Gutierrez and Honda Push for Gay Rights in Immigration Law

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More than 100 House Democrats, including many Hispanics, have signed on to the comprehensive immigration bill Gutierrez introduced last December. But Joanna Burgos, a National Republican Campaign Committee spokeswoman, said the gay-rights provision—opposed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and National Association of Evangelicals—could scare away some of those supporters.

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“If they’re trying to appeal to the Hispanic vote, gay marriage is not the right issue for their socially conservative values,” Burgos said. “I think it puts Democrats in Hispanic districts in an awkward position because they are very socially conservative.” …

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Republican leaders, who are pressing the federal government to secure the border before fixing its broken immigration system, said they won’t support the immigration reform so long as it includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

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“They’re trying to sweeten the package, but the fact is it’s got a poison pill inside it. They’re asking us to swallow amnesty,” said Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), chairman of the bipartisan Immigration Reform Caucus. “This is a special package that rewards illegal behavior instead of enforcing the law.”