Los Angeles Times
By Lisa Mascaro
April 15, 2014
WASHINGTON
-- In a last-ditch effort to bring an immigration overhaul to a vote in
Congress, House Democrats on Tuesday began targeting key GOP lawmakers
in hopes of pressuring
House Speaker John A. Boehner to act.
The
election-year campaign against 30 House Republicans, who have expressed
interest in changing the nation's immigration laws, was framed by
Democrats as one last opportunity
to engage in a legislative debate before President Obama begins taking
executive actions.
The
administration has indicated it plans to halt strict enforcement of
some immigration laws, including deportations that separate families, if
Congress fails to act.
Obama met Tuesday with faith leaders as protesters continued their
second week of vigil in front of the White House.
"The
president's going to be forced to act," said Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Fla.), a
chief sponsor of a bipartisan bill that has sat idle in the House.
Boehner
has tried to nudge the Republican majority to consider immigration
reform, but lawmakers have been cool to the issue. Only three have
signed onto the House bill.
A
sweeping package approved last year in a robust bipartisan vote in the
Senate landed with a thud in the House, where many Republicans from
congressional districts with
few minority residents have little interest in the issue. But GOP
elders believe immigration reform is paramount to expanding the party's
voter base before the 2016 presidential election.
The
inaction has left immigration advocates increasingly frustrated with
Obama, but the administration has urged them to focus instead on
Republicans as the main obstacle
to reform.
The
effort launched Tuesday is a long-shot attempt to force a floor vote
through procedural methods. Under House rules, Boehner would be forced
to allow the vote if a
majority of lawmakers sign a so-called discharge petition. Democrats
are about two dozen signatures short of the 218 needed, and are
targeting those key Republicans to make gains.
Both
sides acknowledge that if the vote was held, the legislation may, in
fact, pass, which could prove thorny for Republicans from conservative
districts where many voters
criticize the reform bill as "amnesty" for immigrants.
The
measure would beef up border security and guest worker programs, while
allowing a route to legal status for those who have immigrated
illegally. It is similar to the
bill that was approved by the Senate.
The
White House is expected to announce some changes in immigration law in
the weeks ahead, and more if Congress fails to act this summer.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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