House Speaker Discusses Immigration
Lea la versión en español aquí
House Speaker Discusses Immigration
Will White House Torpedo Reform?
(Washington, D.C.) – House Speaker John Boehner spoke yesterday before the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in San Antonio, Texas. Boehner said he supported enacting immigration reform through a series of bills that would improve enforcement, address the question of citizenship for those here without legal status, and make other changes. Boehner spoke of the challenge of passing significant legislation at a time when the president has made dozens of unilateral changes to measures such as the health care law. Continuously bypassing congressional authority has made it difficult to build trust between Congress and the White House.
For example, some of the president's allies in Congress have argued that it will be harder to build support for legislative action if the White House announces any intended changes before engaging Congress and giving them the opportunity to act. White House staff however, reportedly intend to proceed with more changes in the next month – without regard for the legislative process. Such a move could make it impossible to build support for consensus reform measures.
Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:
"People of good will from both parties recognize the need to reach across the aisle and work together to reform our broken immigration system. It's time to improve enforcement, address the millions here without legal status, provide certainty for young people brought here through no fault of their own, and reform legal immigration so it is employment-based and market-driven.
That cannot happen unless both parties put aside politics and focus on consensus measures that can be enacted this year. A clear majority of the American people favor action – to fix a broken system and encourage economic growth. Let's not waste that opportunity on narrow political fights."
Through the ESTAMOS CONTIGO (We are With You) campaign for immigration reform, The LIBRE Initiative is providing an avenue for constituents to reach out to their Senators and Representative in Congress to work together to pass immigration reform legislation that is employment-based and market-driven. Read more about LIBRE's Statement of Principles on Immigration Reform.
For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173.
###