Filed under: President Obama
From The Huffington Post:
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will kick off a campaign-style push on comprehensive immigration reform Tuesday afternoon with a major speech in El Paso, Texas, but don't expect Congress to pass legislation anytime soon.
The president is "trying to lead a constructive and civil debate on the need to fix the broken immigration system," said a senior administration official during a Monday night conference call. The official said Obama will lay out a blueprint for action during his speech and will continue pressing the issue in the coming months as part of a broader effort to "responsibly move forward in advancing legislation in Congress."
But the political reality is that Republicans, and some Democrats vulnerable in the 2012 elections, have zero interest in taking on such a contentious issue -- a detail that Obama will likely gloss over in his speech.
"He's going to make the case that legislation is the root of reform," said the official. "He wants to [pass legislation] as soon as possible, but he's not going to lay out any timelines."
In recent weeks, the president has tried to jump-start momentum on immigration reform. He has held a string of high-profile meetings with business and faith leaders, law enforcement officials, lawmakers and Hispanic Hollywood celebrities as part of a broader effort to rally the public on the issue. His Tuesday speech will highlight two specific aspects of reform: border security -- and the progress his administration has already made on this front -- and potential economic benefits.
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