Immigration reform legislation authored by Sixth District Republican Congressman Bob Goodlatte fell far short of a majority in a House vote on Wednesday.
Known as Goodlatte II, the bill, which would have provided a path to citizenship for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, DREAMers, as well as $25 billion for border security, including President Trump’s border wall, failed in a 301-121 vote.
Goodlatte commented on the failure Wednesday, calling the vote “disappointing,” then for some reason tried to shift blame for the failure on Democrats.
“(W)hat is most disappointing is that not a single Democratic member voted for either bill,” Goodlatte said. “Despite the bills not achieving a majority of votes individually, between the two votes, 223 Republicans voted for legislation to secure our borders, restore the rule of law, reduce chain migration, and provide a solution for the DACA problem. I am very encouraged that we have 223 Republicans willing to do the right thing and now we need to do the hard work of finding the right combination of these two bills that can get a majority of votes in the House.”
Republicans, of course, hold a majority in the House, and most observers are rightly pinning the failure of the two Goodlatte bills on Republicans.
Fourth District Democratic Congressman Donald McEachin, who voted against the bill, did so, he said in a statement, because “it would have codified many of President’s Trump’s harsh anti-immigration policies.”
More from McEachin:
“The bill did not guarantee that separated children would be reunited with their families, and it promoted long-term detention of children who are not separated. While the bill claimed to help DREAMers, it would have made the path to citizenship for these innocent young people incredibly complicated and convoluted. Even that byzantine path paved by this corrupt bill, could have vanished if President Trump’s border wall were not fully funded every year. The bill also sought devastating cuts to legal immigration by rolling back family-based migration, ending the diversity visa program, and reducing access to asylum—the time-honored ability for individuals in extreme danger to come to our country.
“Ryan’s bill was not the solution we need. We need immigration reform that is humane and consistent with our principles and history.”
Share
Contributors
