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Home Page > News > Dramatic shift as House Speaker Boehner now backs immigration reform

Dramatic shift as House Speaker Boehner now backs immigration reform

Vice President Joe Biden ‘very optimistic’ as even Sean Hannity agrees

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Friday, November 9, 2012, 7:05 AM

Updated Friday, November 9, 2012, 9:37 AM

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House Speaker John Boehner

Photo by Michael Reynolds / EPA

In a major breakthrough House Republican Speaker John Boehner has come out in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.

"This issue has been around far too long," Boehner said in an ABC interview. "A comprehensive approach is long overdue, and I'm confident that the president, myself, others can find the common ground to take care of this issue once and for all."

Exit polls from this week’s election showed 70 per cent in favor of comprehensive reform. The GOP lost the Hispanic vote by a record margin mostly on the issue of immigration reform.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, said Boehner's comments represented a "breakthrough."

There are an estimated 30,000 Irish undocumented who would benefit from immigration reform. Previous bills have failed because of Hispanic opposition.

Meanwhile, newly re-elected Vice President Joe Biden is “very optimistic about ... immigration reform” given the makeup of the Senate.

Biden said the 55 Democrats in the Senate were going to have to work alongside the Republicans to make compromises all round and figure out the best “formula” for immigration reform.

The Vice President said, “Barack's re-elected, so this sort of cause to keep a second term from happening is done. He's there for four years. So ... I hope there's going to be some real soul-searching about, on Republican Party, about what they're willing to cooperate on."

The Irish American politician was speaking to the press aboard Air Force Two when he said, “If you take a look at the makeup of the Senate now, I’ve been saying all along, I believe there are a half a dozen Republican senators all along who have been under different circumstances prepared to actually compromise."

He continued, “We’re going to have to compromise too. It’s not like we’re going to go in and say, this is our deal. Take it or leave it. “

The Vice President went on to comment on the power which immigrants have in the United States. He noted that the Hispanic community played a great part in getting President Obama re-elected.

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KatieMurphy | Nov 12, 2012, 06:13 PM EST

Saeanmore re gays marrying - there usually is no bride or groom. They are spouse 1 and spouse 2 on the paperword for civil marriage. Re the many churches that will perform religious marriage ceremonies for gay couples, what they call them is the churches biz................But I'm thrilled that finally gay people are beginning to make inroads of acceptance. The vaticans position is the reason that almost all of our 43 member extended family now attends church at Episcopal or Evangelical Lutheran chrurches where most of those churches will perform religious marriage ceremonies.

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KatieMurphy | Nov 12, 2012, 06:08 PM EST

Its too late for this bully = the republicans dug their own grave, hating immigrants . I'm reminded of how when the civil rights bill was passed by Pr Johnson, he said -I've given the south to the other party for a century. What actually happened is the repubs still wedded to the past of racism took over in the bible belt. To them the bible justified slavery , and that mentality is still there re Hispanics who many repubs see as non-white.......Have to wonder who the next victims of the repubs will be - Irish catholics - the backbone of the republican party is the extremist protestants who hated blacks, JEws, catholics etc.

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seanomelb | Nov 12, 2012, 01:29 AM EST

merefalow time to cut loose and join the far right fascists.How silly of me you are probably one anyhow.

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merefalow | Nov 11, 2012, 04:23 PM EST

a house divded against itself.we are tribal,or we used to be,now we are mongrels with no identity,screw the multiculteral melting pot.

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feeneycj | Nov 11, 2012, 01:55 PM EST

Obama will get immigration reform passed and secure more votes. All will become citizens regardless of how they got here. And then Obama will tax the heck out of them. A win-win for Obama.

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seanomelb | Nov 11, 2012, 01:17 AM EST

195 democrats Allentown get the facts. I see your 'uncle tom" Allen west refuses to lie down what an idiot. Just think of all that extra revenue from the new legit voters and all those new Dem votes read and weep Allentown and the rest of your racists posters.

