Rep. Carlos Curbelo won’t be attending President Obama’s immigration event Wednesday in the Republican’s Miami district — not because he wasn’t invited but because he was denied a ride on Air Force One.
“They said, ’Sorry, there’s no space on the plane for you,’ ” Mr. Curbelo told the Miami Herald.
The White House did find space for other lawmakers, including Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat, the newspaper reported.
The congressman said the White House sent him an email invitation Monday to the town hall-style event hosted by Telemundo and MSNBC at the Florida International University.
He asked the White House for a ride and was rebuffed.
“I guess everyone is trying to make it to Miami in winter,” Mr. Curbelo said.
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about it.
The snub of Mr. Curbelo runs contrary to the charm offensive Mr. Obama launched after his party’s devastating loses in November elections, flying nearly 20 members of Congress on various flights aboard Air Force One to state visits and political events aboard, Politico said.
The White House told the paper that it was Mr. Obama’s idea to start using his luxurious Boeing 747 to build better relationships with lawmakers.
Despite the potential “political risk” that Mr. Curbelo said he would face appearing with Mr. Obama, he said he had wanted to attend the Miami event to hear what the president had to say about immigration.
The issue is roiling Congress as funding for the Department of Homeland Security is entangled in a fight over Republican attempts to block funding to Mr. Obama’s move to grant deportation amnesty to up to 4 million illegal immigrants.
Mr. Cubelo, a Cuban-American, agrees with Mr. Obama’s call for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigration, but he wants it accomplished by Congress not by executive action.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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