The American people expect their president and political leaders — Democrats and Republicans — to find an "agreed way" to address changes to the immigration system, said House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.
"I think the Republicans, hopefully, will take some of what the president suggests. I think (Democrats) and the president should take what the Republicans suggest and fix the system that everybody says is broken.
"It's not our way or their way. It is an agreed way. And, I think that's how it will work, I hope. And, I think that's what's the American people expect," the Maryland Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday.
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If President Barack Obama follows through on his pledge to use executive order to overhaul the nation's immigration system, Hoyer said it could be a "forcing action" to prompt House Speaker John Boehner to urge Republicans to support an immigration bill.
"It may give Speaker Boehner the opportunity to say to his members, 'Look, the president's done an executive order. But, that's not permanent law. And, we can change that, and we can make the law, if we pass a comprehensive bill,'" he said.
Hoyer said the public and lawmakers recognized there needed to be changes to the immigration system.
"Every Republican leader that I talked to says the immigration system is broken. So, it's not a question that action is not needed. I think everybody concludes that action is needed," he said.
"It's had broad support, 70 percent of the public indicated they thought we ought to fix the immigration system."
While Obama could veto the proposed legislation, Hoyer said he hoped the president, Boehner, and Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will take over in January as Senate Majority Leader, would "understand that we have to come to an agreement" on changes to the immigration system.
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