Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

A key Democratic lawmaker tells The Hill that leaders of the Congressional Tri-Caucus will press Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to add the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to must-pass bills in the upper chamber.

“I want to make sure we go to the mat on all those kinds of actions we can take — which is the discharge petition, which is attaching the DREAM bill to any must-pass bill in the Senate … like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) or the children’s health bill,” Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) chairwoman Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) said in an interview with The Hill.

Chu revealed that leaders in the Tri-Caucus — which includes CAPAC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus — will make that case during a meeting Schumer on Wednesday.


Barring those efforts to attach the DREAM Act to must-pass legislation, Democratic and GOP lawmakers agree that an effort to address immigration after President Trump withdrew the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) proposal likely will have to be bipartisan.
Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) head of the bipartisan Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, said his group views it as a key issue to tackle.

“One of things that naturally came to top of the list of our working group level is a DACA/immigration fix when comes to not only the DACA situation — border security and also agricultural pursuits making sure they have access to that workforce they need to keep their businesses afloat,” Reed said.

California Rep. Eric Swalwell (D), however, doubts the Republicans have enough direction to feel confident in making a deal that Trump will sign.

“What incentive do they have if they don’t even know if he’s going to sign it? … I’m afraid this issue, when it comes to House Republicans and Senate Republicans, is rudderless,” Swalwell told The Hill.

Asked to respond to former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon’s assertion that the DACA issue could cost Republicans control of the House, Chu would only say that Bannon is “correct … that this will [...] cause of tremendous conflict,” among the GOP.

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

IMO, I think for now, its a bad move. I think the greatest thing we have now is the majority of people at least rooting for some type of relief and leaders from both side trying to come up with a solution (or at least looking like they are).

I say give congress at least until October to come up with something. If panicked pro-DA folks start attaching to must pass bills now, I think it will cut into the bipartisan work that's being done. Or at least give an out for republicans to point to, to get out of making a DA deal. I think by mid October, we will see if people are working on a solution in good faith or dragging their feet. If it's the latter, then attach DA all the bills.

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

Ryan entrusting a committee to come up with a DA bill that will ensure the support of the majority of Republicans in congress means bare minimum protections for us and tougher interior enforcement, wall money, raise act provisions. All of these non starters for Dems and moderate republicans.

The hasert rule is going to fuck us over again. Even though we only need about 18 more republican house members for a clean DA bill.

Our best hope is a discharge petition succeeds and then puts pressure on the senate.

Other than that we only have December. I'm super optimistic but even I know a house GOP DACA bill is going to be awful and they are wasting their time

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

So Chuck Schumer is not going to attach Dream Act to must pass bill?

This doesn't seem good for us !

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

I've always said congress never gets shit done.. such a pain in the ass.

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

Sure I can see that, but historically, discharge petitions rarely workout. Signatures aren't hidden so republican colleagues who sign are immensely pressured when they do and if it works out, the house speaker will look like an idiot. I think the republican reps who have signed it are in heavily Latino communities from what I've read.

Is there a time when the discharge petition is too late to file?

Politics is as much a show is it is actually making deals and making laws. I say, if there were no time restrictions on the discharge petition, why not do it mid-October when we can point to something like: "house republicans have nothing to show after 1 month" or "house republicans came up with a stupid plan"? If we jump the gun, i think republicans will say "well we are trying to work on it, but the democrats keep undercutting us, it's not our fault things aren't getting done.

That's my opinion anyway. It'll always be 20/20 afterwards but I feel like this would be the best path with the landscape now.

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

If they can get a clean DA passed only to be stalled in the Senate; they'll have leverage and cover in december if they refuse to give votes unless DA is attached to the budget bill.

If the discharge petition doesn't work, then it will be up to Republicans to lead the effort in finding a bill that can pass the house, probably with mostly Republican support. That's where Dems will find themselves in a difficult position as well. Fillibuster the bill or let it pass amongst party lines...

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

Actually a smart move (for the repubs). The dems. get hammered on the media for ramming amnesty down the electorate's throats. It keeps their moderates at bay since it's what the majority wants, and keeps the fanatics angry since the repubs. have no other choice on must-pass legislation. Let's them save face and bring down the dems. popularity for 2018.

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

It's all or nothing now. We couldn't even get DA with a supermajority in 2010.... I know i know it was only a supermajority for like a month or two because of the hold up of one senate seat and then the senator that got sick, but it'll be close to impossible for that to happen again.

Maybe as the electorate changes with more Latinos we'll see progress, but that's years in the making. We need the Dems to go big or go home now!

Re: Watch: Dem rep to press Schumer to add DREAM Act to must-pass bills
 

I think repubs in the house committee will most likely drag their feet. But we have to let them so they can't us as an excuse. That starting point is never going to come to fruition anyway, it is a trap to bait an excuse to not work if dems push too soon.

What I think has the highest likelihood of passing is how they got the budget and hurricane funding passed. Worked with the president (never thought id ever write those words). Craft something the give DACA recipients relief while having something to wave around to Trump's base. Then he forces the issue on the republicans in the house.

1. Win for the dems, DACA is some form
2. Win for the president, signing some immigration change + enforcement
3. No loss for the repubs, say that they were forced to the bring it to the floor by the president while still being able to vote no.