Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cantor stumps for Labrador in Boise

U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, left, with Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador, right, in Boise on Wednesday. (Betsy Russell)
BOISE - U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor stopped in Boise tonight to raise funds for Idaho GOP Rep. Raul Labrador’s re-election campaign and urge Idahoans to send the freshman back to Washington for another term. “I believe in Raul,” Cantor declared. “He has come in and joined this freshman class and has proven himself an independent thinker.” He also lauded Labrador’s work on an immigration visa bill, the STEM jobs bill, aimed at easing rules for foreign high-tech grads with U.S. degrees and job offers, which failed in the House last month. “He took the lead on that,” Cantor said. “There’s Marco Rubio in the Senate and there’s Raul Labrador in the House.” Just moments later, after Cantor said he was “looking forward to a very productive lame-duck session” in Congress after the election - including action on the delayed farm bill and on debt reduction, entitlement reform and military funding - a reporter pointed out that the night before, Labrador said during a debate that he believes there should be no votes during a lame-duck session. Labrador, while debating Democratic challenger Jimmy Farris on KTVB-TV last night, said a lame-duck session that follows the election isn’t the place for big decisions, when a new president could be coming in and members of Congress “are not really that excited to be back there.” He declared, “Every major decision that is made during a lame-duck session is actually bad for America.” But when asked who would win that argument - him or Cantor - Labrador gestured toward Cantor with his thumb and said, “He will.” “We’ve got some things that have to be addressed,” Cantor said. “I don’t want to see the sequester imposed. … We don’t want that to happen. We have to vote on something like that.” He said, “What’s different about this year is the statute automatically will cause taxes to go up on everyone who pays taxes, if we do not do something to act to stave that off. So we’re going to have to have some votes in the lame duck.” Labrador said, slightly sheepishly, “He’s the one who sets the schedule for the House, so he’s the one who will decide. I don’t think I will be.” Cantor arrived in a rainy Boise from Sacramento, and after a visit that included a quick tour of Micron Technology and the downtown fundraiser, will head back out to Montana. He’s also scheduled to make stops in Salt Lake City and Phoenix. “This is all about House races,” he said.