Days after House Republicans unveiled a roadmap for an overhaul of the nation’s broken immigration system, one of its backers said legislation is unlikely to pass during this election year.
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said distrust of President Barack Obama runs so deep in the Republican caucus that he’s skeptical the GOP-led House would pass any immigration measure. He said a plan that puts security first could only pass if lawmakers believe the administration would enforce it — an unlikely prospect given Republicans’ deep opposition to Obama.
“This isn’t a trust-but-verify, this is a verify-then-trust approach,” Ryan said.
Last week, House Republicans announced their broad concerns for any immigration overhaul but emphasized they would tackle the challenge on a bill-by-bill pace.
Republicans have preemptively been trying to blame the White House for immigration legislation’s failure, even before a House bill comes together. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said “there’s a lot of distrust of this administration in implanting the law.” And Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., last week warned that distrust of Obama would trump the desire to find a solution for the estimated 11 million people living in the United States illegally.
“We just don’t think government will enforce the law anyway,” Rubio said, recounting conversations he’s had with fellow Republicans.
House Republicans are pushing a piecemeal approach to immigration that puts a priority on security before considering a pathway for those here illegally to earn citizenship. That strategy runs counter to a comprehensive bill, passed through the Senate seven months ago with bipartisan support, that includes a long and difficult pathway to citizenship.
The White House, meanwhile returned to its position that any legislation must include a way for those here illegally to earn citizenship and that the system cannot divide Americans into two classes — citizens and noncitizens.
“We ought to see a pathway to citizenship for people,” White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said Sunday. “We don’t want to have a permanent separation of classes or two permanent different classes of Americans in this country.”
Last week, Obama suggested that he’s open to a legal status for immigration that falls short of citizenship, hinting he could find common ground with House Republicans.
“I’m going to do everything I can in the coming months to see if we can get this over the finish line,” Obama said Friday.
Obama’s flexibility was a clear indication of the president’s desire to secure an elusive legislative achievement before voters decide whether to hand him even more opposition in Congress. Republicans are expected to maintain their grip on the House and have a legitimate shot at grabbing the majority in the Senate.
McDonough said the White House remains optimistic that legislation that includes citizenship could reach the president’s desk: “We feel pretty good that we’ll get a bill done this year.”
Not so, countered Ryan, the GOP’s vice presidential nominee in 2012.
“Here’s the issue that all Republicans agree on: We don’t trust the president to enforce the law,” he added.
Ryan spoke to ABC’s “This Week.” Cantor was interviewed on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” McDonough appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS.
(AP)
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7 Responses
This is partisan nonsense. The Obama administration has been deporting illegal immigrants at a rate never before seen in US history. And it has been aggressively prosecuting in the rare cases where being in the US illegally is actually a crime. I served on a federal grand jury a few years ago. What was the major focus for prosecutors? You might have thought drug dealers, stock swindlers or corrupt politicians, right? Wrong! 80% of our indictments were for illegal entry into the US!!!
Ha! Oh yeah I don’t trust Obama but I dint trust the establishment “republicans” either.
Charlie has spoken and as usual all you heard was socialist nonsense.
Ryan’s comments sound like excuses for another failure to legislation that has not failed yet, but will, because that is what Republicans – in name only or not – intend.
Republican mistrust of the president is a natural outgrowth of their belief that he is a Muslim foreign-born communist America-hater. They are wrong about that, and wrong not to trust him. This “mistrust” is just cover for a problem they do not want to address in a sensible way. The Republican base does not want immigration reform, and Republican party professionals do not want to kill the possibility of getting Hispanic support in the future.
Charlie, so the jury you were on focused on illegal entry. how many other juries were there and what was their focus?
notto mention that was “a few years ago” how do you know that it still the case today?
YOU DO NOT
“as usual all you heard was socialist nonsense”
Since he can’t argue on my facts, he resorts to *ad hominem* attacks.
“how many other juries were there and what was their focus?”
We were the only regular grand jury in session at the time.
“notto mention that was “a few years ago” how do you know that it still the case today?
YOU DO NOT”
Also wrong. Illegal entry prosecutions reached an all time high in FY 2013, at 97,384.
You know, it doesn’t take very long to find these things out. I got that number from an internet search that took just seconds. Are the Obamahaters so afraid that their Narrative might be false that they are afraid to look up the facts for themselves?
“The Republican base does not want immigration reform”
Actually the Republican base — wealthy suburbanites and corporate CEOs — very much want more immigrants. They are preparing to throw the nativist bigots — some of whom comment here — under the bus. And that is a good thing.
I don’t understand why these stubborn republicans don’t trust or want to strike a deal “the most transparent administration in history?”