Renegade Republicans challenge Ryan, seek vote
WASHINGTON » A small group of Republicans has launched an effort to sidestep House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and put immigration legislation on the House floor this year in a bid to secure protections for young undocumented immigrants.
Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., filed a discharge petition Wednesday morning that, if signed by a majority of House members, would force votes on a series of immigration bills under a so-called “queen of the hill” rule. Whichever of those bills receives the most votes, exceeding a majority, would pass the House — a setup that is calibrated to secure passage of a bipartisan compromise.
By Wednesday afternoon, another 16 Republicans had also signed the discharge petition Wednesday alongside Curbelo. Most, but not all, represent swing districts with significant Latino constituencies or are retiring from the House.
The backers of the petition said that they could no longer wait for Ryan, R-Wis., and other House leaders to try to forge consensus on an immigration bill that could pass with only Republican support. “We believe this institution needs to act,” Curbelo told reporters. “Immigration has paralyzed this institution for too long, and we don’t view this in any way undermining House leaders. On the contrary, we feel that we’re also empowering them to deal with a very controversial issue.”
Mindful of treacherous politics surrounding the issue in the Republican Party, Ryan has declined to move forward with any significant immigration legislation since becoming speaker in 2015 despite personally supporting bills that would give some illegal immigrants a pathway to stay legally in the United States. Conservatives have strongly opposed any “amnesty” for adults who have come to the U.S. illegally — and, for many, that also extends to “dreamers,” children brought illegally to the U.S. through no fault of their own.