Two Miami Republicans play key role in immigration compromise

Two Miami Republicans play key role in immigration compromise, BY ALEX DAUGHERTY
June 14, 2018 07:00 AM

Read the entire article at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/poli...213126779.html

An effort by the Miami Republicans to force a series of immigration votes in defiance of Ryan came up short, and a faction of Republicans including Diaz-Balart and Curbelo who want to find a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million young immigrants known as Dreamers was forced to compromise with conservative Republicans.

"There are things that I really dislike in the bill, but I think there has been a very good-faith effort to do something that can hopefully pass," Diaz-Balart said. "My ideal, preferred option is to do a bipartisan bill on this, but we don't have that option."

"It’s now clear the only way Republicans will consider miserly relief for some Dreamers is if the proposal guts legal immigration, turbocharges deportations, builds a wasteful and unnecessary wall, and intensifies the torture of asylum seekers at the border," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a left-leaning immigration group. "Any member of Congress who says they stand for Dreamers cannot in good conscience support these bills."

But Curbelo and Diaz-Balart said the current plan, while not their ideal vehicle to help Dreamers, is the best possible way to find a solution that can become law.

"We have compelled the leadership to listen to a ... coalition that is demanding action," Curbelo said. "From what I can tell now after having sat for over 20 hours with these people, when you add up all the meeting time is everyone is acting in good faith and every indication is that the White House would like to see this process move forward."

Curbelo's ideal scenario is passing a conservative-leaning compromise bill out of the House and sending it to the U.S. Senate for approval. In the Senate, any bill will need 60 votes and Democratic support to pass, which will likely result in changes from the House bill. Then, the bill comes back to the House, where both chambers can compromise to iron out any final disagreements before it heads to President Donald Trump's desk.

"The president has expressed a willingness to grant citizenship to people in this country who entered when they were young, and hopefully that's the direction that we'll move," Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said. "I think that's the ideal outcome."

But Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat who voted for two compromise immigration bills in the Senate earlier this year that failed to garner 60 votes, said it's too early to determine what moderate Democrats like him would do if the House passes an immigration bill.

"You can't predict what the House is going to do with the Tea Party crowd over there," Nelson said.

Diaz-Balart said his sole concern right now is finding enough votes for the compromise bill, and worrying about what may or may not happen in the U.S. Senate later.

"There's an old Cuban expression, if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a bicycle," Diaz-Balart said.

"My ideal, preferred option is to do a bipartisan bill on this, but we don't have that option."

Yes they do have that option, is call discharge petition not this shit bill.

Republicans are literally terrorist

The other Cuban-American Republican, Ileana Ross I think is retiring and honestly cannot see her voting for this garbage.

Also, Rep. Curbelo, you complain about spending 20 hours in meetings about this shit bill. Your 20 hrs < than our 20-30 years in this country and < than watching our communities struggle < than watching your party turning a blind eye to traumatizing immigrant and refugee children. Go stick it where the sun don't shine.

How many more votes does the discharge petition need or is it already dead?

2 more votes. They did not end it. They shelved it to see if this passes.

I doubt this will pass and mainly because of that secure communities provision. You can bet all the CA reps will vote against it as a sign of solidarity behind the sanctuary law being challenged.

As if Pramila Jayapal or Adam Smith would sign this. Our state AG is on the verge of filing a lawsuit on behalf of the refugee women and children being separated.

pass it, siblings legalize our parents and the fat lady sings.

You guys actually think Dems will vote for a bill with this provision?

Eh, I don't know man.