Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has received a pledge from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) that if he is elected speaker, he will not pass immigration reform while President Obama is in office or without majority support from House Republicans.
Brooks delivered a letter to Ryan last week asking him to agree to those terms, which Ryan verbally agreed to during a meeting with the House Freedom Caucus, according to Brooks.
“Struggling American families have lost more than 8 million job opportunities to illegal aliens. All lower and middle income American workers have suffered from suppressed wages caused by the surge in both illegal alien and lawful immigrant labor supply,” Brooks began in the letter. “Your past record and current stance on immigration conflicts with the values of the Americans I represent and causes great concern to me and the Americans I represent.”
Brooks then asked Ryan to confirm that he would not pass immigration legislation under Obama or without the support of Republicans.
The congressman said that if Ryan does not agree to the pledges in the letter, “it will be very difficult for me to vote for you for Speaker on the House Floor.”
Brooks will enter the letter into the Congressional Record on Tuesday, his office confirmed.
Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Ryan, told National Review that Ryan has made it “clear” that he will not push for immigration reform while Obama is president.
National Review first reported on Brooks’ letter.
Read the letter Brooks sent to Ryan:
