WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus had harsh words for House Democratic leaders who have scheduled a series of immigration hearings to highlight various proposals.

"Several House committee members are preparing to hear immigration hearings on piecemeal legislation," said Caucus Chairman Rep. Joe Baca, D-CA, at a news conference. "These bills are nothing more than a Band-Aid being used to cover up a gaping wound."

The hearing strategy was crafted in response to Republican-led efforts to force two smaller immigration bills to the floor: one that increases access to seasonal H-2B visas and an enforcement measure dubbed the "SAVE Act."

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-IL is adamant that even limited immigration bills should address the illegal immigrant population through a broader bill. "How is it that you go about bringing enforcement-only legislation and giving it hearings at every possible level of the Democratic leadership without having also comprehensive immigration reform included?" he asked.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-AZ, said the CHC's efforts to pass a comprehensive bill have been "replaced by the spineless action of our Caucus. ... Now, they blame the CHC as being obstructionist."

But Baca refused to state whether the CHC would vote as a bloc against a more limited immigration measure. "I don't know. That's something we would like to see, to incorporate into [a] comprehensive" bill, he said. Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for House Speaker Pelosi, placed the blame for the immigration quagmire on Republicans.

"Speaker Pelosi is committed to balanced, fair and bipartisan immigration reform legislation, but unless the president and the Republican leadership engage Democrats in a positive way instead of using this issue to score partisan political points, members will only grow more frustrated with the process," he said.

Rep. Tom Allen, D-ME, who has called for legislation to give employers access to more seasonal H-2B visas, said Congress has acted on that measure several times in recent years without wading into the dicey area of illegal immigration.

"It doesn't minimize the importance of comprehensive immigration reform at all, but that is such a heavy lift in this election year that I believe we have to do the business we've been doing for several years now," Allen said.

Source: Congress DailyAM