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On Immigration Bill, So-called GOP House “Moderates” Gave Up Everything to Get Nothing

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A few weeks ago, a group of House Republicans the media has dubbed “the moderates” seemed to discover their backbones. Fed up with a leadership that ignores their needs and panders to the Freedom Caucus, they were on the verge of approving a discharge petition that would have compelled a bipartisan breakthrough on legislation pairing the Dream Act with workable border security measures.

Instead, they rejected the bipartisan path, followed their leadership down a rabbit hole, and ended up with nothing.

According to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice,

Instead of being champs, they turned out to be chumps. For all the heroic posturing and adoring media attention, they’ve been exposed as party hacks and gutless wonders.

Let’s call it the way we see it. The House Republicans aren’t interested in protecting Dreamers, they’re interested in protecting their Congressional seats. They try to make motion look like progress. They want credit for seeming like they were going to stand up to Trump and Ryan. In the end, they are not going to protect Dreamers. They played the game with their fellow Republicans who decided to hold the Dreamers hostage in hopes of pleasing the never-enough Freedom Caucus. In doing so, these so-called moderates, led by Jeff Denham (R-CA) and Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), turned their backs on a bipartisan solution and caved to the far right in exchange for, well, nothing. Nothing at all.

Their constituents should take notice. These guys are part of the party that ended DACA and refused to fix it. If you want Dreamers to be protected, better elect Democrats this year so next year the country has a Congressional majority dedicated to doing something more than posturing, preening and pretending.