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 The move, likely to come early next year according to House
Republican leadership aides, may lead to other steps the House of
Representatives could contemplate to repair parts of U.S.
immigration law.
When legislation materializes, it would follow a year and half of
congressional inactivity in the aftermath of the passage of a
sprawling Senate bill backed by Obama but killed by the House.
"I think there is the realization...that this issue is not going
away," said Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, who has
labored to write broad immigration legislation.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul likely
will oversee the effort, according to leadership aides. McCaul has
pushed legislation imposing tough standards for border
apprehensions.
Given the House's rejection of the Senate's work in 2013, a strategy
is emerging for 2015 to have the House take the lead in the hope of
making better progress.
 The 2013 Senate bill's pathway to citizenship for millions of
undocumented residents was a lightning rod for opposition.
"I want it to start in the House," said Republican Senator John
McCain, a leading immigration reform proponent.
McCain said bills improving border security, establishing an online
system for companies to check their workers' immigration status and
expanding visas for high-tech foreign workers could be first out of
the gate. The latter two are important to U.S. businesses.
Senior House Republican aides said it was unclear what bills might
move next year beyond border security.
Republicans hope to gain more control of the immigration debate as
they will hold majorities in the House and Senate for the first time
since 2006.
They need to improve their standing with Hispanic-American voters as
the party strives to capture the White House in 2016.
DIFFICULTIES ABOUND
Passing tougher immigration measures will be difficult, though, as
Democratic votes will be needed.
Obama warned business leaders this week that "it's going to be hard,
I think, for me and for other Democrats" to support piecemeal
legislation that deals with the concerns of business but does not
address undocumented Americans.
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One leading Democrat on immigration, Representative Zoe Lofgren, was
asked if she could support a Republican border security bill, for
example.
"It depends on what it is," Lofgren said, adding Republican
Representative "Steve King wants to do a (border) wall with
electrified wire...I don't think that's a winning vote."
Ultimately, Republicans must address the approximately 12 million
undocumented residents living in the United States for extended
periods, McCain and Diaz-Balart said.
Many Republicans argue that allowing them to stay in the U.S.
rewards law-breakers.
Meanwhile, House Republican leadership is more conservative with the
recent election of Representative Steve Scalise to the third-ranking
position. Scalise opposes giving legal status to undocumented
residents.
Furthermore, the House immigration debate could unfold as a seasonal
spike of illegal migration from Central America gets underway. Last
summer's arrival of tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors stoked
tensions between Republicans and immigration advocates.
For legislation to succeed in 2015, "a lot of things have to line up
and they're not lined up now," said one Republican congressman who
asked not to be identified.
(Editing by Caren Bohan, Sandra Maler and Alan Crosby)
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