GOP to try again on border

The Hill ^ | August 1, 2014 | Cristina Marcos

[Cincinatus' Wife]

House Republicans will try again on Friday to pass legislation responding to the wave of child immigrants crossing the border.

A day after pulling a $659 million measure from their schedule, Republicans emerged from a conference meeting saying they expected the House to vote on two separate bills Friday to address the border crisis.

The House was scheduled to begin a five-week recess on Thursday night, but members were abruptly called back after rank-and-file lawmakers said the chamber should not adjourn without voting on legislation.

The Senate has begun its recess after failing to approve its own $2.7 billion border bill on Thursday night. Republicans in the House hope that if they can approve their measure, it will give them a political win over the Senate and President Obama.

GOP aides confirmed members are talking about two votes, one on a funding bill and the other on legislation that would prevent the administration from expanding a program that defers deportations of certain undocumented people who came to the United States as children.

Republicans have blamed that program on the influx of unaccompanied children, mostly from Central America, at the border.

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said he expected the votes would be held by evening, though timing is fluid. "I think it'll be over before it gets dark tonight," he said.

The House GOP was set to vote on similar bills on Thursday, and it appears both measure could be changed to mollify conservatives who were opposed to the legislation.

Several conservatives struck an optimistic tone on Friday heading into a conference meeting, saying it was possible their votes could be won if they like the changes they see.

But those same lawmakers said they needed to see language before they would commit.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, said he was inclined to back the bill if the changes came through to his liking. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) struck a similar cautious bent.

"We worked out some agreements on things," he said heading into the meeting. "If they put it in the same hands that took Kay Granger's principles...it'll be a problem."

[jimbo123]

Cornyn and McCain are the new point people to attach the gang of 8 amnesty bill to the House bill. McConnell is in hiding now. Cornyn is acting as is he knows McConnell is going to lose.

[Tennessee Nana]

however there are not enough reps there today to make a quorum so hopefully it was the Democrats who got out of town yesterday...

[jimbo123]

John Cornyn and John McCain are already working on conferencing this bill with the gang of 8 amnesty bill so they can pass it in September. Mitch McConnell is letting them do the dirty work.

[Paine in the Neck]

Yep. Cornyn figures he’s safe in Nov. McConnell is in a tight spot so Cornyn is flying cover for him.

[xzins]

“We’re finding problems in the bill that would be caught and addressed if there were more time,” he said. He referred, more than once, to the highlighted copy of H.R. 5160 he had tucked under his arm — a draft tagged with a hand-scrawled note designating it “The good Cruz/Blackburn bill that actually prevents funding/resources” — but stressed that he’s anxious to examine the final product. “We’re being asked to commit to bills that have not been drafted yet,” he said.

From the article: They're trusting 'promises' and will vote on an 'unwritten' bill? This is supposed to be better??

Are they nuts!?

[Major Matt Mason]

If this is split into two separate bills, then this is all just political theater. The funding bill will land on King Putt's desk while the enforcement bill will go nowhere in the Senate, and Boehner and the GOP will once again end up with egg on their faces.

[mrsmith]

The arrticle has been updated since this morning and it sounds like Boehner has ruined the bill.
It;s the same garbage they tried to pass last night with an extra 35 million for NG on the border.

Idiots twisting arms instead of writing a good bill.