Posted on 12/21/2013 1:43:06 PM PST by Hojczyk
“I think that John Boehner will conference with the Senate. Why wouldn’t he? He’ll have a lot of pressure from his members now that the election is getting closer,” Reid said in an interview with The Hill. “Some of his members are in very marginal districts where they need to do something on immigration,” he added.
Boehner has vowed he will not let the Senate bill, which spans more than 1,200 pages, reach the negotiating table. The most controversial element of the package is a provision granting a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
“We have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill,” Boehner told reporters last month.
A spokesman for Boehner said his boss is sticking to his strategy.
“The Speaker has been very clear that the House will only address immigration reform in a step-by-step common-sense manner,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel.
Boehner has been under pressure from conservative members of his conference not to pass even smaller pieces of immigration reform.
They fear being strategically outmaneuvered. Narrowly-tailored legislation on border security or work visas could be combined with the Senate’s comprehensive bill and then returned to the House floor for an up-or-down vote, they fear.
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a Tea Party favorite, has organized a group of conservatives pledging to vote against any immigration reform bill to prevent Democrats from using it as a legislative vehicle to enact the pathway to citizenship.
Even Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a co-sponsor of the Senate bill, has backed away from calls to go to conference with the comprehensive measure.
“At this point, the most realistic way to make progress on immigration would be through a series of individual bills,” Rubio spokesman Alex Conant said in October.
Reid, however, thinks Boehner will eventually take on King and conservative groups on the issue. Last week, Boehner slammed conservative groups for opposing a Senate-House budget deal that reduced the automatic cuts known as sequestration and trimmed the deficit by an additional $23 billion.
I agree, at this point would be suicide. The rats always do look for those that are suicidal.
I don't know if it would be suicidal because Obamacare is the #1 issue but I miss the part where giving Obama a huge victory on amnesty helps the GOP at all.
I dont see the GOP getting any credit for it, and someday in future the new voters would all be Dems anyway.
McCain and Grahamnesty and fatso Ana Navarro never tell us exactly what positions GOP must take to get Hispanics to vote GOP, they just say that the GOP needs immigration reform.
The GOP desire (with some like Ryan) for passing amnesty ASAP relates to 2016 election.
They don’t want it an issue in the 2016 GOP POTUS primary. They don’t GOP candidates arguing about it in those debates.
They figure if its passed now the GOP wont talk about it, just like you dont see many in GOP talking about gay marriage anymore.
They are scared that the 2016 Dem candidate will turn out Hispanic votes again as with 2012.
Merry Christmas, sickoflibs. My Merry Christmas goes out to you and yours.
Thanks and you too, I enjoyed our back and forth.
Thank You for saying so but I assure you the Pleasure Was Mine.
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