The Rachel Maddow Show
Rachel Maddow reports on how House Majority Leader Eric Cantor abandoned his position on immigration reform once he started feeling pressure from a primary opponent on his right.
By: Breaking News
Four Senate Democratic leaders told reporters on Thursday they want House Speaker John Boehner,...
Democrats have a new message for House Republicans who have been reluctant to take up a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year: Pass a bill in six weeks, or watch the White House take action on its own.
Four Senate Democratic leaders told reporters on Thursday they want House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to bring legislation to the floor before the August break, or else President Obama would begin taking executive action on immigration issues.
Here is the bottom line, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. They have about a six-week window, from June 10 after the last Republican primary till the August recess. If they don't pass immigration reform then, the president will have no choice but to act on his own.
Democrats said they would not accept piecemeal legislation, either, despite Boehners promise to take up immigration reform in increments.
We are not going to go along with minor fixes that fail to address the huge systematic problems of our immigration system today, Schumer said.
Boehner has refused to take up immigration legislation, citing a lack of trust in Obama, who has used his executive authority to circumvent Congress and in particular Republicans who oppose his ideas.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he'd cut a deal with Boehner so that immigration reform legislation would not be enacted until a new president took office in 2017.
Delaying implementation of immigration reform is not my preference, but I feel so strongly this bill needs to get done, I am willing to show flexibility, Reid said.
Obama has already signaled he intends to take executive action on immigration issues. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is currently re-evaluating the department's deportation policies, in part because of pressure from Latinos over the separation of families.
Read more here:
Democrats threaten John Boehner on immigration reform
Rahm Emanuel Immigration Reform Will Get Done
By: Shauna Goold
See original here:
Rahm Emanuel Immigration Reform Will Get Done - Video
Indianapolis 500 Ad: Pass Immigration Reform Now
"America is a nation of laws. But it is also a nation of immigrants." Bibles, Badges and Business will run an ad this weekend near the entrances to the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway. Sheriff...
By: bbbimmigration
See the rest here:
Indianapolis 500 Ad: Pass Immigration Reform Now - Video
U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) (L-R) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) hold a news conference after a Republican Party caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington May 20, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3Q1PA
The immigration fight has moved inside the House of Representatives since the Senates comprehensive reform bill passed last summer, and its beginning to intensify in the dichotomy between the supporters of its two chief leaders, Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Eric Cantor is the number one guy standing between the American people and immigration reform, pro-reform Americas Voice Executive Director Frank Sharry said on a conference call with Democratic activists earlier this week, according to the Associated Press.
Reformers allege that future speakership ambitions and a tea party primary challenge on June 10 have pushed the Virginia Republican to stiffen, drag it out or not address immigration at all to appease tea party House members and voters. Those same factors have reportedly driven a wedge between the already divided top two tiers of the lower chambers leadership.
Boehner criticized his House Republican colleagues last month for avoiding immigration, alleging they viewed the issue as too hard.
We get elected to make choices. We get elected to solve problems and its remarkable to me how many of my colleagues just dont want to, Boehner said. Theyll take the path of least resistance.
Cantor spokesmanDoug Heye challenged the assertions against Cantor, citing the majority leaders announcement with Republican House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte last summer to propose legislation granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as children illegally.
Heye also pointed to Cantors commitment last year to help California Republican Rep. Jeff Denham bring a bill to the floor offering similar citizenship to undocumented children brought in illegally in exchange for military service.
The bill with Goodlatte has yet to materialize and Cantors office announced last week that Denhams proposal, dubbed the ENLIST Act, would not come to the floor for a vote this year as part of 2015s defense authorization bill, for which Cantor scheduled a Thursday vote. According to Heye, both of those conversations are still ongoing.
On the issue of kids, he thinks thats a great place to start and wants to continue to work on that. He supports the principle behind the ENLIST Act, Heye said. These are things that he believes because theyre the right things for him to do. Its not a political calculation. Eric Cantors position on immigration remains consistent.
Original post:
Tension rises in GOP leadership over immigration