Tale of Two Tussling Houses: Immigration Reform Tabled as Republican-Controlled House of Reps Fued with White House
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently publicized that Republicans were not likely to touch immigration reform this year, despite bipartisan promises made and mounting outrage from Immigration Reform protesters. The chosen reason for this decision was pinned on apparent "widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws," though troubles in House may be the issue.
In response to Boehner's fear that the Obama administration can't be trusted to implement laws, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) suggested that the Congress pass an immigration bill for 2014 that won't take effect until 2017, following Obama's departure from office. This inspired idea was quickly shot down and stomped by the Republican-controlled House.
The immigration bill sits idle, though it passed the Senate with GOP support -- stalled primarily by Tea-Party Republicans. The decision to park the bill was done solely for the purpose of seizing the White house in the upcoming election, and to harp on about poor congressional relationship between itself and the House of Representatives, though there seems to be trouble in Republican paradise, as House Republicans on both sides of the issue struggle with immigration reform procession.
"I think it's a mistake for us to have an internal battle in the Republican Party this year about immigration reform," Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, told reporters at a gathering of conservatives. "I think when we take back the Senate in 2014 one of the first things we should do next year after we do certain economic issues, I think we should address the immigration issue."
There are 232 Republicans serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and only 19 -- just 8 percent of the total -- are prepared to state on the record that they support the GOP's published principles on immigration reform.
Boehner and House Republicans are promised backlash from Immigration Reform activist groups due to House's decision, but would have likely received backlash from their own party had they decided to pass the comprehensive bill, which would lay foundation to give citizenship or permanent residence to the 11 million+ undocumented population currently dwelling throughout the United States.
While the demand for reform persists, the matter is immobile, stuck between the two houses as the Republicans have opted to reject a comprehensive approach in favor of a bill-by-bill approach. Meanwhile, it seems that no real decisions have been made or are being made about comprehensive immigration reform in the near future.
"I don't see how you get to an outcome this year with the two bodies in such a different place," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell( R-KY) told reporters.
Only 51 percent of Republicans favor a path to citizenship, according to Tech Crunch, which can be seen or/and downloaded from here.
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