House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that the Senate immigration bill has a likely chance of being signed into law by President Obama by the end of the year, during an interview on ABC News with George Stephanopoulos that aired on Tuesday. Boehner gave his support for immigration reform, but did not rule out bringing a bill to the floor that does not have the support of a majority of the House Republican caucus. He did indicate that the Senate bill does not go far enough to secure the border and deferred to the House when asked about his position for the inclusion of a path to citizenship.
Hours before Senate members will cast their first votes to bring the immigration bill to the floor, Boehner indicated that he would not be responsible for the outcome of immigration reform and pointed to the direction that House Republicans would take since “it’s about what the House wants…we’re going to let the House work its will.” House Republicans have been adamant about presenting a piecemeal approach that toughens border security measures and does not include legalization.
