The possibility of comprehensive immigration reform is far from dead, multiple Republican congressional aides told TheBlaze Thursday.
AP
Indeed, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) declared at a press conference that immigration reform is "absolutely not" a dead issue. Just last week Boehner said the House had "no intention" of considering a bill passed by the Senate.
Boehner on Thursday gave no timetable for when there might be a vote on any of the five or so pieces of immigration legislation that have passed their respective committees.
"I'm hopeful we can make progress on this very important issue," Boehner said.
A growing number of House Republicans are opposed to a piecemeal approach to immigration reform, believing it will lead to a similar "Gang of Eight" comprehensive immigration package and gut border security.
Passing a piecemeal bill will open the door for closed-door “conference” negotiations that are expected to focus on amnesty for nearly 11 million illegal immigrants and weaken border security measures, a senior GOP Senate aide told TheBlaze.
Five bills are progressing through the Republican-controlled House with just one addressing border security.
As TheBlaze previously reported, a number of lawmakers have voiced concerns that the bills could be bundled into a package that will face off against the Democrat-controlled Senate’s versions.
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