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Immigration reform still faces hurdles

WASHINGTON, D.C.
January 4, 2007 12:15pm



U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes

• Central Valley congressman says don’t expect swift action

• Democratic majority does not assure passage


Despite the House of Representatives now being controlled by a solid majority of Democrats for the first time since 1994, a Central Valley congressman says immigration reform is hardly a done deal.

“Of all the issues that we could get done this year … immigration is one that I think we have an opportunity to get done. It just depends on what can the Democrats put together that will conjure up enough Republican votes,” says U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare.


He says some of the newly-elected Democrats ran on tough immigration platforms.


“At this point I don’t know there is a package that would get a majority of the Congress, that would get 218 votes,” Mr. Nunes says.


Echoing the congressman’s doubts are those outside the Capitol Building pushing for changes in the nation’s immigration laws.


"I still put the odds of [immigration reform] success at just a little better than 50-50. Some of the barriers have been cleared, but new barriers are going to come up," says John Gay, co-chairman of the business-backed Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, in an interview published in Thursday’s editions of Newsday, a New York newspaper.