Republican members of the House of Representatives had their high noon meeting to discuss immigration and DACA last Thursday, June 7 but the meeting ended without resolution. Officially there are 215 votes on a discharge petition that would force a vote on four immigration bills. Leaders of the effort say they have the 3 additional votes if they need them by Tuesday.
Members of the Republican caucus met behind closed doors, led by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) in an effort to reach a compromise on what should be in a Republican deal. Ryan has said it must be supported by the President and that would likely mean at least enforcement if not funding for a wall as well as other restrictions on immigration. After the session there were mixed messages with some of the moderate members feeling they had made progress and some more conservative members not as positive. Negotiations continued over this weekend. Members forcing the discharge led by Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Congressman Jeff Denham (R-CA) among others have delayed getting the three more signatures with a deadline of Tuesday. By that time, they need to have the 218 or miss a potential vote on June 25 and be forced to wait until late July.
If they get the 218 then the petition would wait another seven legislative days (which could still allow for additional compromise or a substitute) and then a vote would take place on June 25. If that happens four different bills would be voted on with only the one with the highest yes votes (and passage) going over to the Senate. It is also possible that they file the 218 discharge votes and then continue to negotiate a substitute bill by June 25—the most likely outcome. Then they would have to go through another process to pull back on the discharge petition.
Various proposals and counter proposals have been leaked about what might be in a Republican-only package, a complex path to citizenship for DACA-covered young people, a border wall with some the $25 billion to pay for it, other restrictions on immigration. Increasing reports of families being pulled apart at the border and being separated but hundreds of miles is likely to surface if a deal is struck by House Republicans. If it is a Republican-only deal it would likely have to have few Republican defections. If that deal or any other passes, it may not get any attention from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
For more information see the 2018 CWLA agenda and Protect the Dreamers.
