tags: , , , , , , Blog, Press Releases

There They Go Again: House Republicans Teeing Up Vote to End Programs Like DACA for DREAMers

Share This:

Tomorrow, House Republicans are planning floor action on the ENFORCE Act (HR 4138) and the Faithful Execution of the Law Act (HR 3973).  Both bills seek to strip the President’s executive authority.  In case there was any confusion about the intentions and implications of these bills, the House Judiciary Committee explicitly cited the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for DREAMers as a reason why both pieces of legislation are needed (see here and here).

The only vote allowed by House leadership on immigration this Congress was on a measure put forth by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to defund the DACA program and subject DREAMers to deportation.  All but six Republicans voted in favor of that amendment.  Tomorrow’s floor action doubles down on this precedent.

The renewed embrace of legislation high on the anti-immigrant movement’s wish list is particularly galling given Speaker John Boehner’s recent assertion that the House likely would not address immigration before the 2014 midterms.  Clearly that is not the case, as House Republicans are plenty comfortable pushing hardline immigration measures forward.  They’re just not willing to tackle positive, pro-reform initiatives supported by the vast majority of the public and designed to actually fix our broken immigration system.

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:

The House Republicans say they now get it on immigration reform, but the only immigration votes they’ve allowed this Congress would defund DACA, subject Dreamers to deportation and virtually eliminate the President’s use of executive authority.  As the old adage goes, actions speak louder than words.

RESOURCES: