While Republican House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) visited San Antonio today to speak before a roomful of business and professional groups at a chamber of commerce-hosted luncheon, dozens of local community members rallied outside the Marriott Rivercenter calling on Boehner to get comprehensive immigration reform on track.
Speaker John Boehner talks immigration reform in San Antonio. Photo by Jonathan Alonzo via KGBTX.
Inside, Boehner answered questions from Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith (and from the audience) about the newly formed special committee to investigate the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, as well as veterans affairs, the Affordable Care Act and, as anticipated, immigration.
Last month, Boehner saw backlash for chiding his Republican colleagues for their unwillingness to work toward a solution for immigration reform. Mocking their reluctance, he said, Ohh dont make me do this, ohh this is too hard. Feeling the heat from colleagues, Boehner soon backpedaled, steering the blame toward President Obamas leadership. The biggest impediment we have in moving immigration reform forward is that the American people dont trust the president to enforce or implement the law, he said. Boehner reiterated his position at todays event.
I put the ball back in the presidents court, said Bohener. He is going to have to do something to demonstrate some level of trustworthiness. (And regarding the imitation of his stubborn colleagues, Boehner said during the luncheon, I can get a little carried away with my teasing.)
While the Senate passed a bi-partisan immigration reform bill last June, that includes border security and a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented U.S. immigrants, it has yet to reach the floor of Congress for a voteimmigration reform advocates and Democrats are pressuring the speaker to see it through. However, Boehner expressed support for legislation broken up into five to six chunks (with border security as the first legislative portion) rather than a comprehensive package an approach the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce opposes, as Smith pointed out. In order for immigration reform to be effective, a comprehensive plan must be addressed as a whole, because the system and its deficiencies are so interconnected, the Chamber wrote in a January 2014 white paper report.
Boehner also shot down criticisms that his seeming failure to get immigration reform rolling on the Congressional side is a purely political move, as hes up for reelection this November (although, he wouldnt verbally commit to serving out a full term if reelected). Meanwhile, murmurs of a conservative-led ousting of Boehner have begun, lending critics reason to challenge Boehner as acting extra cautious with controversial issues.
This is not about politics, this is not about elections, its about doing the right thing for the American people, its about doing the right thing for this country, said Boehner.
Immigration reform activists protest outside an event featuring Speaker John Boehner. Photo via Bexar County Young Tejano Democrats.
Outside the hotel, a coalition of immigration reform advocates gathered to protest the slow progress made at the federal level and to call on Boehner to bring the immigration bill to a vote. The Bexar County Young Tejano Democrats, the Brown Berets of San Antonio, Texas Young Democrats, local LULAC members, the Texas Organizing Project and the San Antonio Immigrant Youth Movement chanted and held up signs at the corner of E. Commerce and Bowie Street during the event.
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House Speaker John Boehners San Antonio Visit Draws Immigration Protest