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 Oregon Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer stands to be a deciding vote in whether or not this odious and unworkable legislation advances.
Chavez-DeRemer’s Congressional biography describes her family’s immigration story and her desire “to ensure future generations are afforded the same opportunities that my family had,” noting she seeks “common ground to support safe and legal immigration to ensure those who want to enter our country legally can do so.” But supporting H.R. 2 could deny many today their chance at the American Dream.
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 Chavez-DeRemer, who’s also among the Republicans that represent districts won by President Biden in the 2020 presidential election. If she’s truly solutions-focused, this bill isn’t it. Will she stand up to her party’s unworkable proposal — or continue to empower the rhetoric and legislation pushed by the most extreme members of her caucus?
