BEDFORD — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s defeat in last week’s primary suggests it’s going to be challenging to make headway on immigration reform, U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte told a group Monday in Bedford.
Speaking at a roundtable organized by the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, was critical of the immigration bill backed by the Senate and said any reform efforts must start with a focus on increased enforcement.
“Adding to that is the political element,” he said, noting Cantor — whom he described as a friend and solid conservative leader — was defeated in a race in which the immigration debate played a big role.
“It’s going to make it a lot harder for this issue to come up in the near future,” said Goodlatte, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, which has been working on the immigration issue.
Cantor, a seven-term incumbent, suffered a stunning upset to newcomer Dave Brat in last week’s Republican primary.
Brat criticized Cantor for, among other things, his position on amnesty and said a vote for Cantor was a vote for open borders.
Cantor said he strongly opposed blanket amnesty, but felt a legal status should be found for children, who he said shouldn’t suffer for their parents’ actions.
On Monday, while Goodlatte spoke highly of Cantor, he pledged to support Brat in the general elections and said it was important Republicans hold onto that seat.
“If we’re going to win elections, we’ve got to pull everybody together,” he said.
Goodlatte spoke to about 20 Bedford business leaders during a roundtable held at the Bedford Area Welcome Center, and was asked at one point what could be done to sort out the “chaos” of the current immigration system.
“Enforcement has to be first, and it has to be up and operating effectively,” he said, calling for better border controls, a biometric-based visa system and other measures.
Once enforcement is stepped up, officials can consider finding an “appropriate status” for those here unlawfully, he said.
But he argued the Senate bill makes the mistake of offering a pathway to citizenship upfront. In the past, he said, increased enforcement has been promised as part of these proposals but never materialized.
Goodlatte also reiterated his opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed carbon emission rules and to the Affordable Care Act.
During a Q&A, Bedford County School Board Chairman Gary Hostetler said the schools are forced to juggle their substitute teacher rotation to ensure no substitute exceeds an average of 29 hours per week — the benchmark that triggers an ACA requirement to provide them health insurance.
“It’s going to be pretty chaotic,” said Hostetler, noting a classroom with a teacher on extended leave may not be able to have the same substitute all week.
The school division is buying a new software system to help it keep better track of its 300-400 substitutes and ensure it doesn’t put itself under the ACA requirements, he said.
Goodlatte said the Bedford schools’ dilemma is an example of what happens when the federal government sets a policy without regard for a local entity’s need or ability to pay.
“The unintended consequences of a government-knows-best policy are what you’re confronting and what private businesses are confronting,” he said.
In an interview with reporters, Goodlatte spoke about the insurgency in Iraq and said it must be primarily up to the Iraqis to show the “determination and the courage” to put an end to the violence.
“I think it’s very, very important that we make sure the Iraqis understand that when we made the huge commitment we made, it was with the understanding they would take responsibility for their own future,” he said. “I think they’re starting to wake up, from what I’ve seen of some of the reports over the weekend.”
The U.S. should look for opportunities to back up the country through air support and other measures, Goodlatte said, but should only consider sending in troops to protect its embassy or evacuate U.S. officials.
During Monday’s Q&A, state Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg, told Goodlatte he was concerned about the seniority Virginia was losing in its congressional delegation with the defeat of Cantor and retirements of long-time legislators James Moran and Frank Wolf.
Virginia is major recipient of federal dollars and its economy is reliant on military spending, Garrett noted.
Goodlatte said this was not the first rebuilding year the delegation has gone through.
“We’re going to have to bring the people who replace them up to speed as quickly as possible, and we’re all going to have step up and make sure our constituents’ concerns are represented,” he said.
