President Obama met with top U.S. business leaders on Tuesday in an effort to drum up more support for an immigration reform bill that’s already cleared the Senate but faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled House.
GOP House Speaker John A. Boehner and others in his party have indicated they won’t take up the Senate bill — which includes tighter border security but also contains the controversial pathway to citizenship provision — and instead will consider a piece-by-piece approach to immigration reform, rather than a sweeping bill such as the one that has emerged from the Senate.
But the president argues the Senate measure already has enough House support to pass.
By again highlighting the wide support for immigration reform, Mr. Obama said he’s looking to make it “easy” for Mr. Boehner to simply bring up the Senate bill before Dec. 31.
“Although right now there has been some resistance from House Republicans, what’s been encouraging is there have been a number of House Republicans who think this is the right thing to do, as well,” Mr. Obama said just before the meeting began. “It’s my estimation that we actually have the votes to get comprehensive immigration reform done right now. The politics are challenging for the speaker and others. We want to make it as easy for him as possible. This is not an issue where we’re looking for a political win. This is one where we’re looking for a substantive win.”
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