Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, said Sunday moderate House Republicans have the support they need to force votes on a series of immigration reform bills in June.
“We do. We’re adding votes every single day. We’re engaged in conversations to figure out is there another path. I don’t believe that there is,” Hurd said during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” of a discharge petition being pushed by some members of his caucus.
A discharge petition is a parliamentary mechanism that can be used to bypass House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and bring bills to the floor if it attracts support from a majority of lawmakers.
The discharge petition in question covers three immigration measures, including two that would likely be favored by more Democrats than Republicans because one legalizes so-called Dreamers, or immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, while the second does the same but also provides new funding for border security.
The third limits legal immigration, toughens border security, and requires employers to use the E-Verify system. In addition, it would give Dreamers a three-year, renewable legal status but no special pathway to receiving a Green Card.
“We don’t have operational control of our border. We have a million plus young men and women who have only known the United States of America as their home that are in this uncertainty period,” Hurd continued Sunday. “Now is the time to solve this problem and do it once and for all.”
The House GOP will meet on June 7 to try to find a Republican-led compromise rather than voting on the discharge petition bills.
