House Republicans plan a renewed push on healthcare reform, with a vote on an alternative plan before the end of the year, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Sunday.
Further, party members held a "very robust discussion" about immigration during their annual retreat, held last week, Cantor told "Face the Nation" jost Major Garrett in an interview aired Sunday. Party members don't trust the Obama administration to properly implement immigration reform.
"We just heard the President in his State of the Union address say, you know what, if he can work with Congress, he's going to do it his own way," said Cantor. "And that sort of breeds this kind of distrust and I think we're going to have to do something about that in order to see a way forward on immigration."
Editor's Note: 22 Hidden Taxes and Fees Set to Hit You With Obamacare. Read the Guide to Protect Yourself.
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Cantor said a successful immigration policy will have to ensure that the nation's borders are controlled.
"This goes back to the distrust," said Cantor. "There's not been a determined sense that we are going to secure the borders and make sure that the laws on the books are being implemented now. I would say that is a precursor and has to happen first."
Immigrants want to come to the United States because the nation's laws create opportunity, and "we want to make sure, before anything else, that there is border security and implementation of the laws."
Cantor said he believes both sides of the immigration issue should deal with one principle they can agree on — the children.
"Most people say this country has never held kids liable for the misdeeds of their parents," said Cantor. "I think that in many instances, kids have been brought here and some, unbeknownst to themselves, and brought here illegally, and yet they know no other place is home. Certainly we ought to take care of that problem."
Cantor said Republicans also want to help the nation's problems with job growth.
"We know that 75 percent of Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck," said Cantor. "We've come up with some real solutions to help America work for those people too."
Cantor said that Americans need to be able to trust that President Barack Obama will implement laws that are passed.
"Look what he's done with Obamacare, said Cantor. "He has selectively enforced that law and some have raised constitutional questions whether he can even do some things like that."
As a result, Cantor said, "Obamacare is on borrowed time. Policies are being canceled, prices are going up, access to hospitals are being limited … we want a healthcare system that works for all Americans."
Part of the Republicans' plan for health care reform deals with people with pre-existing conditions.
"We don't want them to go without coverage," said Cantor. "We just deal with it in a way, and provide high risk pools, so that we can limit the increase in costs for everybody else and do it in a much more effective manner."
Further, Cantor said Republicans believe people should have their choice of insurers, and should be able to buy coverage across state lines.
"We ought to have patient-centered care, not care dictated by Washington, which is why we want to promote health savings accounts," said Cantor. "These are the kind of things that are in our proposal."
Editor's Note: 22 Hidden Taxes and Fees Set to Hit You With Obamacare. Read the Guide to Protect Yourself.
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