A conservative immigration bill failed to advance in the House last week because GOP leadership did not advocate for it aggressively enough, Rep. Jim Jordan charged on Sunday.
Forty-one Republicans and all Democrats voted against legislation from House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., that would have reduced legal immigration, provided $25 billion in funding for a border wall and launched a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who come to the country as children.
The chamber will vote on a GOP compromise bill this week after delaying the vote twice. Jordan accused Republican House leadership of advocating for that legislation instead of lobbying for the more conservative bill.
“If our leadership had put the same whip effort behind that immigration legislation, Chairman Goodlatte’s legislation, it would have passed,” the Ohio Republican said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Jordan also blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for blocking legislation to stop the administration from separating children from their families, a controversial policy initiated earlier this month by the Trump administration.
“The Democrats, really deep down, what they care about is catch and release. What they want is open borders,” he said.
[Opinion: Ignore the open-border establishment — President Trump is right on immigration]
