GOP wants vote on migrants
Faction split casing problems
WASHINGTON — Republican leaders are trying to finally secure the House votes they need for their wide-ranging bill with tweaks they hope will goose support from the GOP’s dueling conservative and moderate wings. But more importantly, wavering Republicans want Trump to provide political cover for immigration legislation that’s despised by hard-right voters. His recent statements on their bill and history of abruptly flip-flopping on past health care and spending measures have not been reassuring.
Friday he tweeted that “Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration” and wait until after the November elections, when he said the GOP would approve tougher legislation because it will gain strength in Congress.
The bill would make citizenship a possibility for “Dreamer” immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. when young. It would also finance Trump’s $25 billion wall with Mexico and curb government agencies from wrenching migrant children from detained parents.
The measure is the product of weeks of bargaining between party conservatives and moderates. Even so, the two GOP factions have been unable to resolve their final differences and vote-counters have yet to round up a majority. Republicans are getting no help from Democrats, who uniformly oppose the legislation.
The GOP divisions come at a bad time for the party: Elections are approaching and immigration has riveted public attention for months. Republicans who are battling to retain House control have hoped to focus this fall’s campaigns on the economy and tax cuts.
In recent days, the focus has shifted to the Trump administration’s policy on migrant children.
Lawmakers said leaders wanted to round up GOP votes by adding provisions requiring companies to verify workers’ citizenship, which conservatives like. They would also ease restrictions on seasonal migrant workers, a priority for farm-district, moderate Republicans.
Until now, party leaders have hesitated to include those items because they could end up costing votes, not gaining them. Moderate Republicans don’t like the citizenship verification requirement and some conservatives don’t like helping immigrants stay in the U.S.
Another problem is the two additional provisions don’t address the major reason for GOP defections: Conservatives say helping Dreamers stay in the U.S. is handing amnesty to lawbreakers.