The U.S. Capitol building in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
U.S. Rep. Marsha BlackburnWASHINGTON – Heard all about U.S. Sen. Bob Corker’s efforts on immigration reform?
As the path-to-citizenship debate shifts to the House, don’t count on anything near the same level of passion among the former Chattanooga mayor’s fellow Tennessee Republicans. All seven issued harsh statements or stayed mum on the question of 11 million undocumented immigrants already in America.
“The Senate amnesty bill is dead on arrival in the House of Representatives,” U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn said bluntly, hours after the Senate passed its reform bill by a margin of 68-32. “One of the great lessons we learned from Obamacare is that passing comprehensive reform packages creates more problems than they solve.”
No one minced words. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, of Jasper, said he’ll “fight to make sure this bill never reaches the floor.”
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, of Ooltewah, avoided discussion of the Senate bill altogether.