Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) said that President Barack Obama told him in March to bring him a “menu” of potential executive actions to grant more amnesty and ease deportations if Congress did not pass a comprehensive amnesty bill. Gutierrez said he and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus plan to do so when they hopefully meet with Obama around July 24th.
On this weekend’s Political Capital with Al Hunt on Bloomberg TV, Gutierrez said that Obama told him last March, “Luis, come back at the end of July. I want you to bring your menu at the end of the July. And we’re going to start picking from that menu [to pass more executive actions if the House does not pass amnesty legislation].”
When host Al Hunt asked Gutierrez whether he believed Obama could grant work permits to all of the country’s illegal immigrants, Gutierrez said, “I think he can begin to do it, and I think he can reach that goal, yes.”
“I think he can reach all of them,” he continued. “I don’t want to preclude the president. I hope the president says, ‘This is the beginning.'”
Gutierrez, who has already sent Obama a four-page wish list of executive actions, said that Obama should use the border crisis to ram through amnesty programs and ease more deportations.
After House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told Obama that Congress would not be voting on an immigration bill after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) was ousted because of his support for amnesty, Obama vowed to change as many of the country’s immigration laws as possible on his own. Gutierrez said Obama believed Boehner, who reportedly told Obama Congress could act on amnesty legislation next year, was his partner on amnesty legislation.
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