6 People to Watch in the House Immigration Debate

May 28, 2013— -- intro: While there's no guarantee that an immigration reform bill will pass in the Senate, any bill with a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants will certainly have a harder road in the House.

The reason: the Senate is controlled by Democrats, who favor citizenship for the undocumented. Among Republicans, who control the House, views are more mixed.

How immigration legislation will fair in the House has a lot to do with Republican leadership, most importantly House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). He's committed to passing an immigration bill, but says the House won't rubber stamp something that comes from the Senate.

Here's a look at Boehner and six other people to watch during the House immigration debate:

quicklist: 1title: John Boehner (R-Ohio)

text: In some ways it makes sense that the fate of an immigration bill will hinge on how Boehner approaches the issue.

He opened the door for the possibility of passing a bill two days after the Republicans lost the presidential election:

"I think a comprehensive approach is long overdue, and I'm confident that the President, myself, others, can find the common ground to take care of this issue once and for all," he said on ABC's "World News With Diane Sawyer."

That seemed to place him in the same camp as Republican strategists who thought the party needed an image-overhaul with Latino voters, and that immigration was the way to do that.

But he's yet to take a stance on how his chamber should approach immigration legislation, and it's unclear exactly how he'll guide a bill through. Even he seems confused:

"We're not going to be stampeded by the White House or stampeded by the president," Boehner said on May 23. "The Senate is working its will, a lot of good work that's going on over there, but the House will work its will. Don't ask me how, because if I knew I'd certainly tell you, but the House is going to work its will."

That approach might not instill confidence, but it does mean he's someone to watch as legislation nears a vote in the other chamber.

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quicklist: 2title: Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

text: As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Goodlatte oversees immigration legislation. He has a reputation as a border hawk, but he's sent a different message lately.

He's led a series of committee hearings on issues like border security, agricultural workers and families separated by the immigration system. And to the surprise of immigrant rights activists, he rolled out a pretty balanced lineup of witness, and kept the dialogue civil.

Still, he's stopped short of saying he would support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and he's openly criticized the bill in the Senate.

Goodlatte will probably follow whatever internal strategy is laid out by House leadership, but he'll definitely be heard in the debate.

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quicklist: 3title: Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.)

text: Chances are if you have followed the immigration debate during the past decade, you're familiar with Gutierrez's name.

The Chicago congressman has long been an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights. He has derided Republicans for years for adopting a get-tough approach on immigration enforcement. But Gutiérrez also hasn't shied away from criticizing President Obama for overseeing record levels of deportations during his five years in the White House.