With the clock ticking and the deadline to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year slowly nearing, it may take House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to reignite the faltering issue and keep the debate going.
According to inside sources, Pelosi will introduce legislation to advance immigration reform in the chamber. The bill combines the comprehensive bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in May with a bipartisan border security bill from the House Homeland Security Committee, reports Politico.
By combining those two measures, Pelosi hopes to create a bill that could rally support from a lot of House lawmakers while pressuring House Republican leadership to concede to a pathway to citizenship. However, the new bill doesn't include the amendment to use millions of dollars to beef up border security, which was attached on the Senate floor by Senators John Hoeven and Bob Corker, and was opposed by a lot of House Democrats and even some House Republicans who derided it as "border candy," MSNBC reports.
Pelosi and Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra, a key player on immigration, may introduce this bill within the next two weeks.
Immigration legislation has been stalled since the Senate passed a comprehensive bill back in June. The GOP-controlled House hasn't taken any action, and many House Republicans are skeptical of doing anything short of approving a series of fragmented bills that primarily focus on enhancing border security.
House lawmakers are set to return to Washington on Wednesday, and the House Democratic Caucus is slated to huddle later that evening for its weekly party meeting. One of the items on the agenda is "next steps on immigration reform," an aide told Politico.