Wall Street Journal
By Corey Boles
June 6, 2013
House lawmakers voted to stop the Obama administration from suspending deportations of young illegal residents who were brought to the country by their parents as children, in the first House vote on an immigration-related measure this year.
The House vote was 224-201, with most Republicans voting in favor of the bill and all but three Democrats voting to oppose it. It was attached to a spending bill that would set in place funding for the Department of Homeland Security in fiscal 2014, beginning on Oct. 1.
As it was attached to a spending bill, the amendment would prevent the administration from spending any money to implement the program that gives temporary protection to young illegal immigrants.
The bill is almost certain to not become law because it is extremely unlikely to be taken up by the Democratic-controlled Senate. But it is the first time House lawmakers have cast a vote on an immigration-related matter since the debate on how to overhaul the country’s laws began earlier this year.
“Bipartisan support for my amendment is the first test of the 113th Congress in the House of Representatives on immigration,” said Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa), the author of the measure and a prominent opponent of an overhaul of immigration laws. “My amendment blocks many of the provisions that are mirrored in the Senate’s ‘Gang of Eight’ bill.
Mr. King has pledged to do everything he can to kill the Senate bill if it is passed by that chamber’s lawmakers and was ever brought to the House floor for consideration.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement that the amendment was “extreme” and would remove “protections” from young people.
“This amendment, sponsored by Representative Steve King, runs contrary to our most deeply-held values as Americans,” said Mr. Carney. “It asks law enforcement to treat these Dreamers the same way as they would violent criminals. It’s wrong. It’s not who we are. And it will not become law.”
Three of the GOP lawmakers who supported the measure were Republicans who have been involved in bipartisan negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on immigration legislation in the House. GOP Reps. John Carter and Sam Johnson of Texas are still part of the group of lawmakers in the talks, while Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho decided Wednesday night to quit the talks.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) told reporters that she didn’t believe the vote was “indicative of where the House will be on immigration” when it came to a comprehensive bill, saying the bill was a reflection of lawmaker opposition to a specific aspect of an overhaul of immigration laws.
Last year, President Barack Obama instructed federal law officials to halt deportations against young people under the age of 30 who came to the U.S. under the age of 16, have been here for at least five years, haven’t committed a major crime and have either a high-school degree, equivalency certificate or have served in the military.
They will be eligible for a renewable two-year period of “deferred action,” during which they may apply for work permits and wouldn’t be deported. Ms. Pelosi said that around half a million people had applied for the period of deferral, and that around 300,000 had already been approved.
Advocates of a modernization of U.S. immigration laws were quick to decry the House vote.
“When uncontrolled, House Republicans are willing to destroy the lives of DREAMers in a play to a dwindling base of anti-immigrant Republican primary voters,” said Ana Avendano, assistant to AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and director of immigration and community action at the group of labor unions. “We hope and expect that the leadership of the Republican party will understand that this is not only abhorrent policy but suicidal politics.”
DREAMers is the name given to these young people by lawmakers and advocates who support their being allowed to stay in the country legally.
In the Senate, a senior Democratic leadership aide said formal debate on the Senate immigration bill would begin on Friday, but a key test vote would occur on Tuesday afternoon.
That vote would enable the Senate to begin considering amendments on the bill, and was expected to be successful. The final outcome of the Senate bill remained unclear, as even one of its Republican proponents – Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida – said its border security provisions had to be strengthened before it could pass the Senate.
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) meanwhile told reporters that he hoped the House Judiciary Committee would have a bill or series of bills ready for the full House’s consideration by the end of June. The House strategy on an immigration overhaul remains unclear, although it is looking increasingly likely that GOP leaders hope to get to a bill passed by the House simply to kick start wider negotiations on a final bill with the Senate.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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