The House GOP is teeing up a vote on H.R. 2, a hate group-backed bill filled to the brim with anti-asylum and anti-immigrant proposals — and Nebraska Republican Don Bacon stands to be a deciding vote in whether or not this odious and unworkable legislation advances.
Bacon has previously stated his support for creating “a safer clear legal pathway to emigrate to our country,” a pathway to permanent status for DACA recipients, and support for people seeking safer lives in the U.S. “For many immigrants, our country is a safe haven from the violence, poverty, and corruption they are genuinely fleeing from in their home countries, and we are seen all over the world as the ‘Land of the Free’ and the ‘Land of Opportunity.’” But H.R. 2 accomplishes none of this.
H.R. 2 is a nativist wish-list that offers no solutions to our nation’s broken immigration system, and instead proposes a slew of Trump-era proposals, including stripping unaccompanied minor children of critical protections. It’s unclear whether GOP leadership actually has the votes to pass this cruel agenda, but as part of their political theater, they’re staging a vote on May 11, the date that the Biden administration is scheduled to end Title 42.
This means all eyes are now on Bacon, who’s also among the Republicans that represent districts won by President Biden in the 2020 presidential election. If he’s truly solutions-focused, this bill isn’t it. Will he stand up to his party’s unworkable proposal -– or continue to empower the rhetoric and legislation pushed by the most extreme members of his caucus?
