DREAM Act Portal Forum - Republicans Look Ready To Force A Vote On Democrats’ DACA Proposal

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Republicans Look Ready To Force A Vote On Democrats’ DACA Proposal

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When Meadows was asked if there were some Republicans who just could never get behind a special pathway, even if the legislation included the border security measures like a wall that conservatives want, the Freedom Caucus chairman said that was a “thornier question.”

“A special pathway is almost as bad as the ‘amnesty’ word, and so we’re looking at ways for citizenship that does not disadvantage people who have been in line for a long time,” Meadows said.

But for the GOP moderates who are on the verge of forcing a vote, that special pathway is a key component of any immigration bill ― and that makes a compromise difficult.

There are plenty of Republicans who are willing to compromise. Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.) told HuffPost on Wednesday that even though he opposes a special pathway to legal permanent residence, he was open to discussion on the issue if the other priorities like a wall were satisfied.

“But if you’re coming to me with a special pathway, you gotta have these other categories before I’m willing to negotiate,” Walker said.

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Unfortunately for Republicans, there are a critical number of GOP lawmakers who aren’t willing to negotiate on that topic. For the moderates who want to address immigration, a pathway has to be part of the discussion. If it’s not, they might as well force a vote with Democrats through the discharge petition, score the political points associated with posturing on the issue, and wait for the dynamics of Congress to change ― perhaps for Democrats to take the majority ― before lawmakers actually find a solution.

And for the immigration hard-liners, like Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), there’s no compromise to be had.

King told reporters Wednesday that he wanted to avoid all votes on any immigration bill.

“A majority of the Republicans here have never voted for amnesty,” King said, using an immigration term favored by hard-liners. “You put a compromise bill up on the floor, and all but 10 or 12 Republicans vote for amnesty? They’re forever marked by that and they can never get their virtue back.”

For those immigration opponents, it’s better to have a couple dozen Republicans side with Democrats than have 218 Republicans find consensus on an immigration measure, even if it is more GOP-friendly. Hard-liners don’t see the Senate taking up any immigration legislation that is the result of a discharge petition, and they don’t think Trump would sign such a bill.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...99bc6e016a2?84