U.S. House Speaker Ryan seeks to head off Republican revolt on immigration

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell

 

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan smiles at the Milken Institute's 21st Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. May 2, 2018. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan sought to head off revolts on Wednesday from the right and centre of his Republican Party as lawmakers battled over legislation that would protect young illegal immigrants from deportation.

 

At a morning news conference after huddling privately with rank-and-file Republicans, Ryan warned a small group of moderates that it would be a "big mistake" if they kept pushing a procedural manoeuvre to force a series of votes on four separate immigration bills.

 

Some Republicans worried such a debate could lead to a bipartisan immigration bill passing that might anger conservative Republicans at an inopportune time, with November elections approaching.

 

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told fellow Republicans at the closed-door morning meeting that things were going well for them, and "let's not create a problem of our own making," one House Republican lawmaker said, asking not to be named.

 

Ryan said he was working with the White House on a measure that would win President Donald Trump's support. At the news conference, Ryan did not provide details or a timetable for advancing such legislation.

 

So far, 20 of the House's 235 Republicans had signed a petition to force an immigration debate that would allow the bill with the most votes to advance to the Senate.

 

They want to join forces with Democrats to pull off the rare procedural trick in defiance of leadership. Some of the 20 signatories are retiring, while some others are moderates seeking re-election in November and represent districts with a significant number of Hispanics.

 

'NOT HAPPY WITH INACTION'

One of the four immigration bills, a bipartisan measure, would put the young "Dreamer" immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children, on a path to citizenship.

 

Another of the four bills, spearheaded by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, would give temporary protections to the Dreamers but not offer citizenship, and is backed by more conservative Republicans.

 

Ryan also faced a challenge from the conservatives, as members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus discussed withholding their votes on an unrelated farm bill later this week unless Ryan agrees to bring the Goodlatte bill alone to the House floor.

 

Last September, Trump said he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program created in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama. It has protected some 800,000 of the young immigrants from deportation, allowing them to study and work in the United States under temporary protection.

 

Trump called on Congress to pass legislation replacing DACA and providing permanent protections for the youths. But he has given conflicting statements on precisely what he would support and Congress missed a March 5 deadline for sending him a bill.

 

Representative John Faso, a Republican who has signed the petition, told reporters: "I'm not happy with inaction" and noted that "time is running out" for Congress to do something about immigration before November elections.

 

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell; Additional reporting by Amanda Becker; Editing by Tom Brown and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-17

"...Some Republicans worried such a debate could lead to a bipartisan immigration bill passing that might anger conservative Republicans at an inopportune time, with November elections approaching..."

 

Worried that a bi-partisan immigration bill could pass? 

 

If anyone ever asks what is wrong with the United States, show them the sentence above.

 

Who the hell do these rebels think they are? Who dares to think in a bi-partisan manner? 

 

The nerve! The horror!

 

Take these people's representatives out and put them against the wall immediately!!!

 

Jesus wept.

 

I doubt that there is enough intelligent people in the Democratic and Republican parties to actually pass a fair bill that will help the dreamers or other illegals that are living in the  USA.  Both parties are too interested in making their parties look good, and do not have enough

smarts to actually help these people. At least that is my opinion, and I do not see anything that has changed my mind since the latest President has been in power. I also never seen much done when Obama was in power.

Geezer

Borders, who needs stinking Borders?. Let's just forget all about those nasty legal issues.

Let everyone just demand to live where ever they want. Let them in. Forget about taxes. Let them vote. Give them all a bunch of free life support. Taxpayers don't mind paying. There rich. Everything should be free. If you don't agree. Well, your a racist. You should have your thumbs removed.

2 minutes ago, NickJ said:

Borders, who needs stinking Borders?. Let's just forget all about those nasty legal issues.

Let everyone just demand to live where ever they want. Let them in. Forget about taxes. Let them vote. Give them all a bunch of free life support. Taxpayers don't mind paying. There rich. Everything should be free. If you don't agree. Well, your a racist. You should have your thumbs removed.

 

... said no one ever.

4 hours ago, NickJ said:

Borders, who needs stinking Borders?. Let's just forget all about those nasty legal issues.

Let everyone just demand to live where ever they want. Let them in. Forget about taxes. Let them vote. Give them all a bunch of free life support. Taxpayers don't mind paying. There rich. Everything should be free. If you don't agree. Well, your a racist. You should have your thumbs removed.

Easy to say when you are from a wealthy country .

 

5 hours ago, NickJ said:

Borders, who needs stinking Borders?.

Brains, who needs stinking brains???

bi-partisan is so last century. The democrats and liberals are teaching the republicans that it is a never compromise sport from here on out. 

2 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

bi-partisan is so last century. The democrats and liberals are teaching the republicans that it is a never compromise sport from here on out. 

Yes. The Republicans have been the exemplars of bipartisanship since when exactly?

19 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

Easy to say when you are from a wealthy country .

 

Exactly. Strange how none of the illegals are trying to get into poor countries, and even stranger that countries like Mexico actually enforce their borders. How long would an American last living illegally in Mexico?

This is one of the very few times I'm pulling for one of Paul Ryan's causes.

 

Say it with me now kids.  Republicans In Name Only.

1 hour ago, sukhumvitneon said:

This is one of the very few times I'm pulling for one of Paul Ryan's causes.

 

Say it with me now kids.  Republicans In Name Only.

I guess to your way of thinking, the majority or Republicans are Republicans In Name Only. 

This is from the Fox News Poll

"Democrats (66 percent), Republicans (60 percent) and independents (59 percent) all agree it is important Congress work on Dreamer legislation. Partisans are also in sync on granting work permits and U.S. citizenship to these individuals, as majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents favor both actions."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/09/28/fox-news-poll-83-percent-support-pathway-to-citizenship-for-illegal-immigrants.html

Feeling lonely?