John Boehner Calls Harry Reid's Immigration Idea 'Nutso'

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday that he isn't going to let immigration reform become part of the effort to address the current border crisis, regardless of what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) threatens to do.

"Instead of addressing the crisis at hand, Senate Democrats are talking up some nutso scheme to jam through the Senate immigration bill, even though they know it will never happen," Boehner said at a weekly press conference. "I'll say it one more time: The House will not take up the Senate immigration reform bill or accept it back from the Senate in any fashion, including in this border bill."

Reid said on Tuesday that perhaps the Senate could add the comprehensive immigration reform bill that has already passed the upper chamber onto anything the House approves to deal with the ongoing border crisis.

"If they pass [border crisis funding], maybe it's an opening for us to have a conference on our comprehensive immigration reform. If they're finally sending us something on immigration, maybe we could do that," Reid told reporters.

The House is set to vote Thursday on a bill that would allocate $659 million to address the problem of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. The funding package includes measures most Democrats oppose, such as changing the law to speed up deportations and sending National Guard troops to the border. The White House has already issued a veto threat on the House legislation.

The Senate Democrats' bill, meanwhile, would appropriate $2.7 billion for the border crisis, but likely does not have the votes to gain final approval.