I can’t fault you for being optimistic, but if you really believed the Flying Monkey Caucus was going to allow comprehensive immigration to pass through the House, you’re sorely mistaken.
Congress is running out of time to pass immigration reform before the end of the year, and what few Republicans there are that favor reform are getting worried.
They should have been worried the moment they took office.
“It’s very important to do it this year,” Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told reporters on Thursday. “Now is the time.”
Ros-Lehtinen was one of several Republican members who held a press conference by the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute on Thursday demanding votes soon on immigration legislation. Other participants included Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Albio Sires of New Jersey, and David Valadao of California. [...]
“Immigration, to me, seems like it’s starting to be pushed back a little bit,” Valadao said. “We’re here to say we do not want that, we need to get involved, we need to make sure leadership does not forget about the importance of this issue.”
Just how many days does the House have left to pass immigration reform before the end of the year?
It’s only September, but unless House leadership cancels upcoming recess, the House will only be in session for just over 30 days between now and the end of the year.
If immigration reform isn’t passed before the end of the year, it will be all but officially dead. Because each month that passes brings us closer to campaign season and the window of opportunity when moderate Republicans may have been able to support a bill will close.
With that said, the blame doesn’t rest solely with the Crazy Caucus. John Boehner could bring a bill to the floor and pass it with Democratic support, but he has refused to do so under threat of losing his speakership.
We may not see the full consequences of failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform until the 2016 campaign season.