{"id":6766,"date":"2014-05-28T14:53:20","date_gmt":"2014-05-28T18:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=6766"},"modified":"2018-12-28T14:58:50","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T19:58:50","slug":"countdown-to-august-recess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2014\/05\/28\/countdown-to-august-recess\/","title":{"rendered":"Countdown to August Recess"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>A Primer of What\u2019s Pending, What\u2019s Possible, What to Watch.<\/b><\/p>\n The window is closing fast for so-called immigration reform to pass this year. The House will be in session for only 30 more days between now and the August recess, while the Senate has 40 work days left. As such \u2013 and we\u2019ve been here before \u2013 the tighter the deadline, the harder and more audacious the push for amnesty always is.<\/p>\n In tandem with FAIR\u2019s<\/a> Government Relations Team<\/a>, we\u2019ve prepared a quick and hopefully helpful guide of what\u2019s in motion.<\/p>\n ENLIST Act Won\u2019t Be Attached to NDAA (No Risk)<\/b><\/p>\n Despite efforts by California Republican Jeff Denham to attach to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) his ENLIST Act (H.R. 2377<\/a>), which would allow illegal aliens to join the military and grant them green cards and expedited citizenship in return, House and Senate leaders opposed it. Instead, House GOP leaders passed a \u201cclean\u201d NDAA bill without any amnesty attached, and key players in the Senate indicated that there was not a \u201cconsensus\u201d among Senate Dems to include it the upper chamber\u2019s version of the NDAA either.<\/p>\n ENLIST Act Could Emerge as a Stand-Alone Bill<\/a> (Medium Risk)<\/b><\/p>\n Both House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) have indicated that they are open to giving the ENLIST Act a vote as a stand-alone bill on the House floor. After saying that he would not allow the ENLIST Act to be attached to the NDAA, the Washington Post asked Cantor whether he would schedule a vote on Denham\u2019s proposal at a later date. (Despite Cantor\u2019s spokesman saying just days prior that it would not receive a vote even as a stand-alone bill, Cantor replied that \u201cno decision has been made.\u201d) Cantor\u2019s comments echo that of Speaker Boehner, who also said \u201cThere have been discussions about that but no decisions,\u201d leaving the door wide open.<\/p>\n ENLIST Act by Stroke of Obama\u2019s Pen (Medium Risk)<\/b><\/p>\n Jessica Wright, the Acting Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness at the Defense Department, said the Obama Administration is looking into allowing certain illegal aliens who allegedly came to the U.S. as minors to join the military. Arguing that doing so would help satisfy the military\u2019s need for more diversity, Wright said of a military amnesty: \u201cLegislation like this would assist the military and potentially our recruiting efforts, and increase the pool of eligible young individuals that we can enlist. While it may create a larger pool of these enlistees, it may also further the diversity of our department, our fleet and our force.\u201d In this scenario, the Obama Administration would likely call on Defense Secretary Hagel to use a provision in current law that allows the Secretary of Defense to allow those who are otherwise ineligible to join the military to enlist if doing so would be \u201cvital\u201d to the country\u2019s \u201cnational interest.\u201d<\/p>\n House\/Boehner Moves a Variety of Bills (Medium Risk)<\/b><\/p>\n