Thread: Push for 'Dreamer' immigration bill gains steam in U.S. House

by Reuters
Wednesday, 18 April 2018 16:52 GMT

WASHINGTON, April 18 (Reuters) - A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday urged Speaker Paul Ryan to schedule debate on bills to protect young undocumented immigrants from deportation, in a move aimed at reviving a push that sputtered in the Senate in February.

Backers said they had 240 House members on board so far pushing for debate of four different bills to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which Republican President Donald Trump ended on March 5.

Under the House members' plan, the measure with the most votes would win and be sent to the Senate. November's congressional elections could contribute to an already difficult path, however.

The bill many lawmakers think is most popular was written by Republican Will Hurd and Democrat Peter Aguilar. It would protect "Dreamer" immigrants from deportation and strengthen border security, although not with a Southwest border wall Trump wants.

DACA, established in 2012 by Democratic then-President Barack Obama, protected illegal immigrants brought into the United States by their parents when they were children. Around 800,000 "Dreamers" have participated.

With Trump's action, their legal status is in limbo pending the outcome of court battles.

Trump has urged Congress to write legislation giving these immigrants permanent protections, but he has failed to reach a compromise with Congress.

"It is time to have a full debate for the American public and have the entire country decide what border security should look like, what a permanent fix for Dreamers should look like," said Republican Representative Jeff Denham, who represents a central California district with a large Hispanic population.

In 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton beat Trump in his district, leading to speculation that Denham, like Republicans in similar areas, could face a tough re-election.

At least 218 votes are needed in the 435-member House to pass legislation. With five vacancies, slightly fewer are necessary.

But there are difficulties, even with the 240 votes supporting this latest immigration push.

Only 50 of the House's 237 Republicans are behind the effort so far, with nearly all 190 Democrats on board.

That presents political problems for Ryan and his leadership team, which bridles at passing legislation not backed by a majority of fellow Republicans.

Representative Linda Sanchez, a member of House Democratic leadership, told reporters that a bill to take care of Dreamers could pass the House if Ryan allowed it, but that opponents were blocking a debate.

"One hundred of the most conservative members in that (Republican) caucus are making policy for the rest of the United States," Sanchez said. (Reporting By Richard Cowan; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

http://news.trust.org/item/20180418165240-uqorp

VETO

WE DO NOT WANT IT

DEPORT THEM ALL!!!!

Can any of you find the list of 50 GOP lawmakers they are counting on to vote with the Democrats to pass Amnesty for us? Most of them are probably on ALIPAC's CANTOR LIST already, but we need to see the 50 this article references please.

???

(Message me if you find the list)

New push for 'Dream Act' in Congress

By Gene Haagenson
Wednesday, April 18, 2018 09:12PM


FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- video at link

A renewed effort is underway to get Congress to protect immigrants brought to this country as children. Republican Congressmen Jeff Denham of Turlock and David Valadao of Hanford are among those behind the effort to try and force Congress to take a vote to protect DACA recipients. It's a complicated move, but it appears to have enough support and has raised the hopes of those who were brought here illegally as children.

At a Capitol Hill news conference, the two valley congressmen and other members of Congress announced the effort to get the House of Representatives to at least debate legislation aimed at allowing the young immigrants to stay in this country.

Denham said, "It allows us to show the President and the Speaker, the will of the people and the will of the people's house."

Denham and Valadao claim to have 50 Republican votes and 190 Democrat votes to push the legislation which would bring 4 separate bills to the house floor, and force action on at least one of the measures.

Valadao said, "We should at least have the debate and the vote and see what the Senate can do with it."

DACA Recipient, America Yareli Hernandez of Fresno says she had almost given up on getting Congress to do anything. She told Action News, "I am encouraged to see bi-partisan efforts to bringing some kind of protections for Dreamers, or DACA recipients."

There are actually 3 bills, one is the more liberal Dream Act that would allow those brought to this country illegally as children, to register and stay. Two other bills would add conditions to that, like restrictions on other immigrants, and enhancing border security. There's space for a fourth measure that could be created by Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan. But Ryan has said he won't push any legislation that President Trump doesn't like. That stance has stalled previous efforts, as noted by Democratic Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico.

"In that time Congress has tried to make progress but we have been thwarted by Republican leadership and deferred leadership to the President who at times has appeared to be on the side of dreamers but has at other times used them as political pawns and negotiating chips."

Hernandez hopes this effort succeeds but says the fight is far from over.

"I think protections for Dreamers are going to continue to be an issue and it's not going to go away, ever."

There are questions as to whether this legislative effort will succeed. In an election year, Republicans will have to decide if their voters are like a majority of the country which favors help for DACA or Dream Act recipients, or if it's a safer bet to let things ride until after the election. But Denham and Valadao, who serve districts with huge Hispanic populations are clearly hoping their professed support for the Dreamers will help them, whether the legislation passes or not.

http://abc30.com/politics/new-push-f...gress/3362557/

The following link shows 27 Republicans who are co-sponsoring this bill. Maybe this isn't current though as bill was introduced January.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-...796/cosponsors

PAC Takes Aim At Koch Brothers Support for Amnesty for Millions of illegals

For National Release | 4/19/18

Share by e-mail or on (Facebook HERE) .. (Twitter HERE) .. (GAB HERE) .. (ALIPAC HERE)



https://www.alipac.us/f8/alipac-take...legals-357886/

Pro-Amnesty Lawmakers Push for DACA Votes

By Heather Ham-Warren | April 19, 2018

On Wednesday, Representative Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers held a press conference outside the Capitol to push for a series of votes on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) amnesty bills. Additional members in attendance included Will Hurd (R-Texas), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), and David Valadao (R-Calif.).

The topic of the press conference was a resolution introduced by Rep. Denham (H.Res.774) that would activate a little known and rarely used procedural rule referred to as "queen-of-the Hill." Under this rule, multiple alternatives of the same issue may be voted on the floor of the House regardless of the results of any previous votes. Following all votes, the alternative with the most votes "wins" and is sent to the Senate for consideration. The four immigration-related bills that could be considered are: H.R. 4760, the Securing America’s Future Act; H.R. 3440, the Dream Act of 2017; H.R. 4796, the USA Act of 2018; and a fourth immigration bill to be chosen by the Speaker of the House.

When asked if the group would begin circulating a discharge petition to force leadership to call a vote on their resolution, Rep. Denham said they would not rule it out. He also stated that the resolution currently has the support of 237 members— well above the 218 needed to pass any legislation. However, it is unlikely that the rule would make it to the floor absent a successful discharge petition.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dismissed the group's efforts, noting that President Trump might not be supportive of the proposed measures. "I don't want to spend our time bringing something through that I know is going to get vetoed," the Speaker said last month.

It is also worth noting that even if the House could come to a consensus, the future of any legislation seems bleak, as the Senate already rejected similar versions of the bills in February.

https://fairus.org/legislation/feder...ush-daca-votes