Immigration Is Low on House To-Do List
WSJ
July 5, 2013
By Kristina Peterson
Immigration Is Low on House To-Do List
In the month of July, House Republicans can look forward to tackling legislation dealing with energy, education and government oversight, according to a memo sent Friday by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.). Oh, and maybe immigration.
Before lawmakers left for the Fourth of July recess, the Senate passed a sweeping, bipartisan bill that would mark the biggest overhaul of immigration laws since the 1980s. But enthusiasm in the House for an immigration rewrite is far dimmer, with Friday’s memo providing fresh evidence. Immigration doesn’t warrant its own section of the three-page memo from Mr. Cantor mapping out the House’s legislative agenda this month. Instead, it’s covered under “a few additional items” at the end.
“The House may begin consideration of the border security measures that have been passed by the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees and begin reviewing other immigration proposals,” Mr. Cantor wrote, noting that Republicans will meet on Wednesday to discuss the topic.
Mr. Cantor also tucked in to the memo’s conclusion that the House may revisit the farm bill, after earlier legislation unexpectedly failed in late June. Lawmakers “should be prepared to act on a revised farm bill,” Mr. Cantor wrote. The memo didn’t include details of what a tweaked farm bill could look like, but Mr. Cantor had been consideringsplitting funding for food stamps from core farm programs that need reauthorizing, a senior Republican aide said before the recess.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/0...s-immigration/