Reid on immigration reform: ‘We’re a long way from finished’

“We’re a long ways from finished. We’re only halfway done,” Reid said Monday according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Reid’s comments came at a rally with the Culinary Union Local 226 in Las Vegas just a few days after the Senate passed its immigration bill in a 68-32 vote. 

{mosads}The rally was intended to put pressure on Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Republicans to move on immigration reform. 

“Speaker Boehner cannot stand in the way of what the American people want and are going to demand,” Reid said. “Democrats support it; Republicans support it; Independents support it. All people support it except for Republicans in Congress.”

Boehner has said he would not bring any immigration reform bill to the floor that does not have the support of a majority of House Republicans. 

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who also spoke at the rally, said supporters of the Senate bill have worked to make it enticing to Republicans. For example, Senate Democrats agreed to amend the bill to include funding to double the number of agents on the border. 

“Even after that, they said they wanted 20,000 more border patrol agents. And what did we say, Democrats? Yes, because we want comprehensive immigration reform,” Gutierrez said. “It’s not a Republican solution; it’s not a Democratic solution. It’s an American solution.”

The Senate bill would tighten border security but also provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.