As momentum builds around the House discharge petition, an attempt spearheaded by Republicans to resolve their party’s created Dreamer crisis, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (WI-01) has issued yet another vague, empty promise for an immigration bill. This is just his latest thinly veiled attempt to squander a bipartisan solution for Dreamers and save the day for anti-immigrant zealots President Trump and Representative Bob Goodlatte (VA-06).
According to Pili Tobar, America’s Voice Managing Director,
“Paul Ryan has done nothing but talk out of both sides of his mouth and make promises, while doing everything in his power to kill a solution for Dreamers. Reality check, Ryan is not going to willingly help Dreamers. For Ryan, a bipartisan solution means a Goodlatte-Trump bill. So, Republicans have a choice to make: sign the discharge petition and stand with the majority of Americans and pass legislation to protect Dreamers, or allow retiring Speaker Paul Ryan to permanently define the GOP as the Party of Dream Killers. Any moderate Republican, who claims to stand with Dreamers, has to prove it and sign up for the discharge petition, otherwise, they’re no different than Trump, Ryan, Goodlatte, and the rest of their anti-immigrant colleagues.”
The discharge petition could provide a saving grace for the party that ended DACA and created the original crisis; furthered the problem with countless, pointless lawsuits; and has so far failed to pass a legislative solution, despite controlling all three chambers. As the Wall Street Journal editorial board noted, “House Republicans would show they’re sincere about solving the DACA problem, and voting would give vulnerable Members some inoculation against liberal attacks. This could be the difference between winning or losing.”
America’s Voice Communications Manager Juan Escalante said,
“Let’s review: in January 2017, Paul Ryan told Angelica Villalobos, a Dreamer, not to worry about being deported and insisted, ‘We have to find a way to make sure that you can get right with the law.’ Now, Paul Ryan is doing everything in his power to block any meaningful Dreamer legislation from passing the House of Representatives. The Speaker is retiring, and, before he joins the ranks of forgotten and two-faced politicians who did nothing to help the majority of Americans, he should at least have the decency to allow a vote to protect some of America’s best and brightest, the Dreamers.”
