Business Lobby Busy Pushing Amnesty this Week
“Heading to Washington to spend Tuesday urging House Republicans to take up a broad immigration overhaul, the team of Utah business leaders buttonholed several members of their state’s congressional delegation — Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, both Republicans, and Representatives Jim Matheson, a Democrat, and Chris Stewart, a Republican — as the lawmakers waited to board their flight Monday at the Salt Lake City airport,” the New York Times writes.
Pelosi Says Votes are There for Amnesty
“Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday there is a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives ready to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul bill, but she may never get the chance to prove it if GOP Speaker John A. Boehner doesn’t bring a vote in the Republican-lead House,” the Washington Times writes.
“‘With 28 Republicans having publicly expressed support for a path to citizenship, we believe the votes are there on a bipartisan basis to pass a bill,’ she wrote on Facebook. ‘It’s just a question whether Speaker Boehner can muster the will to schedule a vote.'”
Sen. Cruz’s Opposition to Amnesty Moved Rubio
“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has shaped the view of Republican leaders on immigration reform, and his sway with grassroots conservatives will make passing comprehensive legislation significantly more difficult. Cruz scored a victory in the battle for the hearts and minds of his party over the weekend when Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) backed away from the Senate’s overhaul of immigration laws,” The Hill reports.
“GOP leaders, after President Obama’s reelection last year, sounded more open to moving broad legislation on immigration, but their interest in doing so has waned as Cruz’s power has grown.”
Arrests at NY, Florida Amnesty Protests
“Ten people — including a bishop, a nun and a pastor — were busted in Manhattan on Tuesday as they rallied for Congress to move on stalled [amnesty]. The activists, holding up signs with House Speaker John Boehner’s photo and the words ‘Speaker Boehner stop your family separation agenda’ blocked traffic on W. Houston St. near the immigration facility at 201 Varick St,” the NY Daily News says.
“The 15 people arrested Tuesday at an immigration-reform rally in downtown Orlando are bonding out of jail Wednesday morning. Over half of the people arrested on charges of unlawful assembly have bonded out. The remaining arrestees are expected to be out of jail by noon today,” the Orlando Sentinel writes.