By Dan Nowicki | The Republic | azcentral.com
Immigration reform, the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s second-term domestic agenda, lost momentum amid the partisan brinkmanship that led to the government shutdown. Some reform opponents believe the profound lack of trust between House Republicans and the White House all but ensures the issue won’t proceed this year.
Obama, however, last week signaled that he is not surrendering on one of the issues he ran on when he was first elected president in 2008.
In an interview with Univision’s Los Angeles affiliate, Obama indicated he will press forward on immigration reform immediately after the dust settles from the fiscal fight and demand that House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other Republican leaders allow a vote on a Senate-passed comprehensive bill.
“And if I have to join with other advocates and continue to speak out on that, and keep pushing, I’m going to do so because I think it’s really important for the country,” Obama said. “And now is the time to do it.”
Reform supporters have remained optimistic that the GOP-controlled House of Representatives will consider several immigration-related bills in November. Their hope is that the House will pass legislation that could lead to negotiations with the Democrat-controlled Senate.
