On Immigration and Voting Rights, Pelosi Speaks Softly, Carries a Big Stick
Then, if they both fail, hang that around the neck of Boehner and the GOP.
Whether there’s an immigration reform bill or not depends to a large degree on how House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) chooses to run the House. But if there is going to be an immigration reform bill, it won’t be Boehner’s show alone.
As Boehner effectively acknowledged Thursday, passing legislation that could conceivably become consensus comprehensive immigration reform will require both Democratic and Republican votes. And that means Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will have tremendous sway over what the House produces.
But for now Pelosi’s being cautious with that power. Though she’s urged Republicans to pass a single, bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, and to move with deliberate haste, she’s stopped short of nixing the process the GOP has chosen to move immigration legislation and is even tolerant of the rhetorical games Republicans are playing as they try to cobble together a majority for provisions dealing with the 11 million immigrants currently in the country illegally.
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