DAILY BEAST: In his weekly news conference on Thursday, Speaker of the House John Boehner threw cold water on the idea that any immigration reform legislation might pass Congress this year, citing the GOP’s lack of trust in the Obama adminstration and all but acknowledged that there would be another “do-nothing” Congress in 2014.
Boehner’s comments come just a week after the House GOP leadership unveiled its “principles” on immigration reform to great fanfare at their annual retreat in Cambridge, Maryland. While the House Speaker insisted that he “never underestimated the difficulty in moving forward this year,” his statement comes just days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t see how the House and Senate could resolve their differences on immigration reform in 2014…
Immigration reform has long been one of Boehner’s priorities and a concern ofmany business-oriented Republicans who see it as necessary for the GOP to win Hispanic voters in the future. In contrast, many conservatives see immigration reform as rewarding lawbreakers who have illegally entered the country and are skeptical of any political benefits… (more)
