Immigration hearings resume
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SCOTT JAGOW: The debate over immigration reform has cooled off a bit recently, but the issue is still on the table. Or rather, it’s still on the floor in Congress. Today, lawmakers are taking their immigration plans to the people with field hearings in Pennsylvania and California. More now from Marketplace’s Scott Tong in Washington.
SCOTT TONG: The hearings are a bit of legislative touche between the two chambers of Congress.
The House has passed a narrow bill focused on toughening border security, which is the subject of today’s House hearing near the border in San Diego.
The Senate passed bill creates a guest worker program and lets illegal immigrants seek citizenship.
Not surprisingly, today’s Senate hearing in Philadelphia is called “examining the need for a guest worker program.”
Demetrios Papademetriou runs the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank.
DEMETRIOS PAPADEMETRIOU: This is not about discovery. Not about sort of introducing new ideas. This is really about bragging rights to say I held hearings and the people who I heard there testifying and most of the people in my room were supporting my view point.
Despite the dueling echo chambers, Republican negotiators are also talking in private to see if they can cut a deal and send a bill to the President.
In Washington, I’m Scott Tong for Marketplace.
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