Doubt surrounds immigration reform
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday downplayed the chances of immigration legislation moving in the House this year, saying that President Obama first must rebuild the trust he has lost among Republican lawmakers.
“There’s widespread doubt that this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws, and it’s going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes,” Boehner said in a prepared statement opening his weekly press conference.
{mosads}While the Speaker insisted that Republicans would continue discussing immigration, his comments represent a significant blow to advocates who have pushed the House to move bills to the floor.
House GOP leaders presented principles for immigration reform to their members last week, and although Boehner said lawmakers “by and large” supported them in substance, other members said a majority of the conference opposed advancing legislation in 2014.
Echoing concerns raised by the rank-and-file, the Speaker criticized Obama for changing his healthcare law “on a whim” and pledging that he would circumvent Congress by enacting his agenda through executive action where possible.
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