House Republican leaders agreed to hold a debate and vote on two competing legislative solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
On Tuesday night, House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office announced the deal to stop a rebellion within the GOP. Last month, moderate Republicans introduced a discharge petition to force a debate and vote on a series of DACA legislation.
In a statement, the House Speaker’s spokeswoman AshLee Strong said for several weeks, the members of the Republican Conference negotiated with each other directly and in good faith. “As a result, the House will consider two bills next week to avert the discharge petition and resolve the border security and immigration issues.”
Currently, there are at least five proposed DACA legislation including the Securing America’s Future Act. The House will debate on the bill together with another compromise measure, which Republican leaders are still putting together.
Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is the author of Securing America’s Future Act. President Donald Trump supports the bill because it will end chain migration and the Diversity Visa lottery program, strengthen border security, and increase green cards for skilled workers. It will provide temporary legal status (renewable) for undocumented young immigrants known as Dreamers.
Moderate Republicans remain committed to pursuing the discharge petition
Democrats and some Republicans oppose Goodlatte’s bill because of the drastic reduction to legal immigration and the protection for Dreamers is temporary.
