Gutierrez: 'The majority already exists' on immigration reform

Ianus · 08-21-2013, 06:15 PM

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/31...already-exists

Quote:

Comprehensive immigration reform would pass the House today if GOP leaders would bring it to the floor, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said Wednesday.

"The question isn't whether or not there are 218 votes. There are probably 235, 240 votes for comprehensive immigration reform," Gutierrez said Wednesday in an interview with MSNBC. "Maybe not the Senate bill, but for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship and a broad pathway to legalization."

The Illinois Democrat, a long-time proponent of overhauling the nation's immigration system to prioritize immigrant rights, is calling on Republican leaders to abandon the so-called "Hastert Rule."

That unwritten guideline, named for former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), dictates that a bill must have the support of most of the majority party before it receives a vote on the floor – something Gutierrez said defies the most basic tenets of democracy.

"Let me see, there's 234 Republicans, so 118 members have to first agree before 435 of us can vote," he said. "That's pretty anti-democratic."

"The majority," he added, "already exists."

The Senate in June passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill with broad bipartisan support, but Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has refused to consider it on the floor. Instead, GOP leaders are promoting a piecemeal approach that's focused on increased border security and heightened interior enforcement, but excludes a citizenship pathway.

Boehner has said repeatedly that he won't consider any immigration bill that lacks support from a majority of his GOP conference – a notion reinforced this week by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

"We should pass what the House majority of the majority is willing to support, and that's as far as we should go," Goodlatte said after a townhall event in Verona, Va., according to The Huffington Post.

Gutierrez said he's hoping Republicans supportive of comprehensive reform – including national figures like Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) – will convince House GOP leaders to consider such a bill before year's end. If not, he warned, the Republicans risk a backlash from Hispanic voters that could haunt them in national elections for many cycles to come.

"The Republican Party can decide if it wants to be a party of provinces and states and localities," he said, "but it will never be a national party ever again."

star293 · 08-21-2013, 06:23 PM

can't wait till september.

Pianoswithoutfaith · 08-21-2013, 06:51 PM

The majority has existed, not whether the house speaker exists is another subject

alexandernigth · 08-21-2013, 06:54 PM

For me the second week of october, to see if the democrats will fill the petition to vote or not, if they don't do it, I DON'T BELIVE IN A DACA FOR 11M persons.

DA User · 08-22-2013, 02:23 AM

Discharge petition?

I think CIR will pass the House in September.

Pianoswithoutfaith · 08-22-2013, 03:46 AM

You think the house will pass a CIR every month actually every day you think the house will pass a CIR

swiftp · 08-22-2013, 04:11 AM

Rep. Luis Gutierrez has been saying that they have the votes since the Senate Bill passed, but why hasn't he introduced the Gang of 7 bill? He's said that his group is waiting for the right moment to introduce it but will that ever come? Is that bill dead?

2Face · 08-22-2013, 08:00 AM

Starting to doubt the Democrats here. Something doesn't seem right. If the votes are there, what are you waiting for? I'm sure there's some way to get this thing going. You can never win with politicians. We are just tools. Their goal of winning seats is our only purpose.

Ianus · 08-22-2013, 12:10 PM

I think the majority exists for the Gang of 7 bill,but not too sure about the Senate bill.Imo,because the Gang of 7 has taken so long Boehner may have had no choice but to look to his caucus for a bill as it gave them time to whip the Speaker on the 'Hastert rule'.

House Democrats are also very unlikely to do a discharge petition unless it is almost certain that they will win the House and the House GOP will lose their majority.

DA User · 08-22-2013, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pianoswithoutfaith

You think the house will pass a CIR every month actually every day you think the house will pass a CIR

I think CIR will pass in House in September.

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Gutierrez: 'The majority already exists' on immigration reform