NBC News
By Suzanne Gamboa
September 28, 2015
A
group of religious leaders who are proponents of immigration reform say
it would take a miracle to get the House to vote on an immigration bill
and are praying House
Speaker John Boehner was inspired enough by Pope Francis to make it
happen.
Sure
it's a long shot, but Boehner's leaving anyway, so what is there to
lose, say those offering up prayer for the fall miracle.
"I
think Boehner, in his heart, wants immigration reform to get done. This
may be a moment to be able to move this and put it on the legislative
agenda"" said the Rev.
Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical
Coalition. "That would be nothing short of miraculous."
But
the prayers are likely in vain. Beyond the obstacles of the legislative
process required to get a vote on a bill, Boehner's office quickly
squelched the idea of miracle
making.
"As
the Speaker has said repeatedly, the president's illegal executive
action poisoned the well on reform, and we don't expect anything to
change that fact over the next
month," said Emily Schillinger, a Boehner spokeswoman. The executive
action refers to President Barack Obama's authorization of programs that
would defer deportations for some 5 million immigrants and provide them
work permits. The programs are stymied in
court.
Boehner,
R-Ohio, made a surprise announcement Friday that he plans to retire at
the end of next month. His news came the day after Pope Francis met with
Boehner and made
a plea on behalf of immigrants in a speech to Congress.
In
his speech, the pope implored Congress and others to view immigrants as
persons, see their faces and listen to their stories and to treat them
with humanity. He invoked
the Golden Rule.
"We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome," he said.
Boehner,
a Catholic, was seen teary-eyed during the pope's public appearances
and later acknowledged the emotional impact the pontiff's visit had on
him.
The
evangelical coalition has 3,000 churches. Calls went out to pastors of
the churches to pray for the immigration miracle and to call on their
local congregations to
do the same. The coalition also is sending out newsletters and making
the plea on radio shows, Salguero said.
Others
also are urging Boehner to depart with an immigration reform bang. Rep.
Linda Sanchez, Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairwoman also asked for
the immigration miracle
Friday.
Boehner
had previously wanted to take up immigration reform but decided against
it after getting pushback from conservatives in the House who had made
attempts to replace
him as speaker.
But
immigration proponents say now that he is freed of the potential
political repercussions, he could call immigration legislation to a
vote.
"He
can allow a vote on comprehensive immigration reform to go forward and
leave the House knowing he had reopened a vital national dialogue with
one of his final acts
as speaker," Hector Sanchez, chair of the National Hispanic Leadership
Agenda said.
Freeing
himself politically to act against conservatives' wishes is what
Boehner has done for himself by planning to step down. Disputes over
ending federal funding of
Planned Parenthood through legislation needed to keep all of government
funded was steering the country to another government shutdown.
By
announcing his departure from Congress, Boehner is able to get a
short-term government funding bill passed without including language to
strip Planned Parenthood of
its money and avoid the shutdown. The short-term spending bill can pass
with Democrats' help.
"You
know the Bible says 'Beware of false prophets,' Boehner said on CBS'
"Face the Nation" over the weekend. "There are people out there, you
know, spreading noise about
how much can get done. I mean this whole notion that we are going to
shut down the government in 2013 - this plan never had a chance."
But what if the prayer isn't answered and the miracle doesn't happen?
"God
does what God wants … If not, we'll pray that the next speaker (bring
immigration reform to a vote) … We're going to keep our request and the
pressure on," Salguero
said.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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