Senate Fails to Pass Bill Addressing Immigration Crisis; House Republicans Propose Two More Immigration Bills
House Republicans' congressional recess was delayed Thursday in an effort to push through legislation that addresses the worsening immigration crisis.
When GOP leaders pulled a $659 million spending bill from the schedule, it seemed like the House would leave for summer recess before approving a measure that aims to handle the large numbers of unaccompanied migrant children crossing into the United States.
However, GOP leaders spoke out against the deadlock, and vowed to amend the legislation to win the necessary votes required to send the bill to the Senate prior to summer recess.
"We'll stay until we vote," House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said Thursday afternoon, according to The Hill.
However, even if the House approves the measure, it will not see any movement yet, as the Senate began its recess Thursday night.
Nevertheless, House Republicans regrouped at 9 a.m. Friday to discuss possible reforms to the legislation. They moved closer to implementing a plan Friday morning, deciding to implement procedural moves to pass two separate bills by Friday night.
The first bill would approve $659 million in funding to allow federal agencies to address the surge in immigrants, which is much lower than President Obama's proposal of $3.7 billion. The bill would also amend a 2008 anti-trafficking law to allow the federal government to deport Central American youths who have entered the U.S. illegally from Central America. Additionally, the bill will provide $35 million to border-state governors, who will be given more authority in deploying the National Guard to secure the border.
GOP leaders are also planning to hold a vote on a bill that limits President Obama's Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, which provides protections for immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The bill will definitely earn conservative votes, but will be opposed by moderates, The Washington Post reports.
Moderates like Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who represents a district in Miami that has many immigrants from Central America, said he and other moderate Republicans will vote against the legislation.
"Most of the conservatives who have a problem [with DACA] have more of a problem with how the president did it than what the president did," he said.
Regardless, many high-ranking Republicans think the issue will be quickly resolved.
"I'm so confident I've got a packed bag," said Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio).
House Democrats tried in futility to introduce a competing measure Friday morning, but it was consistently rejected by Republicans.
Many Democrats also went to the House floor to denounce Republican attempts to deport young immigrants fleeing dangerous Central American countries, as well as the proposed roll back of DACA.
On Thursday night, while Republicans were forced to amend their proposal, the Senate also failed to progress legislation that addressed the crisis, and could not push forward a bill before leaving for congressional recess. However, senators approved and sent bills to Obama that aim to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and extend federal funding for large road construction projects for nine months.
Rep. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Ca.) and seven Democratic colleagues also introduced the Security and Opportunity for Vulnerable Migrant Children Act Friday to address the immigration crisis at the border.
Ben Soskin, the spokesman for Rep. Roybal-Allard, told Latin Post that the bill is unlike the Republicans' legislation, who he says are using "the heart-wrenching situation at our border to score political points."
Rep. Roybal-Allard wrote in a statement that " the humanitarian crisis on our border is a complex problem that requires a comprehensive solution."
"While it's critical that we treat children with care and compassion once they reach the United States, we must also do far more to reduce the horrific violence that is driving so many of these kids to flee their homes and seek safe haven in our country," she continued. "My bill will require the State Department and USAID to provide the comprehensive planning, regional engagement and American leadership which have been sorely lacking since this crisis began."
However, Democrats could not get the 60 votes needed Thursday to pass a bill that provides $2.7 billion in emergency relief to federal agencies handling the immigration crisis. Republicans and a handful of centrist Democrats objected to the large appropriations proposal and the failure to give Central American youths more protections.
The familiar gridlock in Congress makes it likely that the government will not be able to address the immigration crisis until at least mid-September.
Lawmakers have now stalled on immigration reform for the second year in a row. The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in June 2013 that provides a pathway to citizenship for the country's estimated 11 million immigrants. However, the House refuses to take up the comprehensive legislation.
The failure of Congress, and particularly Republicans, to pass an immigration reform bill is projected to cost them crucial Latino votes in midterm elections this November.
Matt Barreto of Latino Decisions told Latin Post that the Republican bill is "a signal that the GOP has turned its back on Latino voters."
"A projected analysis of the Latino vote in the upcoming midterm congressional races [...] shows how this shortsighted strategy will prove costly to the GOP in 2014 and 2016," Barreto said. "When asked which party is to blame for the lack of immigration reform, Latinos say Republicans by a 3-to-1 margin."
He also said that changes to DACA could be very detrimental.
"The push to dismantle DACA will significantly alienate Latino voters, according to recent surveys carried out by Latino Decisions," he added. "The present GOP path will prove to be a costly mistake, as they are bound to lose the Latino vote in the 2014 midterm election and beyond."