Three reasons Obama is pushing immigration bill again
President Obama urged the House of Representatives Thursday to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill by the end of the year.
The Senate has already passed bipartisan immigration legislation, Obama said, and the House should finish the job to fix the nation鈥檚 broken immigration system and show the US that Washington can solve the nation鈥檚 problems.
鈥淩epublicans in the House, including the speaker, have said we should act, so let鈥檚 not wait,鈥� said Obama. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 get easier to just put it off, let鈥檚 do it now.鈥�
Immigration is an issue that has reached a crucial point. Democrats have long wanted comprehensive reform, while some Republicans believe their party should join in the effort lest they lose even more Hispanic votes.
The measure approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate would provide a path to citizenship for the nation鈥檚 estimated 11 million illegal immigrants while allocating more money and effort to policing the nation鈥檚 border with Mexico, among other things.
In the House, key Republicans have said they prefer to take a piece-by-piece approach to immigration. Many conservatives remain opposed to anything that they judge resembles amnesty for those living in the nation illegally.
But overall progress on immigration has stalled in recent months. It threatens to become a will-o鈥�-the-wisp, something that seems almost within Washington鈥檚 grasp before receding in the distance.
Given that, why did Obama devote time to the subject today?
The ticking clock
With only a few work weeks left in the legislative year it鈥檚 unlikely the House will make much progress on immigration before 2014. Once things kick into next year, the 2014 midterms draw ever closer, and history shows Congress makes little progress on controversial bills in an election鈥檚 shadow.
Obama likely is trying to inject some urgency into the House鈥檚 consideration of the subject, given the limitations of the calendar. Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that he鈥檚 still 鈥渉opeful鈥� the House will deal with immigration, so now is a propitious time for Obama to bring the subject up again.
鈥淓very day that goes by makes it increasingly difficult to pass new immigration laws,鈥� writes political expert Sean Sullivan on the Washington Post .
Political pressure
The administration also wants to put as much political pressure on the House as possible on immigration even if lawmakers aren鈥檛 going to pass a comprehensive bill.
Thus Obama mentioned the recent government shutdown and threat of default in the context of immigration action. He said that polls show the public favors action, and that it鈥檚 now up to the House to make that a reality.
His clear threat to the House GOP: If you don鈥檛 move we鈥檒l try and make this another example of how a faction of conservatives is making you dysfunctional.
鈥淭he latest turn to immigration is more about kicking the GOP when it鈥檚 down,鈥� on Time鈥檚 Swampland blog.
It's not Obamacare
With all the news about troubles in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges it鈥檚 also likely a relief for the White House to pivot to another subject, even if only for the duration of a short speech.
That鈥檚 what Republicans are charging, in any case.
鈥淚鈥檒l give you 3 guesses and 2 don鈥檛 count.... Why did the President suddenly decide to give a speech on immigration this morning? #Obamacare,鈥� tweeted Republican National Committee Thursday.
