President Obama admits that immigration reform will not be complete by the August timeline set when speaking with a number of Spanish television stations recently.
In citing reasons for this delay with immigration reform, Obama said, “That [meeting the August deadline] was originally my hope and my goal. But the House Republicans, I think, still have to process this issue and discuss it further, and hopefully, I think, still hear from constituents, from businesses to labor, to evangelical Christians who all are supporting immigration reform.”
He also expressed his inability to understand why Republicans would like to keep an important issue such as this decision pending – a decision that he believes will impact the life of almost 11 million illegal immigrants.
Yet the real issue seems to be a lack of cooperation between House Republicans, who in representing conservative and “white” districts, don’t see much value in pushing this important yet long overdue piece of legislation through.
In some cases, several GOP lawmakers are opposing the immigration reform proposal outright creating a greater divide between the two parties while slowing down the President’s top priority in his second term.
With that said, the Senators who passed the immigration bill last month, are trying to garner support by meeting with advocates from business, agriculture and religion in the Capitol to convince the House to pass this piece of legislation as soon as possible.
Speaking of the bill passed by the Senate, it will not only tighten border security, expand the highly skilled worker program and organize new worker arrangements for farm laborers and lower skilled workers but more importantly, provide a way for these illegal immigrants to obtain citizenship in the United States.
Obama, in an interview with Univision’s New York affiliate, made it clear that the “citizenship pathway” has to be a part of this bill.