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BOISE | In his two terms in the House, Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador says hes been pushing big ideas like immigration and sentencing reform and has become the go-to person on immigration issues among House Republicans.

Nothing Labradors sponsored has become law, but a couple of his measures on other issues -- extending grazing leases, easing regulations on geothermal test wells, and authorizing community forest management projects on federal land have passed the House once or even twice. Among the 291 bills hes co-sponsored, the largest number by far were to repeal all or part of the national health care reform law.

Thats been the issue that has been most pressing in Congress, Labrador said.

He noted that his community forest project bill and his grazing bill both passed this year.

If you look at the record, thats pretty good in the House, he said. As you know, not a lot of things are passing. To actually have two bills pass is actually a positive thing.

Labradors Democratic challenger, state Rep. Shirley Ringo of Moscow, doesnt think Labradors record amounts to much. As an immigration lawyer who made immigration reform a top issue when he ran for office.

One would think he could provide all kinds of leadership, but hes been there for four years, she said. I dont believe that he has much to show for it.

Labrador, a tea party favorite who unsuccessfully ran for House majority leader this year, says his progress on immigration has been made behind the scenes in the House GOP.

I have my idea what the fix should be, but that fix has to be sold to people in the conference, he said. And thats really what Ive spent the last four years doing, is sort of selling my expertise and my knowledge on the issue so people come to trust us in our congressional office. Its very difficult as a freshman or a sophomore in Congress to be the go-to guy on a specific issue, so what Ive been trying to do is build up my reputation, and we have become the go-to office on immigration.

Labrador favors stepped-up border security along with a modernized guest-worker program to bring in legal foreign workers.

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Challenger Attacks Labrador's Record