Democrats hint at petition drive to force immigration debate

The Washington Times ^ | February 13, 2014 | Stephen Dinan

[jazusamo]

House Democrats said Thursday they’ll soon launch an official petition drive to try to force Republicans to vote on Democrats’ immigration bill — but said even before that, they’ll try to force a vote on a minimum wage increase.

Emerging from a day of meetings at their policy retreat in Maryland, Democratic leaders said the minimum wage will come first because it’s the most central to their efforts to try to paint Republicans into a corner on income inequality. But, under fire from immigrant-rights advocates, Democrats said immigration will come soon after that.

The petition drives, known as “discharge petitions,” are a long-standing way for the minority party in the House to force action on their priorities, even though they don’t control the chamber. If they can get signatures of a majority of the members of Congress, the House has to bring up the legislation.

The point is to force Republicans to have to take a stand on thorny issues — in this case, both immigration and the minimum wage.

“They’ll get a chance, and they’ll get a chance in the relatively near future,” said House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat.

Democratic leaders are backing an immigration bill very similar to the version that passed the Senate last year, which would grant citizenship rights to most illegal immigrants while also rewriting the legal immigration system.

That bill has 192 Democratic sponsors, but just three Republican sponsors, making it questionable whether they will be able to reach the 218 needed to succeed in their petition drive.

Republicans dismissed the discharge effort, saying Democrats won’t be able to get enough support.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

And so, the Americans were made equal in misery and poverty, just like the Venezuelans . . .

Maryland "Freak State" PING!

[Bigg Red]

I hope they bring it, so we can see how many GOPes show their true colors.