, not just on immigration reform but gun control laws as well.

The timeframe is likely to be cheered by Democrats and immigration reform advocates alike, who have privately expressed fears that Obama's second term will be drowned out in seemingly unending showdowns between parties. The just-completed fiscal cliff deal is giving way to a two-month deadline to resolve delayed sequestration cuts, an expiring continuing resolution to fund the government and a debt ceiling that will soon be hit.

With those bitter battles ahead, the possibility of passing other complicated legislation would seem diminished.

"The negative effect of this fiscal cliff fiasco is that every time we become engaged in one of these fights, there's no oxygen for anything else," said a Senate Democratic aide, who asked for anonymity to speak candidly. "It's not like you can be multi-tasking -- with something like this, Congress just comes to a complete standstill."

It remains unclear what type of immigration policies the White House plans to push in January, but turning them into law could be a long process. Aides expect it will take about two months to write a bipartisan bill, then another few months before it goes up for a vote, possibly in June. A bipartisan group of senators are already working on a deal, although they are still in the early stages. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) will likely lead on the Democratic side in the House. While many Republicans have expressed interest in piecemeal reform, it's still unclear which of them plan to join the push.

Lofgren expressed hope that immigration reform would be able to get past partisan gridlock, arguing that the election was seen as something of a mandate for fixing the immigration system and Republicans won't be able to forget their post-election promises to work on a bill. "In the end, immigration reform is going to depend very much on whether Speaker [John] Boehner wants to do it or not," Lofgren said.

Advocates have vowed to keep pushing for reform. As part of their efforts, they plan to remind Republican members of Congress about their presidential nominee's defeat among Latino and Asian voters, a majority of whom support a fix to the immigration system.

"They can procrastinate as long as they want, but they're going to have a serious day of reckoning next election cycle," said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress. "We're going to have a lot of near-death experiences with this issue, but I'm pretty confident it's never going to go completely to a flatline."

Good news for immigration advocates may have come Tuesday night, when Boehner broke the so-called "Hastert Rule" and allowed the fiscal cliff bill to come for a vote without support from a majority of his Republican conference. Given opposition to immigration reform by many Tea Party Republicans, the proof that Boehner is willing to bypass them on major legislation is a good sign, the Democratic aide said.

"If something is of such importance that the GOP establishment [is] telling Boehner, 'You must do this. You need to get this off the table soon,'" the Democratic aide said, the speaker could break the Hastert Rule again.

"He already did it with this fiscal issue, so I would not be surprised if when it came down to it he puts up a bill that he just allows to go through with a combination of Democratic and Republican votes, without worrying about a majority of the majority," the aide continued.

Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigration reform group America's Voice, also said he thinks the House could pass an immigration bill in the same way it did last night, relying on support from both parties. He's hopeful that the fiscal cliff fight could even make them happy to work out legislation in a more standard way.

"I never thought I'd say this, but after bruising battles over the future of the American and world economy, the chance to legislate through regular order on immigration reform might have leaders in both parties working together and singing 'Kumbaya,'" Sharry said.


Amazing news, dreamers let us go forward. In the words of the immortal DA User, "2013 is the year the DA passes". The coming wave of immigration-related legislation seems as if it has a very strong chance of passing now.

Nice,The fiscal cliff gave one very important lesson and that is Speaker Boehner might be willing to break his Majority of the Majority rule for considering legislation.The only real question here is will he keep his Speaker role amongst Republicans or could Eric Cantor be a problem?

I think Eric Cantor is unlikely to obtain the speaker seat, although him and the speaker are fraying at the edges politically and becoming antagonists, I just don't really see the movement and push among the tea party wing of the party to displace Boehner yet, and the moderate establishment of the GOP certainly seems as if it's content with his rule so far, no matter how bungled and disastrous the last month has been.

The key for the democrats is going to be to convince those 85 house republicans yesterday who voted for the fiscal cliff to vote for immigration reform, my only question is if the DA and CIR will be bunched together or will there be more of a piecemeal approach going on. I doubt it though, I see the most complex bill we've imagined yet around the corner, esp given the two month writing period.

I think any immigration overhaul will be very complex in relation to how it will be enforced.I also believe that any passed reform will likely limit immigration to the US or make it very difficult for the individual to immigrate if not highly skilled at least.

It is obvious the House GOP has some issues but we'll definitely have to wait and see how the leadership roles play out.

The real question is: when will I and many other early applicants get their shit done from Vermont? I can't see this reform complete in 2 months or 3 months. It will take like 6 months at least.

And the legislators agree with you! They're estimating the legislative overhaul won't be complete until June if they start now, and even then if passed it would take MONTHS, if not at least half a year to prepare the process up and ready for USCIS to handle the torrent of applications they would get. It would be in the millions.

Hahaha. Thanks. TL;DR my fault ahahahhaa
But, yeah, won't benefit anyone here for at least another year!

This is so exciting! I have a positive feeling from this. I think this is the year things finally get done!

debt ceiling is coming first.

Well looks like Obama has taken couple shots of redbull and expresso because every news agency claims that he is "geared up" to move "quickly" on immigration this month. We could POTENTIALLY have a bill passed by March because it would take another couple months for USCIS to ready the process then another couple months for people to be approved. Obama must remain steadfast and take the fight to Boehners office!! I'm getting ready to buy tickets to go back home by end of this year for sure! Save up fellas. DACA is childs play compared to what Dreamers will get this year..Permanent Residency!