Lawmakers were unable to hammer out a deal for comprehensive immigration reform on Friday, as House GOP centrists move forward with a plan to force votes on a separate trio of smaller immigration bills that GOP leaders want to avoid.
Centrists are gathering final signatures for a discharge petition to vote on the three immigration measures on Tuesday, which is forcing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and others to end years of delays and come up with a comprehensive immigration plan they believe can garner the needed support.
The centrists complain that House conservatives are adding items to negotiations, particularly on border security, and gumming up talks as they near Tuesday. They plan to continue negotiations when members return to Washington on Tuesday.
“I will be strongly encouraging members on Tuesday to sign the final signatures [on the discharge petition] unless we have a written agreement. We do not have a written agreement,” said Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., of talks toward a comprehensive bill. “I’m disappointed that more issues continue to get added when we’re trying to close out.”
Denham added that it is “extremely likely” they hit the needed 218 signatures on the discharge petition Tuesday. If that happens, a vote would be slated on the three immigration bills on June 25.
However, members said they are still a ways away from having any legislative language toward a unifying, GOP-led bill. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, told reporters that members are not close to drafting text. House conservatives view June 25 as the deadline for negotiations, not Tuesday.
“Part of me believes they should have already [gotten the 218 signatures],” Meadows said. “That way, we can understand that we are going to continue to negotiate by all sides in good faith, and I don’t condemn them for having that. But next week, if they get 218, that won’t make a headline. Now, it may be a headline from a practical standpoint. We have until June 25th to get something passed.”
Meadows declined to discuss the details of talks, but citizenship and border security remain the two main issues in negotiations. He also said both sides have defined the Dreamer population that would be covered in a deal, but declined to reveal the number.
A comprehensive deal is expected to center around the four pillars laid out by President Trump last year: coverage for 1.8 million children of illegal immigrants, funding for border security, chain migration, and ending the visa lottery. However, running out of time remains a concern for some.
“We’re vetting more of the ideas that need to be vetted, but for some people I think that they feel like we’re getting further away because they didn’t hear about those things before,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a Freedom Caucus member.
While the two sides work toward a deal, centrists remain committed to the discharge petition, which stands three short of the 218 needed. They are pessimistic, however, that a deal can be reached by Tuesday.
“It’s Friday afternoon and time continues to go by,” Denham said.
