President Barack Obama told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he is considering taking a more public role in pushing immigration reform in the House than he did during Senate negotiations, CHC members said Wednesday after meeting with Obama at the White House.
Obama didn’t lay out a legislative strategy beyond reiterating his support for the immigration bill that passed the Senate last month, though he said he is considering traveling to back the legislation, said the CHC’s chairman, Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas).
“We believe that the president is giving consideration to going across the country and explaining to the American people the benefits that will come from passage of this legislation and we welcome that,” said Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas), the CHC chairman.
Hinojosa said the caucus asked directly for Obama travel to support immigration reform. Obama, he said, replied that he is considering it.
Yet Obama also made clear the perils of his taking a more public role in the immigration talks. Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.J.) said Obama said he is “afraid” to act to prevent more deportations because it could harm the negotiations.
“He’s afraid that it’s going to harm the overall process of trying to get immigration done,” Sires said.
Along with immigration reform, Obama’s talks with the CHC covered aspirations to write legislation to replace the elements of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court, enrolling Hispanics in healthcare exchanges and having Tom Perez confirmed as Labor secretary.
Yet Obama did not relay to the members of Congress how he will persuade House GOP leadership to put forward an immigration bill that mirrors the one the Senate passed.
“There was no strategy like that discussed,” Hinojosa said.
“We believe that the president is giving consideration to going across the country and explaining to the American people the benefits that will come from passage of this legislation and we welcome that,” said Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-Texas), the CHC chairman.”
That’s a laugh. What VALID explanation could he possibly give?
What a maroon.