Cornyn: Not 'Advantageous' to Shift from Obamacare to 'Divisive' Amnesty Push

The second highest-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate is warning House GOP leadership against moving down the pathway towards amnesty because it will distract from Obamacare ahead of the 2014 elections.

Appearing on a Lubbock, Texas radio program Thursday morning, KFYO’s The Chad Hasty Show, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the Senate Minority Whip, said that it would not be “advantageous” for House Republican leadership to travel down this road at this time.

“I’m very skeptical that anything’s going to happen between now and November, other than to change the subject from Obamacare,” Cornyn said. “I honestly don’t think [it] is advantageous to us between now and November to engage in the divisive discussion about immigration.” 

He continued:

I am one of those that believes the current, the status quo, is unacceptable, and we do need to fix it. And so I do think that what the House is discussing is constructive, although I’m certainly not going to sign onto what they’re coming up with without seeing it myself. I don’t think the status quo is acceptable, but I agree with you that I don’t think it’s something that’s going to happen between now and November.

Cornyn went on to say that Republicans in the House should wait until after the 2014 elections to talk about immigration.

“What I would prefer is for us to have this discussion in earnest when Republicans are in the majority in the Senate and in the House, and then we can control the bills that go across the floor and look for areas where we can achieve some consensus, but particularly with border security and enforcement,” Cornyn said. “That’s got to happen before we get any public confidence in the federal government’s ability to deal with this.”

Cornyn’s warning to House GOP leadership is similar to what his Texas colleague, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), has said. In a statement exclusive to Breitbart News on Thursday, Cruz said that House Republicans pushing for amnesty will cost the GOP a chance at retaking the Senate in November’s midterm congressional elections.

Many other senators, including Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL), have also been aggressive in warning House Republicans against moving in the direction of amnesty.