Rep. McCarthy Floats Trial Balloon on Legalization of Illegal Aliens
House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), the third-ranking House Republican, said in an interview that he backs granting illegal aliens legal status and the ability to work, but not a “new pathway to citizenship.” Since Republican leaders have not released their immigration principles yet, McCarthy’s statement is seen as a trial balloon for measuring public reaction on including a legalization component.
KBAK/KBFX Eyewitness News in Bakersfield, Calif. interviewed McCarthy who said, "The principles aren't written yet, but in my personal belief, I think it'll go with legal status that will allow you to work and pay taxes. That's a decision that every Republican will have to make in laying out the principles, but that's my personal position."
McCarthy said he did not support creation of a new process to give illegal aliens citizenship but did not rule out obtaining it through existing channels. Together, his statements comport with what House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte has discussed in terms of dealing with the majority of those in the U.S. illegally.
It is believed that House Republican leaders will release their immigration principles either before President Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 28th or after the House Republican Conference’s retreat in Cambridge, Md. on Jan. 29th through 31st.