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Democrats involved in the efforts are in talks with leaders about how to proceed with the House immigration program, but decisions have yet to be made, according to several MPs and aides. Leaders of the Congressional Hispanic caucus still hold education seminars with various groups within the Democratic caucus, according to a member.
“There are two camps. One is that we should have three separate votes and one that says we should put them all together,” said a Democratic member who asked to speak on the substantive condition to discuss freely. internal caucus conversations. “It’s also not clear whether they want to try to do it in a purely partisan way or do they want to try to build bipartisan support for it?”
The question of order and timing is in part a calculation of what can really become law. While Democrats broadly support legalizing millions of immigrants who are already illegally in the country, as Biden’s proposal would, there is a risk in passing a radical bill in the House only to see it go. nowhere in the Senate.
Moderate Democrats, some of whom won the district elections Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020, fear voting on a comprehensive immigration bill without a clear path in the Senate could expose them to unnecessary attack . It is one thing, they argue, to vote on legislation that will become law, but it is another thing to vote only for messaging and face political attacks later.
Lawmakers involved in previous immigration overhaul attempts also concede that advancing Biden’s immigration measure is no easy task and instead focus on a piecemeal approach.
“If we look at the reality, I think we know it’s easier to get bipartisan support on the DREAM law and the farm plan,” said Democrat Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, citing two measures that had already passed by the House and which would bring relief to agricultural workers. and undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.
“I think we have a much better chance in these two areas, even though I support comprehensive immigration reform,” Cuellar said. “I don’t want to end with good intentions; I want to end with some kind of progress.”
One option could be to vote on the farm worker and dreamers bills separately and keep working to see if any changes could be made to the entire bill to garner Republican support across the board.
“In the abstract, my preference has been for a big, comprehensive bill that contains a lot of stuff and not piecemeal. It’s easier to do tough things when you do it that way,” said Representative Dan Kildee, a Democrat from Michigan.
“It’s the struggle, whether we just keep adopting things that start off as a statement of our values, knowing that we then have to step back to legislate, and there is some tension within the caucus,” he said. added Kildee.
Others argue that Democrats should take the opportunity as soon as possible.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, echoed this. “We want to make sure that we don’t give up on the possibility of a really comprehensive bill for these other bills. If we do these little pieces, does that mean we’re not going to end it?” Jayapal told CNN. “Let’s just push hard on all the different places.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, confirmed on a call with reporters this week that putting a bill on the House floor before March 8 is “in the process of being worked on. discussion ”, but he did not propose a timetable.
“It’s a hiccup where we have to figure out what’s going on on the floor, but ultimately it will come back to the Senate,” said a source close to the talks.
The Senate would need 10 Republican lawmakers to cross the aisle and vote for a comprehensive immigration bill, which doesn’t seem plausible following Trump’s recalibration of the party’s positions on immigration.
Immigrant advocates have stressed the need for a legislative overhaul after years of constant political change and executive action that have left millions of lives in limbo. They find themselves in the unusual position of supporting Biden’s bill and the vision it sets out, while acknowledging that there may be more success by taking smaller steps at this time.
“Our movement is so thirsty for a breakthrough this year that we are focusing on what will bring us today to the finish line with a decisive victory,” said Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice , an immigrant advocacy organization.
“It’s fine if you want to vote on it, but what we’re trying to do is build momentum that leads to a victory,” Sharry said, referring to Biden’s immigration bill. “It’s not really one or the other. It’s now and later.”
Jorge Loweree, director of policy at the American Immigration Council, noted how previous attempts at overhaul weigh on recent efforts to pass sweeping legislation.
“What is going on behind the scenes is a real-time assessment of what is possible in this particular Congress, right now. And that’s in response to how we’ve pursued immigration reform previously, which is all about putting it all together into one bill, rallying everyone behind and only to see it crumble, ”said Loweree.
In a letter to the White House obtained by CNN on Friday, a group of immigrant advocates urged the president to push Democratic lawmakers to “seek all possible avenues to respond without delay to immigrant communities,” starting with measures aimed at young immigrants, temporary protection status. farmers, essential workers and farm workers.
“With the passage of these bills in the House, we expect the White House to put its feet firmly on a strategy urging the Senate to adopt permanent solutions for young immigrants, GST holders and workers. agricultural. These are clear, achievable and immediate steps Democrats can take to set President Biden’s bill, and the broader citizenship goal for the 11 million undocumented immigrants, on the move, ”it reads. in the letter.
A member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus who requested anonymity to speak freely told CNN that a debate within the party on these types of issues is expected. “There is no major bill that comes to Congress where there is no internal debate on what exactly it should look like. It’s the same with this bill,” said the deputy.
Yet the message from immigrant advocacy groups in the United States is clear: “Just move on in March,” Sharry said.
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