Thread: ASSOCIATED PRESS IGNORES PLANS OF PRO-AMNESTY SUPPORTERS TO CONFERENCE WITH SENATE

ASSOCIATED PRESS IGNORES PLANS OF PRO-AMNESTY SUPPORTERS TO CONFERENCE WITH SENATE




by TONY LEE
2 Oct 2013,

In a report describing the efforts of House Republicans working "beneath the radar" on comprehensive immigration reform, the Associated Press failed to connect the dots. It failed to point out that the ultimate endgame for House Republicans on immigration reform may be a conference with the Senate, where the two chambers would reconcile their differences in their immigration bills.

The Senate, which passed a sweeping comprehensive immigration reform bill that was spearheaded by Senators such as Marco Rubio (R-FL) and John McCain (R-AZ), did not send its bill to the House. And that is why conservatives have always feared that the "piece-by-piece" approach is a way to ultimately get the two chambers to conference on immigration reform.


Yet, the AP story makes no mention of a potential conference with the Senate and the pathway to citizenship provisions that will most likely be inserted into an immigration bill should the two chambers end up in conference on immigration reform. McCain said a pathway to citizenship had to be a "fundamental principle" of any immigration reform bill that passes Congress, and proponents of immigration reform have said the Senate's provisions would most likely win out should the two chambers conference.

The Associated Press reported that, although immigration overhaul legislation has been dormant in the House for months, "a few Republicans are working behind the scenes to advance it at a time the Capitol is immersed in a partisan brawl over government spending and President Barack Obama's health care law."

The AP details discussions between Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) to grant legal status to all of the country's illegal immigrants and at least give citizenship to the children of various illegal immigrants. Reps. Raul Labrador (R-ID) and Ted Poe (R-TX) are also reportedly working on a "a plan to create a visa program allowing more lower-skilled workers into the country," even though, as the Black American Leadership Alliance has repeatedly emphasized, those workers would take jobs away from working class Americans, especially blacks and Hispanics, at the lower end of the economic ladder.

Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee, told the AP that he was hoping for floor action by late October on various immigration bills that have passed House committees.
"I would think that would be the next agenda item in the queue after we're done with this mess," McCaul said.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) supports immigration reform efforts, which President Barack Obama said was his "number-one priority."
And though the AP mentions that a bill that would grant an explicit pathway to citizenship for the country's illegal immigrants does not exist in the House, it fails to note that the various pieces of legislation that are making the rounds in the House may eventually allow the House to conference with the Senate.

For these reasons, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said on Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125 that conservatives needed to be "ever vigilant" about potential shenanigans on immigration reform on the House floor. And since a report recently found that at least 104 Republicans may support some type of pathway to citizenship, there may be enough Democrats and Republicans in the House that would ultimately vote for a bill that would come out of conference with such a provision.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journal...ce-with-Senate

HOUSE GOP PRESS FORWARD ON IMMIGRATION AMID BUDGET FIGHT




by TONY LEE 1 Oct 2013

In the midst of the government shutdown debate, House Republicans are "quietly" working to advance immigration reform "beneath the radar."

"Don't start an obituary forimmigration reform just yet," Fox News Latino declared on Monday.

"Despite the appearance that would suggest everyone in Washington is focused on one thing, work is going on on other issues beneath the radar," said Tamar Jacoby, head of ImmigrationWorks USA, which is described as "a coalition of small businesses that supports comprehensive immigration legislation."

According to Fox News Latino, "while the spotlight on Congress is on the partisan brawl over government spending and President Barack Obama's health care law, some Republicans in the House are quietly working to bring some momentum to work on fixing the immigration system."

Outside groups like Jacoby's and lawmakers have all insisted in recent days that "three months after the Democratic-led Senate passed a sweeping immigration bill, the issue is showing signs of life in the Republican-run House."

On Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot channel 125, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said conservatives must be "ever vigilant" about the House's efforts to move amnesty provisions and comprehensive immigration reform forward, especially on days where there is nothing yet planned on the legislative calendar.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has been working with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) "on a bill offering citizenship to immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children" that could potentially legalize seven million illegal immigrants. According to Fox News Latino, Reps. Raul Labrador (R-ID) and Ted Poe (R-TX) "are working on a plan to create a visa program allowing more lower-skilled workers into the country." House Speaker John Boehner also supports moving comprehensive immigration reform forward.

Though the House may not be able to pass a bill that gives illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, they can pass a series of piecemeal bills and go to conference with the Senate to combine the various bills into one. If that occurs, provisions in the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill, which included a pathway to citizenship for all of the country's illegal immigrants, would likely win out, as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has indicated.

Last week, Cantor held meetings on immigration reform and House Republican leaders recently met with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who poured millions into his political action group, FWD.us, to get comprehensive immigration reform passed.

To put more pressure on the House, proponents of comprehensive immigration reform will rally and protest nationwide on October 5 to "keep up the pressure" on the House. President Barack Obama even recently declared that comprehensive immigration reform was his "number-one priority."

"Comprehensive immigration reform is within our reach," Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), one of the fiercest advocates of comprehensive immigration reform in the House, reportedly said at a news conference. "We have the ugly, bitter, partisan fight, and in the middle we must continue to see the light to get this done."

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...gration-Reform