House

Dems withhold support for immigration petition

by Mike Lillis - 05/10/18 12:29 PM ET

House Democrats are withholding their support for a Republican push to force action on “Dreamers” until enough GOP lawmakers have signed on to validate the effort.

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The strategy pulls the page from the Democrats’ approach to a similar discharge petition in 2015, when they endorsed the document forcing a vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank only after enough dissenting Republicans had signed on to ensure its success.

“I would think we’d have overwhelming support, but we’d expect them to put up first, just as we did with the Ex-Im Bank,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Judiciary Committee’s immigration subpanel.

“It’s the same thing. The Republicans need to show some guts.”

On Thursday morning, Rep. Diana DeGette (Colo.) became the first Democrat to endorse the petition. But she is an anomaly. She’ll be out of town all next week to attend her daughter’s graduation from medical school, and didn’t want to miss the chance to endorse the document, according to her office.

Eighteen Republicans have so far endorsed a petition filed by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), that would force floor votes on several pieces of immigration legislation, all of which would salvage the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, to some degree.

The petition requires 218 signatures to compel a floor vote. If every Democrat backs the petition, 25 Republican signatures would be needed to reach 218.

A number of those Republicans are facing tough reelection contests this year in districts with significant Hispanic populations — including Reps. Curbelo, Will Hurd (Texas), Mike Coffman (Colo.), David Valadao (Calif.) and Jeff Denham (Calif.).

As a tactic, discharge petitions rarely work, and it’s unclear if Curbelo’s effort will prove the rule or the exception.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and other GOP leaders are urging their members not to endorse the document.

Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) has indicated he won’t support the petition, citing concerns about enhanced immigration security in the border district he represents. But some Democrats are convinced he’ll cave to pressure and endorse the petition if he’s the last holdout preventing DACA supporters from reaching the 218 mark.

DACA allowed people brought to the United States illegally as children to work and go to school in the country under certain conditions. Trump announced he was ending the program last year.