Thread: McCarthy to GOP: DACA vote could cost us the House

McCarthy to GOP: DACA vote could cost us the House

The House Majority Leader warns centrists that forcing votes on immigration could cost the party its majority in the midterms.

By RACHAEL BADE and JOHN BRESNAHAN
05/16/2018 11:29 AM EDT
Updated 05/16/2018 06:23 PM EDT

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy warned centrist Republicans that their effort to force a vote to protect Dreamers could cost the party its House majority and empower Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

In a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning, the California Republican told rank-and-file members to “put your phones down” and listen, according to a GOP source in the room. The prospects of Republicans keeping the House are improving, he said, and “if the election was today, we win.”

But McCarthy cautioned that “we cannot disrupt ourselves,” saying in no uncertain terms that a “discharge petition” to force votes on such a controversial issue six months out from an election would do just that. Passing a bipartisan immigration bill that the base hates, McCarthy argued, would depress Republican turnout, and possibly cost the party the House.

GOP “intensity levels are still not there, and discharge petitions release the power of the floor that the American people gave us the responsibly to hold,” McCarthy said, according to the source present. “When you release that power, the majority goes to Nancy.”

He added: “If you want to depress intensity, this is the No. 1 way to do it. We can debate internally but don’t let someone else like Nancy decide our future.”

Supporters of the discharge petition pushed back on McCarthy during the conference meeting. According to another source in the room, Reps. Jeff Denham of California and Carlos Curbelo of Florida defended their move by arguing that leadership promised months ago that they’d address DACA. Indeed, Curbelo and several other Republicans who have signed onto the petition had held back on forcing the issue because they believed leadership would eventually move on something.

But when the Supreme Court decided to consider Trump’s move to end the program this fall, momentum to find a solution stalled.

McCarthy’s comments come just a week after centrist Republicans, many of whom are typically staunch allies of leadership, bucked Speaker Paul Ryan’s team and filed a discharge petition on several immigration proposals to resolve the status of so-called Dreamers. If a discharge petition garners 218 signatures, the centrist lawmakers can force a vote on their plans to codify the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

With Democratic support, those proposals stand a solid chance of passage — even if a majority of House Republicans vote against them.

Centrists and GOP leaders alike recognize the moderates likely will collect enough signatures eventually to force the issue. All Democrats are expected to sign onto the discharge petition, and enough Republicans are frustrated at the lack of movement to protect Dreamers to put the petition over the top.

Still, Ryan and McCarthy, who met with the president on the matter Tuesday, have tried to persuade members to hold off.

“We don’t want to advance something that we know will just get vetoed,” Ryan told reporters Wednesday morning.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ongress-591857

In the U.S. Senate, talk of a splinter caucus to force compromise

Still, Ryan and McCarthy, who met with the president on the matter Tuesday, have tried to persuade members to hold off.

“We don’t want to advance something that we know will just get vetoed,” Ryan told reporters Wednesday morning.

Exactly. Just do nothing. We'll win the midterms in November, pick up some Senate seats and then maybe we can pass the bills we want without any DACA Blackmail Deal.

Ryan said he and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy met with President Donald Trump Tuesday on the issue, and they're working on a bill they believe could actually become law with the White House's backing, according to Flores and members.

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

Wow! That stinks! This means Trump is working on a new Amnesty for illegal aliens bill. What a traitor.

@ In closed-door meeting, Ryan tells Republicans not to sign DACA petition

Jeff Denham is pushing hard for this discharge petition because he is in serious danger of losing this election. He has always pandered to the illegal immigrants in his district. He has kept a tight control over anyone objecting to his position. Checking identifications to stop anyone not in his dictrict from attending his town hall meetings, etc. When they changed the lines of his district he acquired new cities but not the surrounding farms. Many in these cities like Ripon do not support illegal immigrants or California Sanctuary laws. With the Save California movement and his pro illegal immigrant stance he is being challenged by another Republican for his office. He has to do something drastic before the June primaries to motivate hispanics to come out and vote for him.

Do you think the new candidate can beat Denham? Oh my goodness, that would be fantastic to primary him. Thanks for the information Sherry and keep up the great work in California. You guys are knocking heads out there!! A bunch of people were at the White House today from California helping Trump fight the California Sanctuary Law, SB 54.

Judy, I don't know. I can only hope. I keep hearing good things about him on all the local news stations. He is a local big animal vet. and might pull the support of the large dairies which is a large part of Denham's base.

10/13/17

Trump to extend DACA protections if Congress doesn’t legalize them