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Eli Kantor is a labor, employment and immigration law attorney. He has been practicing labor, employment and immigration law for more than 36 years. He has been featured in articles about labor, employment and immigration law in the L.A. Times, Business Week.com and Daily Variety. He is a regular columnist for the Daily Journal. Telephone (310)274-8216; eli@elikantorlaw.com. For more information, visit beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com and and beverlyhillsemploymentlaw.com

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Obama, Boehner Discuss Immigration, Trade and Budget

Wall Street Journal
By Carol E. Lee and Jared A. Favole
February 25, 2014

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) covered a wide range of domestic and foreign policy issues Tuesday in their first one-on-one meeting in more than a year.

The Oval Office meeting, which lasted about an hour according to aides to both men, comes as the president and Republican leaders in Congress have lowered expectations for significant legislative action ahead of the November elections. Mr. Boehner has backed away from immigration reform under pressure from lawmakers in his own party, while Mr. Obama has tamped down his push for new trade pacts that many Democrats oppose.

The White House and Mr. Boehner's office said the two discussed those issues during their meeting, as well as manufacturing, budget issues, a highway bill, Mr. Obama's health-care law and natural-disaster concerns including flood insurance, California drought relief and wildfire suppression.

"They agreed that there is a lot work to do the rest of the year, and it is important to work together wherever we can find common ground," an aide to Mr. Boehner said.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the meeting was "constructive," adding that Mr. Obama is "looking for a partner in Congress to advance" his agenda.

Neither Mr. Boehner nor Mr. Obama addressed reporters before or after the meeting.

The two have been at odds on various issues, most recently Mr. Obama's decision not to include in his 2015 budget a measure that would slow the growth of Social Security costs. Mr. Boehner's office accused the president of giving up on tackling the deficit.

Mr. Obama's aides responded to the criticism by pointing to Mr. Boehner's retreat on immigration and public comments saying he won't negotiate with the White House on fiscal issues.

Mr. Boehner and other Republicans have criticized Mr. Obama for not pushing hard enough to persuade Democrats to support trade efforts.


The president called, in his State of the Union address, for trade negotiating powers known as fast track. The next day, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said he opposed granting the president the authority—highlighting a split among Democrats.

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