More than 50 House Republicans have signed a resolution that would put four different immigration bills, including a fix for so-called “Dreamers,” on the House floor.
Republican Rep. Jeff Denham, who is facing a tough re-election race in California, is leading the push to get Republican leadership to consider the bills. Denham, joined by a handful of Republican and Democratic lawmakers Wednesday, announced that 237 members support the resolution, which reflects the expectation that every Democrat will support it as well.
That’s more than the 218 needed to force a vote without consent from House Speaker Paul Ryan, but Denham is still looking to attract more Republican support, and said he hopes lawmakers won’t have to bypass leadership. Denham and other vulnerable California Republicans have urged their leadership for months to put a bill on the floor that would provide pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
“We talk a lot about transparency around here and regular order,” Denham said. “Well, that’s what we’re doing here today we want to follow regular order and have a debate.”
Denham said the “Queen of the hill” rule will “show the president and speaker the will of the people, the will of the people’s House.” Under the process, the House would consider four separate immigration bills, and the bill with the most votes is adopted, assuming it gets a majority.
Ryan has said he won’t consider a proposal that doesn’t have the president’s support. Despite growing pressure from his own ranks, Ryan’s stance hasn’t changed.
“Our goal is to get a DACA and border security solution into law, and we certainly don’t want to pursue a strategy that the president won’t sign,” said Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong. “Republicans made three good-faith offers during the omnibus negotiations and Democrats declined all of them. We continue to work to find the support for a solution that addresses both border security and DACA.”
Denham argues that Ryan could amend one of the bills brought forward to his liking, but that the House should be allowed to have the debate.
“He can put whatever he wants in the bill,” Denham said. “I’m sure with the speaker’s wisdom he will find whatever the president wants and will sign.”
“No bill has been debated in committee or on the house floor,” added Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.
Pressed on if he would file a discharge petition, a tool lawmakers could use if they want to force a vote, Denham said it’s too early to take that step.
“We shouldn’t need, when you can show overwhelming majority of House, you shouldn’t need a discharge petition,” he said, adding that he will discuss it with members in the coming days as he continues to push his Republican colleagues to join the effort.
