Senate Democrats Angle for Entire Gang of Eight Bill After Boehner Caves

Senate Democrats are angling to include the entire “Gang of Eight” bill in a conference committee with whatever border crisis bill comes out of Speaker John Boehner’s House of Representatives, Politico reports.“The only way any piece of the House proposal could become law is if it was conferenced with the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill, which is something we’d certainly consider,” a senior Democratic aide told Politico. Gang of Eight Republicans Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) recently issued a joint statement saying they did not want this to happen, but there’s no stopping Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Boehner from entering a conference committee at which this could happen if both Reid and Boehner want to. Gang of Eight Republicans Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) recently issued a joint statement saying they did not want this to happen, but there’s no stopping Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Boehner from entering a conference committee at which this could happen if both Reid and Boehner want to. But the left is ramping up using its battle plans to force Republicans into a worse position with this too. “House GOP wants to change immigration policy on border bill,” Frank Sharry, a pro-amnesty advocate, Tweeted on Tuesday. “We do too: CIR [Comprehensive Immigration Reform]. Look forward to Senate Dems demanding CIR in conference.” The Senate Democrats’ boldness comes as Speaker Boehner and House GOP leadership backed down, refusing to fight President Barack Obama’s plans to use executive orders to grant amnesty via executive order to 5 to 6 million illegal aliens in America. The final legislation that Boehner’s border crisis working group, led by Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), introduced on Tuesday afternoon includes no plan to fight the president on his executive amnesty plans, despite numerous efforts by senior conservative Republicans to get the speaker to do so. Instead, Boehner’s plan offers $659 million for the border crisis and makes a few minor changes in policy that don’t get close to solving what key immigration hawks say is the root cause of the problem: the perennial promise of amnesty to illegal aliens by executive order from President Obama...more