Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Costello: Partisan politics killed immigration bill
U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello was one of six Republican congressmen from Pennsylvania to support inclusive legislation to address the on-going immigration debate last week, a bill that ultimately failed.
Costello, R-6 of West Goshen, had broken with party leaders last month in an attempt to force a bipartisan bill to come to the floor of the House of Representatives, a move that also went down to defeat and led indirectly to the two votes on immigration reform that the House took as June was drawing to a close.
One, a conservative-drafted bill that would have placed new restrictions on immigration without addressing those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was voted down June 21. The second, which Costello supported, included language that dealt with the DACA participants – known as “Dreamers” – and the recent controversy surrounding family separation at the nation’s borders, died on Wednesday.
“Individuals here under the DACA program should have a permanent, humane solution for their path forward and we should not separate families at the border,” said Costello, whose district includes a significant number of immigrants from Mexico, both documented and undocumented. “Legislation I supported in the House (last) week addressed these issues, but partisan politics resulted in the bill failing.”
Costello was joined in voting for the moderate GOP bill by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-8 of Levittown, and four other members of the state’s Republican delegation. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-16 of West Lampeter, Lancaster County, whose district now includes the western half of Chester County, vote against it, as did all of the state’s six Democratic House members.
“Enhanced law enforcement tools were also part of the bill,” Costello said. “I continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as the status quo of our immigration system is unacceptable.”
Costello also denounced the administration’s “zero tolerance” policy during an interview on immigration with MSNBC, saying, “We do not have the kinds of answers on this issue that we are all entitled to as Americans and as members of Congress, particularly when the administration has said that this is Congress’ problem.” He also noted that if Congress did have the necessary information, they would be able to propose a definite policy.
The two candidates who are seeking to replace Costello in representing the 6th District also both issued statements on immigration issues ahead of and after the vote. Costello is not seeking re-election.
Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, who has stated that she supports a comprehensive immigration reform package that would address both the Dreamers and border security, highlighted the debate over whether to practice the “zero-tolerance” policy that led to the separation of hundreds of children from their parents as they tried to cross the border with Mexico.
“I was devastated by news that our government had separated more than 2,300 children from their parents at the border,” she said in a
statement released by her campaign. “The pain for them and for all of us will continue until those families are reunited.
“Unfortunately, neither of the bills considered in the past few weeks would have prohibited the return of family separation or seriously addressed any of the other challenges we face with our immigration system,” said Houlahan, of Easttown.
“Congress should come together on a bipartisan basis to pass meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that upholds our American values and our strength. I am calling for these actions now, but if Congress fails to act and I am elected, I will work with my colleagues in the next Congress to get this done,” she said.
Meanwhile, Republican Greg McCauley said he would support a bipartisan solution that would “emphasize compassion for undocumented immigrants while prioritizing the domestic economy and community safety.
“We should develop a program to issue renewable work visas to those who have been living in the shadows undocumented,” he said in a statement issued prior to Wednesday’s vote. “They can
become taxpayers and share the burden for social welfare programs, public education facilities and infrastructure they have already been utilizing. It is important to note this is not a path to amnesty or citizenship.
“Simultaneously our borders must be entirely secured,” he emphasized. “Homeland Security should receive whatever resources necessary to keep out dangerous drugs, including opioids, that flow into the country illegally through porous borders; porous borders are also a factor in the human trafficking epidemic and a terror risk.
“In the long run, it is in our best interest to move toward a merit-based system that evaluates fit between an applicant’s skills and our economy’s needs,” said McCauley, of Kennett Square. “Anyone should be encouraged to apply for U.S. citizenship, from any part of the world, for these merit-based openings.”
The Republican-led House resoundingly rejected the far-ranging immigration bill Wednesday despite an 11thhour endorsement by President Donald Trump, as the gulf between the GOP’s moderate and conservative wings proved too deep for leaders
to avert an awkward election-year display of division.
The bill was killed 301-121, with nearly half of Republicans opposing the measure. The depth of GOP opposition was an embarrassing showing for Trump and a rebuff of House leaders, who’d postponed the vote twice and proposed changes in hopes of driving up the tally for a measure that seemed doomed from the start.
Even if it passed, the bill rejected Wednesday would have been dead on arrival in the closely divided Senate, where Democrats have enough votes to kill it. House Democrats voted unanimously against it.
Besides creating a pathway to citizenship for some young immigrants, the defeated moderate bill would provide $25 billion for Trump to build his coveted wall on the border with Mexico. It would restrict familybased immigration and bar the Homeland Security Department from taking migrant
children from parents seized crossing into the country without authorization.
With television and social media awash with images and wails of young children torn from parents, many Republicans have wanted to pass a narrower measure addressing those separations before Congress leaves for its July Fourth break.
But that seemed unlikely. GOP aides said Republicans had yet to agree on bill language, and the effort was complicated by a federal judge who ordered that divided families be reunited within 30 days. Republicans have been working on legislation that would keep migrant families together by lifting a court-ordered, 20day limit on how long families can be detained.
This story includes information from the Associated Press.
To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610696-1544.