WASHINGTON – A secretive group of House members from both parties is racing
to complete an immigration bill in the next two weeks with an eye toward
introducing legislation before President Obama’s State of the Union address
on Feb. 12, said two congressional aides who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The draft bill, written behind closed doors by three Democrats and three
Republicans, so far includes a path to legal status, new border security
measures and tighter restrictions on employers. It tracks closely with the
blueprint laid out by the bipartisan group of senators on Tuesday, said the
aides.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said in a statement that the senators’
principles “are compatible with discussions in the House.” Diaz-Balart
would not give details about those discussions and would not explicitly
confirm he is a member of the group.
Congressional aides confirmed that along with Diaz-Balart, Republicans John
Carter and Sam Johnson, both of Texas, are part of the group, with Democrats
Luis V. Gutierrez of Illinois, Zoe Lofgren of San Jose, and the chairman of
the House Democratic caucus, Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles.