Now that the Senate has passed amnesty legislation, attention shifts to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to see if he will keep his word by not taking up the 1,200 page Senate bill.
With House Republicans planning to meet on July 10 to discuss immigration, Boehner has attempted to shore up conservative support by finally insisting he will not move a bill that lacks the support of a majority of Republicans in the House — known as the “Hastert rule” after a former House Speaker.
Importantly, Speaker Boehner said he would maintain the Hastert rule for legislation the two chambers may “conference” together. “For any legislation — including the conference report — to pass the House it’s going to have to be a bill that has the support of the majority of our members,” Boehner insisted. (Politico, Jun. 27, 2013) When the House and Senate pass different bills, they must go to what’s referred to as a “conference committee” to hash out the differences in the legislation. Following an agreement on final bill language during the conference committee, the newly-agreed upon legislation goes back to each chamber for passage. His comments are an attempt to allay GOP fears that while the Speaker may not take up the Senate legislation, the House may pass a smaller package of bills that is later combined with provisions in the Senate bill and is then forced back upon them for a vote anyway.
Nonetheless, Democrats are increasing the pressure on Speaker Boehner to violate the Hastert rule on immigration, something he has done on other issues in the past. “Mr. Boehner, you are on the clock,” declared long-time amnesty advocate Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) (The Hill, Jun. 28, 2013) A Democratic aide speculated that Boehner has to say he will not break the Hastert rule “up until the moment he does it.” (CQ Today, Jun. 27, 2013)
11 Comments
I liked Boehner…. but, he now tends to flip flop like our AZ representative… except for Trent…. He should be leading the fight instead of following the GOP representatives wishes…. by the way, the majority of Americans are AGAINST IT…. but, that no longer seems to matter since BO took Office….. I’m tired of having dangerous legislation, like Amnesty and Obamacare shoved down my throat!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think that he has the right to go AGAINST the Republican Party when we all know the repercussions of the “AMNESTY” Bill. I can’t imagine that there is a single Republican voting for the tremendous DEBT, the NATIONAL ID CARDS, the MILLIONS OF LOST JOBS, and all of the other RIDICULOUS, DEMEANING, COUNTRY DESTROYING aftereffects. If he does he’s in the WRONG PARTY.
John Boehner wlil follow anyone who has a bottle of booze in his hand. “Yep! Give me a drink, and I’ll give you my vote.” That, ladies and gentlemen, is John Boehner’s work ethic.
Boehner better goe with the hastner rule and not just pass this bad immigration bill. It is not good for our country at. Obama is trying to really bankrupt America by allowing 30 million illegals citizen ship. He is already well on his way to bankrupting our nation as it is. How much more are we going to let him take before we revolt and say enough is enough! Then there are all the scandals the biggest of which is bengahzi where four American were murdered. Obama is responsble for their deaths when is he going to be held accountable? I am just sick to death of him and his lies!
Boehner should follow what is best for the country PERIOD!!
It appears this Bill will go definitely through and become Law by September…………..looking at the number of democrats and republicans and all other details………
Sounds more like wishful thinking than a reality based comment.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez? The same guy who called ICE agents Gestapo for doing workplace enforcement raids? The same Gutierrez who said the only thing he cared about was the “immigrant community” and specifically the illegal alien community? The same guy who was born here of Puerto Rican parents, but says he wants Puerto Rico to be an independent country and not a state? So why should any American listen to you?
We’ve Become a Nation of Idiots
We revisit amnesty even though just a few years ago it was a complete joke…
Gutierrez, a Democrat, is mimicking the third world intimidation tactics of others on the left. The real question is whether the United States is really the free, civilized society that we claim it is. If bullies can get their way over people who want responsible public policy, then the idea that we have a representative government is a joke. The legitimacy of this government is increasingly in doubt. If special interest politics wins, we have a Tyranny of the Minority. Then the world will rightfully laugh at our hypocrisy on a range of issues. And the American people will be disenfranchised to the point of barely valuing our citizenship, if at all. Many people won’t even feel they’re Americans anymore. New nations will be born within a dying, fracturing old one.
We have a weak, dying federal government if “puppet masters” can orchestrate public policy through front organizations, and this is the buzz going around about George Soros and the Evangelical Immigration Table. Soros’s activism is not noteworthy because his agenda is clear, but it’s practically hilarious that Hanoi Hilton veteran John McCain, who calls himself conservative, would be aping the talking points of George Soros when he references evangelicals as part of the Gang of 8’s coalition.
McCain possesses neither deep-rooted conviction nor consummate political skill. Instead, he married a rich woman after dumping his wife, he draws a cushy government paycheck, and he follows the scripts handed to him. Everything is laid out for this hollow, empty suit of a politician. That’s what passes for leadership in Washington right now. It works until it doesn’t. And the American people are obligated, if we want to have a country of our own, to make sure it doesn’t work.
Well said…..maybe you should run for office!