The Hill
By Russell Berman
May 14, 2014
Conservative
supporters of immigration reform are joining President Obama in
prodding House Republicans to bring legislation to the floor before
Congress breaks for its
August recess.
Grover
Norquist, the anti-tax activist who is in favor of an immigration
overhaul, convened allies on a conference call Wednesday to keep up the
drumbeat for reform in
the face of continued resistance from conservatives in the House.
The
call featured Sal Russo, a co-founder of Tea Party Express, voicing
support for an immigration overhaul that offered legal status to
immigrants in the country illegally.
“Conservatives
should be leaders in the immigration reform movement,” Russo said.
“There are too many bad ideas on immigration reform that too many
conservatives have
become satisfied with just saying no. But I think we can do better than
that by advancing our own conservative ideas for immigration reform.”
Obama
and Senate Democrats have sought to increase pressure on Republican
leaders to act in recent days, with the president saying on Tuesday that
the House needed to
pass legislation in the next “two or three months” for a law to be
signed this year.
Steve
Case, a former AOL chairman, seconded that timetable on Wednesday,
saying on the conference call that it was “critical” for the House to
act by August and that if
it did not, immigration reform could be dead for the next few years.
Speaker
John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said he is trying to get his conference to
support a step-by-step approach to immigration reform, but he has warned
repeatedly that nothing
will happen until Obama acts to rebuild trust with House Republicans.
On the conference call, there were few answers on how Obama could overcome that hurdle by the summer.
“It’s a tough question,” Norquist said.
The
activists on the call said that despite Boehner’s proclamation, their
conversations with top Republicans led them to believe there remained a
window of opportunity
over the summer, once GOP lawmakers had finished their primary
elections. House legislation would likely include a path to legal
status, but not a direct path to citizenship for most illegal
immigrants, unlike the comprehensive legislation the Senate passed
last year.
“I
believe that’s in the works,” said Al Cardenas, president of the
American Conservative Union. “I believe the Speaker and the leadership
are committed to this.”
Seeking
to overcome conventional wisdom that the Tea Party opposes immigration
reform, the activists pointed to a survey of 400 Republican primary
voters that their organizations
commissioned in May. The poll found that more than two-thirds of
respondents who strongly identified with the Tea Party supported
congressional action on immigration reform this year, as well as a way
for illegal immigrants to gain legal status or citizenship.
Rep.
Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), a leading House GOP advocate for immigration
reform, issued a statement cheering Russo’s support for the issue.
“The
American people, and conservatives in particular, are fed up with
Washington’s inaction,” Diaz-Balart said. “I’m pleased with Mr. Russo’s
support on this issue, and
today’s announcement is one more demonstration that we must strengthen
our borders, respect the rule of law, modernize our antiquated visa
system, and bolster the economy.”
Earlier
in the day, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) excoriated House Republicans
on the Senate floor for failing to act over the last year, saying they
were beholden to
conservatives like Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who has argued that
virtually any immigration plan would amount to “amnesty” for illegal
immigrants.
"It
is time for the House Republican leadership to decide whether they
stand with the majority of the American people, and supposedly the
majority of their conference,
or if they're really going to let Steve King dictate the policy of the
Republican Party on immigration," said Schumer, an architect of the
Senate immigration bill.
"This is what Steve King wants. He wants the House to do nothing. He is winning, and America is losing," Schumer added.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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