Boehner: It’s ‘time to deal’ with immigration

A bipartisan group of House members has been quietly meeting and is close to an agreement on changes to propose the nation's immigration laws, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said last week in a speech to a Republican group.

In a speech that was closed to the press, Boehner told the Ripon Society, a Republican public policy organization, on Tuesday that it is "time to deal" with immigration changes. He said the House group, whose members he did not name, have been holding quiet conversations for three or four years and would be coming forward soon with proposals.

The Ripon Society released some excerpts on Wednesday but Boehner's comments came in a question-and-answer period that has received less notice. They were first reported Saturday by the Hill newspaper.