U.S. House Speaker says difficult to pass immigration legislation in 2014

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday cast uncertainties over the chances of immigration legislation moving forward in 2014, saying that President Barack Obama must rebuild trust among Republican lawmakers in the first place.

"I have never underestimated the difficulty in moving forward this year," Boehner told reporters in a prepared statement at his weekly press conference.

He stressed the need for immigration reform, an issue that the nation "can't kicked around forever," but noted the difficulty for a comprehensive reform bill to move through the two chambers of U. S. Congress.

Boehner said Americans and many of congressional Republicans don't trust the immigration reform "will be implemented as it was intended to be."

"There's widespread doubt that this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws, and it's going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes," he added.

"Understand something: the president is asking us to move one of the biggest bills of his presidency, and yet he has shown very little willingness to work with us on the smallest of things," said Boehner.

The top Republican in Congress shrugged off the president's so- called "pen and phone" strategy to work around Congress through executive actions and outside groups' support to move forward his agenda.

His remarks came two days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threw cold water on the anticipation for immigration legislation.

McConnell said he saw an "irresolvable conflict" between the Republicans-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate on the immigration overhaul and that it was impossible for the two bodies in "such a different place" to get an outcome this year.

Boehner's remarks dealt a blow to immigration reform advocates after the House Republican leaders presented their principles for the immigration reform to their members last week.

In a response, White House spokesman Jay Carney said, "We remain optimistic about the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform in 2014."