Ryan Backs Off on Immigration

House Speaker Paul Ryan promised conservatives he would not move immigration reform legislation during the current session of Congress, a leading conservative lawmaker said Friday.

Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, voted for Ryan to replace Rep. John Boehner as speaker despite concerns over the Wisconsin lawmaker’s past support for reform that would offer eventual citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants.

Jordan said on “The Laura Ingraham Show” that Ryan also promised never to bring up immigration reform without support from the majority of GOP representatives, even if a future president seeks it.

The Freedom Caucus was instrumental in pushing Boehner out the door and lined up early behind Florida Rep. Daniel Webster when it looked as if Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California would take the speaker’s gavel. But the caucus splintered after McCarthy withdrew. Most backed Ryan, but enough representatives stuck with Webster to block a formal endorsement.

One of those Freedom Caucus members who remained in Webster’s camp, fellow Floridian Curt Clawson, told Ingraham on Friday he was staying true to his commitment.

“We said that we would stand up, and that’s what we did,” he said, adding he will support Ryan for the good of the party and the country now that he has been elected.

Clawson said immigration hurts American workers. The same goes with multinational trade deals, he said. He tried to include rules on currency manipulation in this summer’s bill giving President Obama authority to negotiate a 12-nation trade pact. The amendment failed, but Clawson noted it won support from both Ford Motor Co. and the United Auto Workers.

“This is a bipartisan issue that we can win going away,” he said.

Jordan, the Freedom Caucus chief, said the caucus made an impact, citing Ryan’s speech Thursday when he took over the speaker’s gavel and promised to change the way the House operates.

“I don’t think he makes those remarks but for the work of our 40-member caucus,” he said.

Jordan said the caucus will hold Ryan to his pledges.

“We got assurances on changing the process so a handful of people aren’t at the top making all the decisions,” Jordan said.

He said the United States needs to reform welfare to reduce the incentive for people to come to the country for the wrong reasons. He did not answer questions, however, about whether legal immigration is excessive.

Ingraham noted the country hands out a million green cards and 700,000 guest worker visas every year — figures that Jordan was not familiar with.

“Let’s follow the law,” said Jordan. “Let’s not give amnesty like the president’s executive order does.”