This has been done by both Republican and Democratic presidents, so it’s not the reach that Ryan and Republicans claim – but then, they can’t forcefully admit that undocumented immigrants aren’t all rapists, lest their base unseat them, so we can’t really take their word for much.
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Republican voters have been showing a decided preference for outsiders in the Republican presidential nomination contest, so far, largely as a reaction against veteran GOP leaders, such as Mr. Boehner. His party is fractured.
At 9:25 a.m. on CNN Newsroom, host Carol Costello brought up Speaker Ryan’s comments about paid family leave.
This demonstrates the new speaker’s predicament.
Paul Ryan (R-WI) stated that he wouldn’t do a comprehensive immigration bill with President Obama in office, but “f we can get consensus how to better secure the border, do things like interior enforcement, that’s something I’d think we’d want to work on” and that Republicans need to “show the people of this country how we would do things differently” and not stop “trying, and from offering ideas” even if they can’t pass everything they want into law on Wednesday’s “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” on the Fox News Channel. Managing this House will be like herding cats. National treasure Judy Schneider who provides orientation for new members of Congress stresses three critical elements of success on the Hill: procedure, policy, and politics. Let’s see how that goes.
Well, yes, the president did issue an executive order to shield a few immigrants from deportation after it became obvious that Republicans were simply going to block all efforts at true reform. It is a job that he initially didn’t want, but he now says as Speaker he can now work to unify an extremely divided Congress. Ryan sat down with our Dana Bash to discuss his decision to take the job and the demands he had for taking it. Take a listen. Issues like funding for Planned Parenthood, Affordable Care Act, Wall Street regulations, and environmental concerns are all issues that will be fiercely debated on. The National Journal rates him as the most conservative speaker in history.
A year ago Rep. Ryan released his vaulted plan to help the nation’s poor, Expanding Opportunity in America, that Robert Greenstein of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) said would likely increase poverty and reduce resources for the poor.
By ruling out immigration reform, Ryan seems to be doing Rubio a favor in the short term, during the Republican primary. In his new position, he must face the public-something he has not done well in the past. Sooner or later the Speaker must give straight answers. During his Meet The Press interview, moderator Chuck Todd repeatedly pressed him for one idea he would advance as Speaker. That Republicans can’t trust a president who used executive orders to make broad changes to immigration policy, instead of working through the legislative process.
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As The Washington Post noted, the 2013 bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill created by the Senate’s Gang of Eight has been sitting in the Republican-controlled House for the last 29 months. I sincerely hope Paul Krugman, Bob Greenstein and a host of others are wrong about the new Speaker.
