The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director for America’s Voice:
“Speaker Ryan has said repeatedly that he wants to resolve the plight of Dreamers. Now is the moment of truth. If Ryan is serious about protecting Dreamers, he will assent to the “Queen of the Hill” process demanded by a majority of the House. If he refuses, he will go down as the man who enabled Trump’s nativism and put hundreds of thousands of young Americans on a path to deportation.
As for the Republicans in the House who are stepping up, we salute your effort, but we question whether this is about getting a floor vote or getting re-elected. If this is serious, you will translate your demands into a discharge petition, the forcing mechanism available to House members when leadership refuses to budge.
We desperately want Dreamers protected, and we desperately want the Hill to schedule floor votes as called for by the bipartisan group pushing for a Queen of the Hill process. But we are skeptical. The President and the GOP leadership has fought tooth and nail to keep a reasonable bipartisan deal from being enacted, and more moderate Republicans in the House have yet to show the backbone required to move the body into action. We hope that this time we move from letters and press conferences to courageous action and floor votes.”
