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ICYMI: Rep. Will Hurd Must Do More Than Simply Introduce Legislation, He Has to Work to Get It Passed

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Rep. Hurd must push GOP leadership to protect Dreamers and get USA Act passed in the House

Austin, TX – A piece published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram outlines Rep. Will Hurd’s (TX-23) introduction of the USA Act, a bill that would protect DACA recipients from deportation and put them on a path to citizenship while providing some funds for border security.

Andrea Drusch’s piece also outlines the difficulty that Rep. Hurd will have in holding his perennial swing seat in a district that covers the largest swath of border between Mexico and the U.S. and that is majority Latino.

Mario Carrillo, Director of America’s Voice Texas, said:

Representative Hurd has an opportunity to show that he really stands with his constituents by doing everything he can to ensure that legislation to protect Dreamers passes through the House. Introducing a bill is a welcome step, but if he doesn’t push leadership, specifically Speaker Paul Ryan, to secure a floor vote on this bill, then it’s simply not enough.

Protecting Dreamers from deportation is not a controversial issue, and Rep. Hurd must decide if he will stand with Texans, or he’ll sit idly by while President Trump continues his efforts to push nativist immigration proposals that will never pass either chamber.

Below is an excerpt from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram piece from Andrea Drusch. Find the piece in its entirety here.

”Vulnerable Republican Rep. Will Hurd’s biggest challenge this year isn’t his Democratic opposition, his tough battleground district, or even separating himself from an unpopular president. It’s his own party’s agenda in Washington.

Congress is days away from its self-imposed deadline to reach a sweeping immigration deal that protects Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program beneficiaries from deportation and secures the nation’s southern border with Mexico.

Lawmakers are also dealing with an investigation into Russian election meddling, highlighted by the dramatic release of a House Intelligence Committee memo Friday afternoon.

Hurd will have his political skills tested as a major player in both dramas.

“The nonpartisan Cook Political Report counts Hurd’s district as one of the most vulnerable GOP-held Congressional seats. It’s ranked “lean Republican.”

Republican polling conducted in January and shared with the Star-Telegram found Hurd, who was re-elected by a one percentage point margin in 2016, in a strong position. Forty-four percent of voters viewed him favorably, while 27 percent viewed him unfavorably.

Trump, who lost Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 3 percentage points in Hurd’s district, was viewed favorably by 41 percent and unfavorably by 48 percent.

Republicans say Hurd’s worked hard to personally maintain independence from Trump, even if that gap widens. Independence from Trump’s legislative agenda, however, is another question.”