Vice President Biden made a surprise visit Friday to people who have been fasting for immigration reform on the National Mall.
“As my father would say, come hell or high water, we’re going to win this,” Biden said, according to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
{mosads}Activists have been staying in tents on the Mall and have been fasting for a week and a half in an effort to push for immigration reform.
The “Fast for Families” effort tweeted a photo of Biden praying with the fasters.
On Thursday, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said immigration reform is “absolutely not” dead. The issue, however, appears to be dead, at least for this year’s legislative session.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a tweet after Boehner’s comment, “If @SpeakerBoehner wants to move forward on immigration reform, he can call a vote today. House has votes to make #cir the law of the land.”
In September, President Obama ramped up pressure on House Republican leadership to pass immigration reform by the end of the year. With few legislative days remaining in 2013, satisfying that request appears highly unlikely.