When it comes to immigration, many Republican members of the House have long distrusted their leader, Speaker John Boehner. Now, things have gotten even worse. Boehner has assured members who oppose comprehensive immigration reform that nothing will be done on the issue until the Obama administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. Given the average GOP Congressmans view of Barack Obama, that means never. Thats certainly how many members interpreted the speakers words. But last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boehner, while speaking to donors in Las Vegas recently, said he is hellbent on passing immigration reform this year. A lot of Republicans concluded that when Boehner is speaking to jittery members, his message is: Relax, nothings going to happen. When hes speaking to fat cats, the message is: Well get it done. The report sparked an uproar, which in turn caused Boehners office to hit the Relax button again. Everyone can tell their editors to chill, Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck told reporters. Nothing has changed. As hes said many times, the Speaker believes step-by-step reform is important, but it wont happen until the president builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to the rule of law. The reassurance didnt reassure. Team Boehners response was the ultimate non sequitur, in the words of one Senate GOP aide involved in the immigration battle. Most members see the leadership as being supportive of Gang of Eight-style reform, said a House Republican lawmaker who asked to remain anonymous. We continually hear that once most primaries are over, the leadership will move forward with comprehensive reform.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:25:35 +0000