Shutdown Might Not Shut Out Immigration Legislation
LAS VEGAS — Despite the government shutdown, there is an effort underway in Congress to push immigration reform legislation back into the spotlight.
Immigrant rights activists are calling on politicians to keep immigration reform from being swept under the rug. This may be a tall order with the government shutdown overshadowing Washington.
But Nevada Democratic Congressman Steven Horsford has co-authored a new immigration reform bill – saying he hopes quote "toxic obstruction" in the government won't blight the opportunity for this legislation.
The new bill is nearly identical to the one the Senate passed last June, but includes a more extensive border security measure. Horsford is backed by Democrats from several states.
But with no Republican support for the bill in the House, it is not likely to ever see its way out of committee.
Still, some Republicans are open to moving some kind of immigration legislation forward. Nevada Republican Congressmen Joe Heck and Mark Amodei say they are working on their own draft proposals for a bill.
