Dem aide: Immigration bill 'a joke'
By Alexander Bolton - 01/09/15 05:06 PM EST
A House Republican-authored package rolling back President Obama’s executive order protecting millions of immigrants from deportation is dead on arrival in the Senate, senior Democratic aides say.
Senate Democratic sources characterized the legislation as a political gambit designed to throw red meat to conservative activists and said Democratic senators would feel no pressure to support it.
“It’s a joke. Not only will it not pass the Senate, it won’t put any pressure on Democrats because it’s way too far to the right,” said a senior Democratic aide.
“They’re trying to roll back something Democrats support and prevent them from doing anything in the future. Instead of selecting between different plans, they mush them together. It’s a hodgepodge of different conservative priorities,” the aide added.
Another senior Democratic aide said, “this bill won’t pass the Senate.”
“It’s embarrassing that the House Republican leadership has moved so far to the right that even their few remaining moderate members are leery of this bill,” the aide added.
House Republicans plan to attach several amendments to a bill funding the Department of Homeland Security that would reverse Obama’s executive immigration actions.
One would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which the president ordered during his 2012 reelection campaign. It halted deportations of illegal immigrants who came to the country at a young age and met certain requirements.
A second provision would prohibit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from using fees to fund Obama’s executive action protecting millions of additional immigrants from deportation. This would give congressional appropriators more discretion over immigration enforcement policies.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Republicans are acting on the bill now to give the Senate time to work through the issue.
"We have our body, we do our work. The Senate can do their work, and we can go to conference," McCarthy said. "The Senate has a majority over there now, of Republicans. I'm sure they can take some action on this, and then we can go to conference and figure out any differences that we have."
Senate Republicans pledge they will do everything possible to pick off centrist Democrats to support the House package, which is due to receive a vote next week.
Funding for the department runs out at the end of next month without congressional action, although some Republican aides argue that many Homeland Security personnel would be deemed essential and required to show up to work even if the bill stalls in the Senate.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/229089-dem-aide-immigration-bill-a-joke
