The push for immigration reform on Captiol Hill has been in overdrive thus far in 2013, but last week’s recess serves as a reminder — if one was needed — that the issue is far from settled.
On the face of things, there’s plenty of momentum in Congress: The Senate Gang of Eight hopes to have a bill by mid-March; labor and business groups agreed on basic principles for low-skill workers; and a series of congressional hearings on the topic already have begun in earnest.
But momentum can change quickly, and last week saw signs of roadblocks for immigration legislation.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who was part of the failed 2007 immigration reform effort and is taking a lead role in the Senate bill this year, faced angry constituents at a series of town halls in his home state.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) said he does not support an eventual path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.