Chris Frates explains that the leadership of the House Republicans wants to delay voting on (passing) immigration reform until after the August recess because members don’t want to get screamed at during their town hall meetings back home.
That’s part of it. But, more importantly, the later the Republicans act, the harder it will be for primary challengers to get organized and raise money. They are probably looking for a sweet spot that diminishes the likelihood of a viable challenge but still leaves enough time for strong emotions to fade. In other words, the fall instead of the spring.
The problem, however, is that Boehner and his leadership are trying to roll their own caucus, and they are doing it in plain sight. They want immigration reform because they do not believe that the Republicans can field a viable presidential candidate in 2016 without it. But the House rank-and-file doesn’t give a shit because they don’t like brown people. They are also justifiably paranoid because their leadership is looking to screw them.
