House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said the vote will come during the post-election lame-duck session.

First District Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, opposes holding votes between the election and the swearing-in of a new Congress in January. Labrador also rebuffed the Idaho dairy industry, which urged him to join 2nd District Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, in pressing Cantor to schedule a vote before the election recess.

Cantor said he delayed action before the recess because “we don’t have the votes on the floor.”

“I’m committed to bring the issue to the floor and then to see a way forward so we can get the votes to pass (a bill),” Cantor said.

Cantor also said votes are necessary to stave off defense cuts and tax increases that will be required if Congress fails to act swiftly after the election. “The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has told me we’ll have to rethink our ability to be a global power if the sequester cuts go into place at the Pentagon,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen. We’re going to have to vote on something like that.”

Labrador acknowledged that Cantor, who sets the House schedule, will win the argument over holding votes.

Cantor, who visited Micron before heading to the Downtown Boise fundraiser, hailed Labrador as a smart lawmaker who “has proven himself an independent thinker” and led on pressing for immigration reforms that would allow more highly skilled foreign workers into the U.S.

“He took the lead on this,” Cantor said. “There’s (Florida GOP Sen.) Marco Rubio in the Senate and there’s Raul Labrador in the House.”

Cantor said he’s confident Mitt Romney will be elected president and that the result will be a debt and deficit plan that doesn’t raise taxes.

“Mitt Romney has said we’re not going to raise taxes in this economy, we’re not going to raise taxes on small businessmen and women.

Said Labrador: “You get more revenue through growth.”

Cantor flew to Boise from Sacramento and was headed to Montana Wednesday night. The price of entry to the fundraiser ranged from $100 to $2,500.

As of Sept. 30, Labrador held a 10-to-1 fundraising advantage over Democratic challenger Jimmy Farris, having raised about $720,000 compared to about $70,000 for Farris.

Dan Popkey: 377-6438