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Sen. Chuck Schumer said Thursday he supports a new idea to get the Senates immigration reform bill through the House using a discharge petition, saying immigration is the No. 1 way to get the country on track.

In a statement to POLITICOs Mike Allen, Schumer said he supports an idea mentioned in E.J. Dionnes column in The Washington Post to have a majority of members of the House force House Speaker John Boehner to allow a vote on the Senate-passed bill.

The idea thats begun circulating, to do a discharge petition on immigration reform in the House, is a good one and I would urge House Democrats to take it up, Schumer said in the statement. Its clear a majority of the House supports immigration reform. A minority faction has scared Republicans out of acting even though large parts of the Republican base, including business and religious groups, support the bill, making a discharge petition an appropriate remedy.

(Also on POLITICO: Schumer floats 2017 immigration plan)

Dionne argued in his column that Tuesdays House vote passing a clean debt ceiling hike with nearly every Democrat and a handful of Republicans should provide a model for moving immigration reform.

Schumer has also floated a proposal to have an immigration bill pass that doesnt go into effect until 2017, under the next president, mitigating Republicans concern that President Barack Obama could selectively enforce whatever they pass.

He said Thursday that the important thing is passing reform.

(Also on POLITICO: Immigration groups turn to anger)

I believe immigration reform is the No. 1 thing we could do to straighten the country out and get our country moving again, Schumer said on MSNBCs Morning Joe on Thursday. The CBO said that, actually, immigration reform would increase GDP by 3.5 percent, more than any Democratic spending program or any Republican cut program. So I feel a keen urgency to get this done.

Schumer said his proposal shows Democrats are not pushing immigration reform for political reasons.

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Schumer backs Dionne on immigration

Abstract

The House Republican leadership recently released its Standards for Immigration Reform, which amount to little more than a repackaging of the flawed and harmful Senate bill. The principles of the House leadership match up almost exactly with the framework laid out by the Senates Gang of Eight for the Senate bill. Both chambers promise new enforcement, border security, and visa reforms in exchange for amnestya costly, unfair, and unworkable policy that didnt work in 1986 and wont work now. Congress should reject dangerous policies that do not fix the problems of the U.S. immigration system but only make it worse. Rather than repeat the mistake of 1986, the House leadership should focus on how it can encourage President Obama to enforce existing law.

The House Republican leadership recently released its Standards for Immigration Reform.[1]Regrettably, these standards amount to little more than a repackaging of the flawed and harmful Senate bill. The principles of the House leadership match up almost exactly with the framework laid out by the Senates Gang of Eight for the Senate bill.[2 ]

The House. It is the fundamental duty of any government to secure its borders, and the United States is failing in this mission. We must secure our borders now and verify that they are secure. In addition, we must ensure now that when immigration reform is enacted, there will be a zero tolerance policy for those who cross the border illegally.[3]

The Senate. To fulfill the basic governmental function of securing our borders, we will continue the increased efforts of the Border Patrol by providing them with the latest technology, infrastructure, and personnel needed to prevent, detect, and apprehend every unauthorized entrant.[4]

Analysis. There is next to no difference between the Senate bill and the House principles. It is well known that the Senate bill directs billions of dollars to border security and uses flawed metrics that do not effectively measure how many immigrants are still illegally entering the U.S. every year.[5] The Houses Border Security Results Act sets up similarly misguided metrics and requires at least 10 additional reports for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to give to Congress, half of which are recurring.[6] While the proper metrics can be important, ultimately what is needed are actual results, which neither the House principles nor the Senate bill can ensure.

The House. There will be a zero tolerance policy for those who cross the border illegally or overstay their visas in the future. Faced with a consistent pattern of administrations of both parties only selectively enforcing our nations immigration laws, we must enact reform that ensures that a President cannot unilaterally stop immigration enforcement.[7]

The Senate. We will demonstrate our commitment to securing our borders and combating visa overstays by requiring our proposed enforcement measures be complete before any immigrant on probationary status can earn a green card.[8]

Analysis. While the two are very similar, here the Senate bill actually makes enforcement more difficult by providing the executive branch with additional discretion and waivers.[9] What the House principles and the Senate bill have in common on this point is that neither the House nor the Senate has a way of ensuring that the President will actually enforce the law. The House may claim that it does, but, if the President already disregards current laws, how can the House really ensure that President Obamaor a future Presidentwill respect a new immigration law?[10] Ultimately, both the Senate and House promise more enforcement, but neither can actually deliver it.

The House. A fully functioning Entry-Exit system has been mandated by eight separate statutes over the last 17 years. At least three of these laws call for this system to be biometric, using technology to verify identity and prevent fraud. We must implement this system so we can identify and track down visitors who abuse our laws.[11]

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House Standards for Immigration Reform Nearly Identical to Flawed Senate Bill

Waiting for a Green Card: Immigration Reform
The legal immigrants, patiently waiting for jobs. Is reform coming? WNWO #39;s Jim Blue takes a look at immigration reform in America, Thursday at 6pm on WNWO Ne...

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Waiting for a Green Card: Immigration Reform - Video

A tale of two districts
Reps. Jeff Denham and Tom McClintock, both Republicans of California, discuss their opposing views on immigration reform. Reps. Jeff Denham and Tom McClintoc...

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A tale of two districts - Video

The American Farm Bureau Federation study says said that fruit and vegetable growers would be among the hardest-hit in changes to agricultural labor reform focusing solely on immigration enforcement.(Photo: John Moore, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON The country's largest farm group said Monday that changes to agricultural labor reform focusing solely on immigration enforcement would raise food prices by 6% and reduce the country's food and fiber production by as much as a $60 billion annually.

In a 45-page study released by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the agriculture group said that fruit and vegetable growers and livestock owners would be hit the hardest.

According to the report, under an enforcement-only scenario fruit production would plummet in the United States by 30% to 61%, vegetable output by 15% to 31%. The impact to fruits and vegetable crops would be the most severe because they must be picked by hand, meaning a sudden loss in workers would increase the chance that some of the produce would go unpicked and rot in the field. Livestock also would be hit with production falling by 13% to 27%,the farm group said.

The report found that consumers and the agricultural sector would benefit from a comprehensive approach that includes an overhauled guest-worker program, the chance for skilled workers to earn an adjustment of status over time and immigration enforcement. A mixed approach would have little to no effect on the price consumers pay for food, and farm income would be cut by less than 1%.

The report was conducted for the Farm Bureau by World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services.

"Status quo is not a viable option for anyone involved in this issue, and as a nation, we expect better," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau.

"Over five years, an enforcement-only approach would lead to losses in farm income large enough to trigger large scale restructuring of the sector, higher food prices, and greater dependence on imported products," Stallman said. "With a reworked guest worker program, and by allowing skilled laborers to earn an adjustment of status, food prices remain stable and there are only marginal impacts on production."

The chance of immigration reform grew even more uncertain after House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, last week cast doubts that a bill can pass this year, saying House Republicans weren't moving a bill because of "widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws." Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who sponsored the comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year, has proposed letting the law be enforced in 2017, after President Obama leaves the White House.

STORY: Boehner: Distrust of Obama drags down immigration bill

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Farm group pushes for broad immigration reform