Immigration failure

Republicans brace for immigration failure

House GOP leaders are already considering action on a bill to address the family separation crisis if a broader measure is defeated.

By RACHAEL BADE

House GOP leaders — eager to move on from an immigration bill that has divided and distracted their members — are likely to hold a vote Wednesday on legislation that’s expected to fail by a wide margin.

In fact, Republicans are already considering their next move should the measure be defeated: a narrower measure addressing the family separation crisis at the border, which could see a vote later this week.

Senate Republicans may also try to pass legislation this week amid the firestorm over migrant children being separated from their parents under President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

But first, House GOP lawmakers are still working to try to build support for a “compromise” immigration package that can win over conservative and moderate Republicans.

Key negotiators and aides worked through the weekend on a provision championed by conservatives that they hope will garner more support from the far right. The E-Verify proposal, which requires all companies to certify the legal status of their workers, is controversial for moderate Republicans and members with agriculture-centered economies.

Top moderate negotiator Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) told Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) late last week that centrists would consider the matter if it would win their support.

But asked Monday whether conservatives and moderates had an agreement to add E-Verify, Denham said it was yet to be determined. Leaders weren’t sure yet whether the addition would add or lose them votes, so they intended to check with members to find out.

“We will whip it,” Denham said.

Rank-and-file Republicans seemed confused about the status of the bill. Legislative text has not been released, and members weren’t able to say how they’d vote.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the vote was probably going to be held on Wednesday, though it hasn’t been scheduled yet.

“Everything is a moving target,” said Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.). “I hear different rumors by the hour about what’s in, what’s out, what’s there, what’s not there. And then, when they have a bill I’d kinda like to know what the president thinks of it.”

It’s unclear that any of it will make much of a difference, however.

GOP sources on both sides of the intra-party debate told POLITICO Monday that even if changes are made, the bill will still go down amid conservative opposition.

"I would think fail right now," Meadows said on Fox News on Monday.

Denham later expressed confusion about Meadows’ prediction. “I don’t know why the HFC chair would be saying this if he is going to deliver the votes he promised,” Denham told reporters.

Democrats are roundly opposed to the legislation, which would fund President Donald Trump’s border wall and curb legal immigration while providing a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

GOP leaders aren’t surprised that the latest negotiations on the bill are likely to fall short. In fact, leaders hoped to hold the vote last week “to get it over with,” as one senior Republican source put it — well aware that the bill was probably dead.

But Speaker Paul Ryan agreed to delay the matter at the behest of some rank-and-file members who wanted more time to consider the legislation. Then Meadows and Denham announced another round of negotiations, bumping the vote into this week.

GOP leaders had hoped Trump would help boost support for the package, but he has undercut the effort repeatedly, including with tweets suggesting the bill isn’t worth passing in the House because it will simply run aground in the Senate.

Still, adding E-Verify is a significant concession from GOP leaders and centrists. For months, both groups have said adding the provision would blow up any bill because members would also need an agriculture guest workers program to help farmers adapt.

In fact, negotiators had agreed a few days ago to hold a vote on E-Verify and an agriculture program separately, worried it would tank the legislation. But conservatives have pushed to include it in the bill and moderates have relented.

“We are having a discussion about E-Verify and ag jobs, two more very important issues that we have yet to discuss so far, so we’re going to delay the vote until next week and see if we can come to an agreement on those two final issues,” Denham said recently.

Yet that won’t likely be enough to garner the support of the far right, who oppose anything that could be tagged as “amnesty.”

Conservatives have also expressed concerns about Dreamers sponsoring their parents for citizenship someday. Conservatives want explicit language in the bill barring that from happening. Moderates say that’s a non-starter.

As they brace for failure, GOP leaders are weighing stand-alone legislation that would allow Homeland Security officials to detain migrant kids and parents together and eliminate a 20-day ban on child detention.

House Republicans aren’t expected to unveil that plan until the broader immigration package fails, but a vote on the measure could happen later this week.

Senate Republicans are eyeing a similar course, with Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn telling reporters the Senate will try to pass a narrow bill on family separations this week.

“We should have done it last week,” the Texas Republican said.