Report: House to vote on Immigration after Primary Filing Deadline
Multiple reports indicate that House leaders plan to bring immigration bills to the House floor after the primary filing deadlines pass. Breitbart News cites a nonpartisan political news website in Texas, Quorum Report, that is reporting that House Speaker John Boehner told Texas business leaders about his timeline. It's unknown if Boehner was referring to the Texas primary filing deadline, which is in January, or to another deadline. Speculation of the House moving on immigration has increased this week with Boehner's hiring of a pro-amnesty immigration advisor.
On Wednesday, Speaker Boehner's office announced the hiring of Rebecca Tallent. Tallent was the immigration policy director for the Bipartisan Policy Center and led the Center's immigration task force earlier this year, which called for an amnesty for illegal aliens. Before joining the Bipartisan Policy Center, Tallent served as a staffer, including chief of staff, for Gang of 8 members, Sen. John McCain, helping him write amnesty bills over the last decade.
"Nevertheless, what was made clear was that Boehner felt the need to protect House Republican incumbents who are otherwise seen as conservative but have expressed an openness to immigration reform that includes a robust guest worker program," The Quorum reported.
Further, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Wash.), who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, also said this week that he expects immigration votes in the House to come in 2014. he made the comments at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.
"We are looking at real reform that is done a piece at a time, step by step.... My guess is it comes later next year," Rep. Walden said.
For more, see Breitbart News and Quorum Report (subscription required).