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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