Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

It remains to be seen whether Congress will move forward with immigration reform before the end of July. During a recent media phone conference U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings addressed what he feels is the major stumbling block to getting the House to take action on immigration reform.

HASTINGS: The respective committees that deal with immigration reform, and there's two principal committees - the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, have passed out individual pieces of legislation dealing with immigration reform out of their respective committees. What has to be done is a schedule to get an understanding that we will move these pieces of legislation, and that is very hard to get. I know that there are current discussions going on in a bipartisan way with a group that's been meeting for well over three years on this. I've been briefed on what they have discussed, and frankly I think what they have discussed has a great deal of merit. It is now just a process of bringing this legislation to the floor.

It has been strongly intimated that when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his primary several weeks ago that that put a death knell in the immigration reform.

HASTINGS: I'm not entirely sure that's happened, but I did acknowledge all along that trying to pass something as significant a piece of legislation as immigration reform in an election year is very difficult. So I think those things unfortunately are coming together. But I will still say I will not rule out the House continuing to act on their individual pieces of legislation.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.

Previous ReportHot Topics Human Resource Webinars
Next ReportWheat Update & Burn Ban