In a potential roadblock to comprehensive immigration reform legislation, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, indicated Tuesday that he would not bring a bill to the floor unless it is supported by a majority of House Republicans.
"I suggested to our members today that any immigration reform bill that is going to go into law ought to have a majority of both parties' support if we're really serious about making that happen," Boehner said at a press conference.
"And so I don't see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that doesn't have a majority support of Republicans," he added. "I just think the White House and Senate Democrats ought to get very serious."
Boehner accused President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats of working to limit the number of Republican votes that the immigration bill is likely to get, arguing that they would rather have immigration as a campaign issue in 2014.
The Democratic-controlled Senate is in the process of considering the immigration reform bill crafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators known as the "Gang of Eight."
However, some Senate Republicans have expressed opposition to the bill in its current form, arguing that it should require stricter border controls before illegal immigrants can pursue a pathway toward citizenship.
The bill is expected to face even stronger opposition in the Republican-controlled House, where some members are staunchly opposed to providing illegal immigrants with the ability to apply for legal status.
"We know that border security is absolutely essential if we're going to give people confidence that we can do the rest of what's being suggested," Boehner said. "And I frankly think the Senate bill is weak on border security. I think the internal enforcement mechanisms are weak, and the triggers are almost laughable."
He added, "And so if they're serious about getting an immigration bill finished, I think the president and Senate Democrats ought to reach out to their … Republican colleagues to build broad bipartisan support for the bill."
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