Former Congressman LaTourette discusses political and policy landscape during McDonald Hopkins' Business Hour

Immigration reform, comprehensive tax reform and looming budget among topics covered

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Aug 01, 2013, 04:14 ET

CLEVELAND, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today former U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, the current President of McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies, was the featured speaker at the Cleveland office of McDonald Hopkins law firm.

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Former Representative LaTourette, a nine-term member of Congress from northeast Ohio, spoke for an hour about the current political and policy landscape in Washington, D.C. In a wide-ranging discussion before a packed house, Congressman LaTourette spoke frankly about the challenges to governing that exist in Washington today.

When it came to the subject of immigration reform, LaTourette expressed pessimism that any comprehensive reform would pass in the House before the 2014 mid-terms. LaTourette said that the Republican-controlled House would be focusing on smaller pieces of immigration reform that would deal with issues such as border security, enhanced E-verify and visas for high-skilled workers.

LaTourette was a little more optimistic on the question of whether comprehensive tax reform was possible. While noting the serious challenges facing the effort, LaTourette did note the bipartisan and bicameral effort currently underway and urged those interested in the issue to let their members of Congress know exactly how they feel about tax reform and how it might impact them.

LaTourette spoke at length about the battle looming over the budget and appropriations process. LaTourette, a former member of the House Appropriations Committee, explained that the House and Senate were almost $100 billion apart in the top line for spending bills and that neither side appeared willing to budge. LaTourette told the crowd that the only realistic way forward would be a continuing resolution, a temporary stop-gap measure that would fund the government at the 2013 levels.

The former Congressman also talked honestly about the current level of dysfunction in the political and legislative processes. LaTourette, a centrist Republican who represented one of the few swing districts left in the country, said that redistricting had resulted in more and more deeply partisan districts that end up electing members who are only concerned with keeping their own political base happy.

About McDonald Hopkins
McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, and West Palm Beach. In January 2013, McDonald Hopkins launched a new subsidiary based in Washington, D.C., McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies LLC, led by former Congressman Steven LaTourette. McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.