Wash Post: GOP Promises To Do Immigration Reform!
According to the Washington Post, the GOP is continuing to reach out to Latino groups by suggesting the House will take up immigration reform this year. This. Year.
If, like me, you’re a little skeptical that (a) the GOP, especially its Tea Party House division, wants to do comprehensive immigration reform and (b) even if it did so want, when would such efforts take place amidst the budgetary squabbles and Obamacare ‘defund’ crusades.
The “this year” claim seems especially problematic. Only three months remain in the calendar year. And 2014, being an election year, could make any comprehensive legislation doubtful.
But be that as it may, you ask, just what sort of immigration reform will the GOP House consider? Will it take up the comprehensive, bi-partisan Senate bill?
Well, basically border control stuff.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said Thursday that his panel is working on four new pieces of legislation dealing with border-control laws. He did not disclose details but emphasized the need to resolve the status of people living in the country illegally.
Oh. Whoop-dee-doo.
And what about those here illegally?
Alfonso Aguilar, the executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles and the moderator of the GOP’s roundtable last week, said he believes that House Republicans are sincere in their pledge to move forward.
“I just hope that if Democrats want to get this done, they wouldn’t kill a bill that provides legal status just because they have to have a ‘special path’ to citizenship,” Aguilar said. “That would show they are playing politics.”
I see. So the GOP “vow” to do immigration reform amounts to a couple of bills to beef up border security. And anything about providing a path to citizenship, special or otherwise, would just be “playing politics”.
But that Washington Post headline on Page 3 sure was a tease.