Obama sets WH immigration reform meeting for June 8
May 20, 2009
Categories: Miscellaneous
Obama sets WH immigration reform meeting for June 8
President Barack Obama is inviting members of Congress to the White House for a June 8 meething to highlight immigration reform, an administration official confirmed to POLITICO Wednesday.
"The meeting will be an opportunity to launch a policy conversation that we hope will be able to start a debate that will take place in Congress later in the year," the official, who asked not to be named, said.
Asked if the session would be billed as a summit or a forum, like similar meetings on health care and fiscal responsibility earlier in the year, another official said, "This isn’t a forum or a summit with outside groups, this is solely a meeting with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the issue."
Another aide said about possible labels for the meeting: "I don't know that we're going to brand this in any particular way."
During a meeting in March with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Obama promised to host a public event on immigration, as POLITICO reported at the time. The New York Times reported last month that officials said the session would take place in May, but POLITICO reported yesterday that the timetable seemed to have slipped. Sources close to the process said it was delayed by various logistical issues, including focus on a possible Supreme Court pick next week.
Immigration reform advocates have been pressing Obama to vow to pass immigration reform this year. He has promised make the issue a priority, but has stopped short of setting a goal of getting a bill through Congress by December.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerst ... ne_8_.html
