House Gang of Eight to Unveil Amnesty Bill in June

After lengthy negotiations, the bipartisan Gang of Eight in the House of Representatives announced the group has agreed to a “comprehensive” immigration reform plan. “We have an agreement in principle,” declared Rep. John Carter (R-TX) while announcing the Gang will introduce the bill “at the very latest” in the first week in June. (The Hill, May 16, 2013;BGov, May 16, 2013)

While refusing to discuss any of the bill’s actual details, House Gang members offered conflicting accounts on the bill’s overall status. “The big hurdles are taken care of, so now it’s an issue of finalizing the draft,” announced Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL). (The Hill, May 16, 2013) On the other hand, Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) was a little more cautious, “Until you get a bill to the president’s desk, you have to continue to convene.” (CQ Today, May 16, 2013) “We have to continue to have the conversation.” (Id.)

Notably, the two most contentious issues according to Gang members — a temporary guest worker program and a health insurance requirement for amnestied illegal aliens — remain unresolved. (The Hill, May 16, 2013) “We expect to have several viable options presented,” Carter said. (BGov, May 16, 2013) “We’re basically going to leave it open…It will be determined either in committee or on the floor.” (The Hill, May 16, 2013)

Despite the House Gang’s optimism about its “comprehensive” amnesty bill reaching the chamber floor, its future remains uncertain given it conflicts with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s preference of a piecemeal approach. “The House Judiciary Committee intends to examine immigration reform in a step-by-step approach,” Goodlatte told reporters last month during a press conference. (ABC News-Univision, Apr. 25, 2013)