Senator Marco Rubio is bailing on his own immigration bill.
Not only is the senator from Florida now telling House Republicans not to pass the Senate legislation he co-sponsored and championed for months hes urging them not to negotiate with the Senate at all.
In a brutal twist for reform, Rubios office told conservative news outlet Breitbart on Sunday that Speaker Boehner should not go to conference with the Senate to pass a final bill. Thats the position anti-immigration House Republicans have taken for months, but the whole reason they oppose Senate talks is that theyre scared Boehner will cut a deal thats well, thats just like Rubios bill.
An all or nothing strategy on immigration reform would result in nothing, Rubio spokesman Alex Conant told msnbc. What is keeping us from progress on a series of immigration issues on which there is strong consensus is the fear that a conference committee on a limited bill will be used to negotiate a comprehensive one. We should take that option off the table so that we can begin to move on the things we agree on.
