Sen. Schumer: Steve King ‘winning’ on immigration

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), an architect of the Senate immigration bill, blasted the House GOP on Wednesday for inaction on the issue.

Schumer repeatedly invoked the name of Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an outspoken opponent of an immigration overhaul, during a speech on the Senate floor.

{mosads}”It is time for the House Republican leadership to decide whether they stand with the majority of the American people, and supposedly the majority of their conference, or if they’re really going to let Steve King dictate the policy of the Republican party on immigration,” Schumer said.

“This is what Steve King wants. He wants the House to do nothing. He is winning, and America is losing,” Schumer added.

Schumer noted that it has been nearly a year since the Senate passed its bipartisan immigration reform legislation in June 2013.

“The problem is not that there’s a difference between a House bill and a Senate bill,” Schumer said. “The problem is that House Republicans have completely abdicated their responsibility to fix our broken immigration system.”

Schumer suggested that Congress pass an immigration reform bill that would not be implemented until 2017, after President Obama has left office. That way, Schumer argued, Republicans wouldn’t have to be concerned whether Obama would be trusted to enforce the law.

“Republicans keep trying to place blame on the president, saying that he can’t be entrusted to enforce any laws,” Schumer said. “We believe that’s a phony excuse. But if that’s really their problem, let’s pass a bill now and delay implementation to 2017.”

“Let’s call their bluff,” Schumer said.

Schumer similarly pinned blame on King in a Senate floor speech earlier this month to criticize House GOP inaction on immigration legislation.