7. Washington Watch:

Dem to Obama: Push immigration or I’ll tell Latino voters to stay home

The Hill reports that Illinois Congressman Louis Gutierrez has threatened to encourage Latino voters to stay home from the polls in the fall, if President Obama and the Democratic Party do not an effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform before then.

Gutierrez, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) says that Latinos have lost patience with waiting for reform, and predicted that there would be an ‘escalation’ of activism aimed at forcing the issue of immigration reform to the top of the party agenda. One of the last straws for activists came in January, when the President glossed over the issue in the State of the Union, barely giving it more than a mention in passing.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/93183-dem-to-obama-push-immigration-or-ill-tell-latino-votersto-stay-home

* * * * * *

U.S. Senators Postpone Climate Bill Unveiling

The New York Times reports that one of the administration’s priorities—climate control and tackling global warming—has taken a hit, in the wake of the fight over immigration reform. The climate reform was hurt when Republican Senator Lindsey Graham pulled his support, the only bipartisan participation in the proposed climate bill, if immigration overhaul is brought up in the Senate before climate change is.

The fate of both bills rests on the ability of Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama to rally support from Republicans, who have so far resisted cooperating for the past two years on most major Democratic initiatives. Senators were holding out hope though, as Senator Joe Lieberman declared that Democrats “are hopeful that Lindsey (Graham) will rejoin us (on climate control) once the politics of immigration are solved.”

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/24/us/politics/politics-us-climate-usa-congress.html

* * * * * *

Reid tries to jump Graham roadblock

The Politico is reporting that Senate Democrats, with Harry Reid at the lead, have been circulating a framework for immigration reform that they hope will attract a Republican sponsor to replace Lindsey Graham, and may ease the path to tackling both energy reform and immigration reform this year.

Graham, the lone Republican sponsor on both bills, threatened to withdraw his support from both measures unless the Democrats agreed to table immigration reform for the year. A Democratic aide confirmed that “Senate Democrats were not prepared to give him that promise.” President Obama has urged passage of both bills.

Immigration advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have become convinced that Graham is trying to delay the debate and vote this year on immigration because it could damage Sen. John McCain. McCain faces a tough primary in Arizona, a state where immigration is a hot-button issue, after the recently passed state legislation. Majority Leader Harry Reid, however, has promised Hispanic supporters in Nevada that he will move immigration reform to the Senate floor this year.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=46AEBBEA-18FE-70B2-A8FF78E46FA1158C

* * * * * *

Boehner: Immigration reform unlikely

The Politico reports that top House Republican John Boehner (R-OH) has claimed that the immigration overhaul legislation will not be brought up this year, calling it a ‘cynical ploy’ to drive up Hispanic and liberal voters in the fall midterm elections.

Boehner said “There is not a chance that immigration is going to move through the Congress.” This is significant, as any reform bill would likely need bipartisan support to pass in either chamber.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36558.html

* * * * * *

Bill Clinton: U.S. needs immigrants

The Politico reports that former President Bill Clinton has voiced support for two hot-button political issues: immigration and financial overhauls. The former President made a “robust pitch” for immigration reform, saying that allowing new immigrants into the country is not only acceptable, but necessary for preserving the economic future of the country.

Saying that the US has become an ‘older society,’ Clinton stressed the need for newcomers to provide a labor force and contribute taxes which will be necessary for financing the retiring generation. Stressing the possibility for immigrants to reverse the age ratio, Clinton added, “If we have any advantage over China…or India…it’s that we’ve got people from everywhere. This country still works for immigrants.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36531.html

* * * * * *