With the debate on immigration reform about ready to kick into high gear in Washington, D.C., two of the top Republican legislators in the GOP have reportedly met to discuss the pivotal immigration reform bill that could be voted on this summer.
According to Politico, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner met this week at the speaker's office to talk shop regarding the bipartisan "Gang of Eight," which Sen. Rubio is a part of, and their legislative proposal that would bring about reform to the nation's immigration laws, as well as a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and stricter border security measures.
However, details of what occurred at the closed meeting between two of the Republican Party's most prominent names are sketchy, though sources familiar with the meeting say that the two discussed the bipartisan panel's immigration proposal at length in the meeting.
While Republicans still on the fence regarding whether or not to support the bill, Boehner, who is in favor of the bill, has reportedly told colleagues that he wants Congress to pass a measure of immigration reform before they break for August recess. Yet, with just over 20 legislative days left before legislators break for August, the window for the immigration reform bill is becoming smaller.
Top ranking Republicans told Politico that they want to go forward with a proposal from Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and the Judiciary Committee to pass small-bore immigration bills, which the committee will be spending the next two weeks marking up. All proposed amendments must be submitted by Thursday.
The divide between the Republican Party on immigration reform was highlighted on Friday during the annual Faith and Freedom conference in Washington, D.C.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush argued for immigration reform, stating that more legal immigration would add to the American workforce and create more revenues from payroll taxes.
"Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans over the last 20 years. Immigrants are more fertile, and they love families, and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity," Bush said.
However, U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., argued at the same meeting that passing the immigration package currently on the table would be a mistake.
"The estimate is that the average illegal alien that comes into the United States -- the average age is 34 years old. The average education level is about the 10th grade," she said. "That's not to demean anyone who comes into the United States with a lack of education."
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Obama administration celebrated the one-year mark of President Obama announced that thousands of undocumented youths would be allowed to stay and work in the U.S. thanks to the deferred action program, an action that helped his standing in the polls with minority voters, especially Latinos, which he won in a record margin over GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney-who took a staunch stance on immigration--in the election polls last November.
"These young men and women are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every way but on paper," the White House said in a statement. "And because the Administration acted, today thousands of ambitious, hardworking young people have been able to emerge from the shadows, no longer living in fear of deportation."
"But the steps we took were never meant to be a permanent solution. That's why we need Congress to pass a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill as soon as possible so that these "Dreamers" can keep contributing to this country and help us live up to our history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants," the statement concluded.
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