John Boehner Should Lose Speakership If He Pushes Immigration Reform In 2014, Says Rep. Raúl Labrador

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that several of the GOP’s conservative members in the House and Senate are mounting a pushback against their House leaders’ immigration reform efforts, saying Republicans should bet on taking back the Senate in midterm elections -- and move on the issue only then, with both chambers controlled by the GOP. One representative, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, was particularly emphatic: in an interview with Roll Call this week, the former member of the House “Gang of Eight” on immigration said House Speaker John Boehner should lose his job if he insists.

If Boehner (R-Ohio) brings immigration reform bills to the House floor for a vote this year, Labrador said, “I think it should cost him his speakership.” He added, “There is a hunger in the conference for bold, visionary leaders, and this is not just conservatives -- you talk to more middle-of-the-road members of the conference, they’re kind of frustrated with the direction of this leadership, and they’re looking for ways to change that … I think you’re going to see some changes here in the House over the next year.”

NBC News reports that after a discussion on Wednesday sponsored by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, Labrador estimated to reporters that 80 percent of the House GOP opposed acting on immigration reform in 2014. "If he brings this to the floor, it's because he's not listening to the majority of the Republican conference," he said. Boehner has refused to introduce a comprehensive bill passed by the Senate last June, citing the “Hastert rule” -- in effect, that he would not act on any legislation that did not have the majority of his party members’ support.

This summer, Labrador left the House “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan team assembled to write the House’s own version of a comprehensive bill, over what he said were irresolvable disputes on healthcare for immigrants.