Republicans moving backwards on immigration
GOP Rep. Paul Ryan, by all indications, really does want to see immigration reform happen.Perhapshe sees it as crucial to repairing the partys Latino problem before the 2016 presidential race (which he may or may not enter). Or perhaps his reputed wonky side sees thestatus quoas untenable. Either way he does seem to want to get to Yes.
And despite what youve heard about GOP leaders killing reform for the year, Ryan insisted in an interview with a local Wisconsin newspaper that Republicans continue to debate the issue among themselves as we speak. But, he says, we dont have the votes right now.
The longer we delay, the worse these [immigration] problems become, Ryan said, but congressional forces on the Right and the Left are holding things up.
Right now, were working hard to find where that consensus lies, he said.
If its true that House Republicans are still trying to find some kind of consensus solution on the 11 million that they can support which is the necessary first step towards anything happening thats genuinely good news. But its obvious nothing is moving forward anytime soon. As Ryan suggests, theres no consensus behind any solution to the problem Ryan himself says must be solved.
But dont let it be said Republicans arent acting on immigration at all.
TodayHouse Republicans aredebating two measuresthat arepartly related to immigration but neither, of course, would do anything about the 11 million. Instead, both appear to be partly designed to prevent #Obummer from throwing open the borders, or pursuing amnesty, or whatever other scheme hes hatching. (I propose Obamnesty as shorthand.)
One of the measures is called the Faithful Execution of the Law Act, and it would require all federal officials who implement policy to report to Congress on any reason for non-enforcement. The other is called the ENFORCE the Law Act, which would expedite lawsuits against the Executive Branch for failing to execute the laws. The release describing the two measures cites Obamas willingness to flout immigration laws as a rationale.
With Obama under pressure touse executiveauthorityto ease deportations, House Republicansdont want Obama tomove unilaterally on immigration.As todaysmaneuvers show, theyllact on their distrust of Obama. But they wont allow Congress to act to solve the underlying immigration problem. Because they dont trust Obama.
Meanwhile, yesterdaysGOP winin Floridas 13th district whichis more evidence thatObamacare will deliver a glorious Republican triumph this fall, and thatthe current political dynamic must not bescrambled by any policy-making or problem-solving makes any action on immigration less likely still. Even if Paul Ryan actually does want it.
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