Over on the home page, I report on the House’s “Gang of Six,” which is quite different than the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” The House gang is comprised of six conservatives, and it’s hoping to stymie the Gang of Eight’s push for comprehensive immigration reform.
A lot has changed in six years. In 2007, when Congress was last trying to pass an immigration bill, GOP critics of that version of “comprehensive reform” dominated the headlines, and their vocal opposition to what was then the Gang of Twelve’s plan scared off many Republicans who might otherwise have supported it. This time around, the anti-legalization warriors wonder why their party suddenly seems to be ignoring their concerns. “We’re seeing the inertia, and we’re concerned about having this wash over us,” King says.
Yet in spite of the eye rolling they generate within the Beltway establishment, these six colorful members (Gohmert, Bachmann, and King are frequent guests on cable news) might effectively stymie the Gang of Eight’s quest for a comprehensive package. King and company are preparing to block whatever comes out of the Senate, and they think they, not Rubio, will be the Republicans who shape the debate, especially on talk radio and within the conservative movement.
Read more about the efforts of Steve King, Michele Bachmann, Louie Gohmert, Mo Brooks, Lou Barletta, and Dana Rohrabacher, here.