No, He Can't Have It Both Ways.

We've heard this before. We've heard this so many times it's become predictable. Yet for some reason, Rep. Joe Heck (R-Henderson) keeps trying to have it both ways on comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). He says he's for it, yet does nothing to pass it.

We saw this song & dance routine again last night at Rep. Heck's Green Valley High School town hall meeting. When asked by constituents why he hasn't voted for CIR already, he reiterated his "support"... Then proceeded to offer excuses for the House's failure to address CIR.





Several constituents asked Rep. Heck about the status of CIR in the House. And from there, it quickly went downhill for him.



Apparently, we're not the only ones who remember Rep. Joe Heck's promising words on CIR exactly one year ago. And we're not the only ones who remember Rep. Heck's vote to deport DREAMers last June, as that was also brought up last night. Oh, and quite a few of the town hall attendees also remembered Rep. Joe Heck's renewed call for CIR last August.

Yet later that month at another town hall meeting, Rep. Joe Heck backed away and promoted a "step by step approach". Yet despite his promises that would result in overall CIR, the House has failed to pass any sort of immigration reform (other than the anti-CIR "Deport DREAMers" amendment mentioned above). That's why NV-03 constituent Ron Nelsen asked him to just sign a discharge petition for HR 15 already.



Last night, Rep. Heck dared the audience to name any House Republican who's done more for CIR than he has. Off the top of our heads, we can name three: Jeff Denham (R-California), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), and David Valadao (R-California). Unlike Heck, they already agreed to cosponsor HR 15. And if they, Heck, and 20 more House Republicans sign a discharge petition for HR 15, they can then pass CIR once & for all.

They can't say the votes aren't there. After all, CIR arch nemesis Steve King (R-Iowa) admitted earlier this month that the votes exist to pass CIR.

And in a shocking turn of events, even Senator Dean Heller has broken his silence on the House's failure to pass CIR. The Reno Gazette Journal's Ray Hagar caught Senator Heller speaking with CIR advocates in Reno yesterday. And at that gathering, Senator Heller clearly indicated that the House has the votes to pass CIR.

So what's holding it up? Last night, Heck attempted to deflect blame onto President Obama, CIR advocates, the Senate (Hear that, Senator Dean Heller?), and whoever else he could think of. But ultimately, it's always been House Republicans' choice to kill CIR. Heck, they even decided to kill their own "principles for immigration reform"! So there's no one else Rep. Heck can blame.

Funny enough, Rep. Heck finally declared after a night of frustrating questions, "You can't have it both ways!" He's quite correct on that. And he needs to start taking his own advice. He can't claim he's for CIR, then stand with his "leadership" and make excuses for their decision to kill CIR. If he truly wants reform, then he must make the effort to pass it. He simply can't have it both ways.