House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday suggested that House Republicans have yet to move on immigration reform because of racial issues.
“I think race has something to do with them not bringing up the immigration bill. I’ve heard them say to the Irish, ‘If it was just you, it would be easy,’ ” she said at a press conference when asked about a feud between Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX), in which Holder implied that he was treated a certain way because of his race, according to Roll Call.
Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, clarified to National Journal that the speaker heard about House Republicans’ comments about the Irish and immigration from Irish immigration activists.
Pelosi said that she did not know how much race was a factor in how Republicans treat the Obama administration, but said that GOP disrespect for women is “self-evident,” according to Roll Call.
When asked on Thursday about the exchange between Holder and Gohmert, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said that “there’s no issue of race here,” according to Roll Call.
