House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and GOP leadership have delayed a vote on a compromise immigration bill until next week, according to House GOP members.
Leadership made that decision at a conference meeting Thursday night after delaying the vote once earlier in the day to Friday.
According to lawmakers, members were concerned that issues concerning agriculture visas and E-Verify were atop the list of concerns and could make their way into the bill.
Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., flanked by Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Mark Walker, R-N.C., told reporters Thursday evening that the two issues have not been discussed during the weeks of negotiations between the two sides.
“We’re having a discussion about E-Verify and Ag jobs — two more very important issues we have yet to discuss so far,” said Denham, a top centrist involved in negotiations. “So we’re going to spend the weekend, delay a vote ‘til next week and see if we can come to a compromise on those two final issues.”
“I don’t know whether we can make an agreement on those issues,” said Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo. “ A lot of members brought up those two issues.”
The news comes after the House voted down the Goodlatte bill, which was favored by conservative members, earlier on Thursday.
According to Coffman, the agriculture visas and E-Verify set for inclusion to the bill were slated to come up later in the summer anyway. Leadership agreed to possibly add language to the current legislation on the two topics.
“They thought they needed [the time] to get to 218,” said Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y. “We’ll see.”
The vote is set to take place right before members break for a weeklong recess around the Fourth of July.
Conservatives were particularly miffed with leadership over the Goodlatte bill, which earned 193 votes. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, however, suggested the bill could have earned more yays if it had been whipped more aggressively. If it had gotten the treatment the tax reform package did late last year, he believes the bill would have passed.
[Related: These are the 41 Republicans who killed the Goodlatte immigration reform bill]
