Boehner Doubts Marco Rubio's DREAM Act Alternative Could Pass The House

[pampango]

"I did talk to Sen. Rubio about his idea and he gave me some particulars about how this would work. I found it of interest," Boehner said during a press conference. "But the problem with this issue is that we're operating in a very hostile political environment. To deal with a very difficult issue like this, I think it would be difficult at best."

Under Rubio's proposal, which has yet to be drafted, undocumented immigrants who came into the United States as children would be allowed to stay in the country if they kept a clean criminal record and joined the military or attended college. But unlike the Democratic-sponsored Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, Rubio's plan wouldn't provide people with a path to citizenship, which immigrant rights groups say defeats the purpose of the issue.

During his press event, Boehner took a shot at President Barack Obama for not doing more on immigration reform.

"Let me ask this question. The president of the United States runs around the country doing speeches ... about immigration. Where's the president's immigration plan? Where does the president stand on this issue?" Boehner asked. "Instead of campaigning all the time, maybe he ought to come back to Washington and go to work."

The reality, though, is that Republicans have arguably been the biggest obstacle to moving forward on immigration reform. Senate Republicans who previously signed onto immigration reform bills have backed away since Obama took office, and in the House, Boehner himself has chalked up Democratic efforts to jump-start the issue as little more than politics.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/john-boehner-marco-rubio-dream-act-alternative_n_1456509.html?ref=elections-2012

While Rubio's Dream Act is a clunker, it is still too liberal for the tea party-controlled House.

[all american girl]

1. I thought if you joined the military, after so many years of service, you could become a citizen?

Am I mistaken on this?

[pampango]

2. I'm not familiar that. Military service and going to college are parts of Democratic Dream Acts

in the past. And Rubio's version just gives them legal residence but not path to citizenship.

[Johonny]

3. Rubio will find common ground

not very common in the GOP.

[alp227]

4. For doing so, Free Republic is already booing Rubio!

[pampango]

5. He may indeed try, but the ALEC/tea party/Kris Kobach wing of the party just says NO.

After Romney said over the weekend that Republicans need to embrace a Republican DREAM Act to win over Hispanic voters, Kobach told the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent that the former Massachusetts governor will not support any version of the DREAM Act that offers a path to legal status — like the GOP version Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) plans to introduce. And he added that no Republican should support such a proposal:

(Kobach) stated flatly that he didn’t think Republicans — or Romney — should, or would, support any version of the DREAM Act that provides undocumented immigrants with any kind of path to legal status.

If Romney sticks to this — and Kobach said he would — there’s very little room for him to moderate his approach to immigration. In addition to advising Romney on immigration, Kobach is a national GOP voice on the issue, suggesting the right would not permit any move of this kind.

“I’d absolutely reject any proposal that would give a path to legal status for illegal aliens en masse,” Kobach said. “That is what amnesty is. I do not expect to propose or embrace amnesty.”

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/04/18/466841/kobach-says-romney-wont-support-gop-dream-act/

I think Romney and Rubio want to try to sell this version of a Dream Act, but their base is already suspicious of Romney's "moderation" so the sale is going to be really, really difficult.