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Seanmor | Nov 10, 2012, 03:42 PM EST

There is an other aspect of immigration that the media almost never mentions: what legal immigrants needed in order to obtain permenent visas up to about the mid 1960s. An a teenaged appplicant for an immigrant visa in 1958, I needed (1) a sponsor who was a U.S citizen and willing to assume full responsibility for my welfare if need be; (2) a statement from the Garda Síochána to prove I didn't have a police record; (3) proof that I was in perfect heahth by passing a very thorough physical exam: (4) agree to register for the military draft and serve if required to do so. Then after I received my green card, I had to register as a resident alien every January, including the 4 years I served in the Marine Corps. But my honorable dischage (aas an NCO) didn't fast track me to citizenship. I was photograhped, finger printed and subjected to an investigation for 6 weeks before I qualfied for naturalization. I gladly complied wit the rules of this great nation and proudly served in its military in order to become a U.S. citizen. Why should 10 million ILLEGAl ALIENS be handsomely rewarded with citizenship for openly violating U.S.laws and in many cases refusing to speak English? In the '60s when I was in the marines, I knew of at least 8 or 9 others from my local parish in Ireland who served in the Army or Natiobnal Guard. Shouldn't our Irish nephews/grandnephews, nieces/grandnieces now be able to easily obtain visas for permanent residence in this country?

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MaryM232 | Nov 10, 2012, 03:00 PM EST

I've got news for you, the GOP majority in the House have told Boehner he can't speak for the rest of them. I think I've figured out why the Irish economy is in the toilet, you are all too stupid to do basic math. 12% of the US citizenry are black, 84% of the citizenry are white, only 4% of the citizenry are Hispanic, the other 10% we're told about, the so called 14% Hispanic population aren't citizens. They're illegal. 84% is a larger number than 4%, and whether you like it or not, black US citizens don't support amnesty, they want the borders closed and immigration laws enforced. CNN conducted a poll, and 72% of the population, democrats, independents and republicans all want US immigration laws enforced, all illegals deported, no matter if they're Mexican or Irish.

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eiriamach | Nov 10, 2012, 01:16 PM EST

If fear drives the GOP immigration reform effort, as it seems to be driving comments from Seanmor, Gaelicpiper, and FlanneryT, there will be no progress for any group. Don't worry that "blood will flow," as Gaelicpiper suggests. Gaelicpiper has no idea how many US border patrol officers are bilingual and Hispanic. 'Bilingual' is a qualification for border work. With the Hispanic birth rate soaring past others, the GOP know that their anti-immigrant stance would leave them with no future. And wasn't it just a generation ago that Hispanics were loyal Republicans? "How quick bright things come to confusion," as Shakespeare said. We need a path to citizenship for all, now!

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allentown | Nov 10, 2012, 12:40 PM EST

Pilib04, at last count it was 233 Republicans to 175 Democrats in the House plus how many Democrats want to vote "yes" for Amnesty with elections in two years? Good Luck.

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Seanmor | Nov 10, 2012, 12:35 PM EST

By enacting so-called immigration reform, the U.S. government sholud also include a provision that unlimited FREE health care continue to be provided for those who ILLEGLLY entered the country, but instead of emergency rooms being required to provide such a service, V.A. hospitals throougout the country should be made accessible to all those ILLEGALS. In some cases, V.A. hospitals, clinics and nursing homes are not always filled to capacity and Illegals could be treated as these facitilies without any extra cost to U.S. taxpayers. This could be done by doubling or tripling the $50. charge paid by Honorably Discharged veterans like me (who LEGALLY entered the Country and served 4 years in the Marine Corps). Such a plan would would neatly fit into Obama's policy of redistribution of the nations welth. Additional money culd made availavle for the benitifit of ILLEGALS by substantially reducing pensions of disabled veterans and using he savings to help ILLEGALS. Since many politicians, clergy and journalists strongly support the rewarding of illegals who fragrantly violate out laws, the brunt of the cost ought to be bourne by law-abiding, tax-paying, loyal U.S.citizns, including verterans, especially those of us who Honorably served after LEGLLY entering the country.

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BrianO | Nov 10, 2012, 07:54 AM EST

I think all people of color should be made citizens and all others especially those who speak english should be told to go home.

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gobdawpaddy | Nov 10, 2012, 06:05 AM EST

Seanmor, 'Very few of the 30,000 undocumented Irish entered the country illegally and they all speak English'. But how many of them are currently here 'illegally'? Your contention that their spoken language is english is questionable as I on my occasional visits to a bar, have often wondered where certain groups of people are from only to discover after some time that they are Irish, speaking their own interpretation of english, some refer to it as mucksavageeeze, doo ye no loike, ye f****n wa***r.

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irishpjk | Nov 09, 2012, 11:28 PM EST

Its Gone

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irishpjk | Nov 09, 2012, 11:16 PM EST

wtf Too bad the G W Bush plan was shot down because so many people were afraid it would make him look good. However all is not lost it looks like some Obama people remember it and are trying to give it a new name. I just wonder how long you will leave this comment up for; most of mine don’t last to long.

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