As Government Shutdown Looms, Eric Cantor Holds Meeting on Amnesty

As Congress faces a potential government shutdown, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is holding meetings to push amnesty for America’s illegal immigrants, National Review‘s Jonathan Strong reported on Twitter.

“With clock ticking on shutdown, big mtg in Cantors office just now on … Immigration,” Strong tweeted.

Cantor spokesman Rory Cooper confirmed the immigration meeting to Breitbart News.

“Before the Senate had sent the House back a CR today, the Majority Leader briefly met with colleagues today to discuss ongoing committee activities related to immigration,” Cooper said in an email. “He also met with constituents and addressed the National Homeschool Leaders Conference. His top priority this week, today, and over the coming days is to keep the government open, while protecting Americans from the harmful effects of Obamacare, obviously.”

Cantor is not the only prominent Republican pushing for amnesty as a government shutdown looms.

According to MSNBC, Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) said they met with House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who is still pushing for an immigration bill, one that could go to conference with the Senate’s bill in an attempt to salvage it. “I’m happy that he says that he’s moving forward, that he’s looking for a bill that can go to conference,” Gutierrez said this Thursday about the meeting with Goodlatte. “That is a step in the right direction.”

Cuellar, according to MSNBC, added that Goodlatte “asked for his [Cuellar’s] help in selling a compromise to Democrats” on amnesty. “But Cuellar added that he and Gutierrez have yet to hear any details about the potential breakthrough offer Goodlatte’s considering,” MSNBC wrote.

In addition to those efforts, Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus is headed to Telemundo to make an appearance with former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman and current Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Telemundo’s Sunday program “Enfoque” this weekend. While the agenda for that program has not been announced, it is all but certain amnesty will come up for discussion. Priebus led an RNC effort to pass a party resolution in Boston this summer calling for it, and Kaine spoke in Spanish on the Senate floor in support of the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” this summer. 

An RNC spokesman has confirmed to Breitbart News that Priebus will discuss, among other things, immigration in the Telemundo appearance with Kaine.