Mediaboss Marketing

Politics Congress House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. meets with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2014. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

House Democrats on Wednesday introduced a petition to force a vote on the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate last year but stalled in the GOP-controlled House.

The so-called discharge petition, if successful, would force the chamber to vote on legislation Republican leaders have said they have no intention of bringing up, preferring a piecemeal approach to the contentious issue. A majority of the House, or 218 members, would have to support the petition in order to force a vote, which is unlikely even by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosis own estimation.

But President Barack Obama welcomed the move.

Last year, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to pass a commonsense bill to fix our broken immigration systema bill that would grow our economy, shrink our deficits, and reward businesses and workers that play by the rules, Obama said in a statement. But so far, Republicans in the House have refused to allow meaningful immigration reform legislation to even come up for a vote. Thats why, today, I applaud the efforts of Democrats in the House to give immigration reform the yes-or-no vote it deserves.

The Senate-passed bill would secure the nations borders and provide an earned pathway to citizenshipa move opposed by conservative Republicans who decry it as amnesty. Democrats on Wednesday also touted a new finding by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office score that it would cut the deficit by $900 billion over 20 years.

Well never get to 218 on the discharge petition, Pelosi, a California Democrat, told Sirius XM Radio at an event earlier this month. Because the Republicans generally wont sign, but the fact that it is there and the outside mobilization is saying all we want is a vote.

House Speaker John Boehners only response on Wednesday was a wry statement from his spokesman. We agree with Rep. Pelosi, spokesman Michael Steel said, referring to Pelosis admission that the discharge petition wont succeed.

If the bill were to ever come to the floor it would likely pass with mostly-Democratic support and the backing of some 40 Republicans who have voted for similar measures in the past. But no Republicans are willing to embarrass their leadership on an issue the majority of the conference clearly doesnt support. The three GOP cosponsors of the Democratic immigration bill in the House have said they would not sign the discharge petition.

All that means Wednesdays move will amount to little more than political posturing, a show of support for Latino and immigrant groups by Democrats meaning to shame Republicans on the issue ahead of the midterm elections.

Read this article:

Democrats Look to Force Vote on Immigration Reform

Washington Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, objected repeatedly Wednesday to an attempt by Democrats to bring comprehensive immigration reform to the House floor.

A line of Democrats waited in the House to ask for the consent of the chamber to put immigration reform up for a vote, a calculated effort to show support for passing the legislation, which has lingered without action for months.

Bishop, who held control of the Republican majoritys time on the House floor, was there to talk about his legislation to ensure a presidential declaration under the Antiquities Act goes through environmental reviews. He appeared annoyed at the Democrats attempt to change the subject.

"I would be happy to talk about the bill that is before us because its a wonderful bill," Bishop said after objecting several times to requests to yield the time to talk about immigration.

Democrats have argued the immigration bill which would create a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 12 million people who are in the country without legal paperwork would pass if it were up for a vote in the House.

The GOP majority, however, has declined to bring it up.

In another tactic, Democrats are proposing a "discharge petition," which would force the House to take up immigration reform. That effort would require the signatures of 218 House members to force House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to hold a vote.

Immigration supporters tried procedural moves, too.

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., asked Bishop how many more members needed to come forward before the Utah Republican would allow the House to talk about immigration reform.

Bishop said he was happy to talk about the "issue that is at hand," his Antiquities Act measure, and began heralding his legislation before Polis interrupted, saying his Utah counterpart was wading into an "arcane issue" while avoiding the pressing concern about immigration.

More:

Bishop objects as Dems push immigration reform

President Barack Obama formally endorsed a long-shot legislative gambit from House Democrats aimed at forcing a vote on comprehensive immigration reform as he blamed House Republicans for stalling an overhaul.

In a three-paragraph statement, Obama said he applauds the strategy from Democrats to use a discharge petition to get a vote on immigration reform legislation. A successful petition needs 218 signatures a threshold all but certain to not be reached.

Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our security and our future, Obama said. A vast majority of the American people agree. The only thing standing in the way is the unwillingness of Republicans in Congress to catch up with the rest of the country.

(Also on POLITICO:Ryan: Immigration a 'when,' not 'if')

Obamas statement released the same day that the discharge petition was filed is unusual. The White House did not release similar statements when House Democrats deployed the tactic on two occasions this year to raise the federal minimum wage and extend unemployment insurance.

A discharge petition forces House leaders to put legislation on the floor for a vote. It needs a majority of House members, or 218 signatures, to succeed. Such efforts are rarely successful because signing the petition is considered a sign of disloyalty for a member of the majority party.

Even if all 199 sitting Democrats endorse the immigration discharge petition, it would still need 19 GOP signatures.

Though they have hinted at the effort for weeks, House Democrats on Wednesday formally launched the discharge petition effort to force a vote on a sweeping bill much like the version that passed the Senate, except that it scales back its so-called border surge provisions. During an outdoor rally in unusually frigid and snowy March weather, a slew of House Democrats and immigration activists urged support for the legislative strategy and pressed for a floor vote on reform.

Every day that you refuse to act is another day that 1,100 families are torn apart by senseless deportations, said actress and activist America Ferrera in a message directed at House Republicans. So we are here, demanding a vote for the families dreading that knock on the door, hoping and praying that they will not be one of the 1,100 today.

On Wednesday, aides to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) noted comments made by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier this month, acknowledging that Democrats will not secure the necessary signatures. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said simply: We agree with Rep. Pelosi.

Original post:

Obama backs Dem immigration push

Eliseo Medinaof Fast for Families greets the crowd of Young American Dreamers and other supporters as he steps off the bus during a stop at the Farmworker Center in Auburndale on Tuesday.

AUBURNDALE | Many in the Auburndale neighborhood might not have understood the cries of "Si, se puede" coming from a crowd of several dozen people about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

They probably would have understood the English version: Yes, we can.

A crowd of mostly young people met a bus from Fast for Families: A Call for Immigration Reform and Citizenship, a nationwide advocacy group that stopped in Polk County to promote its cause. It included an earlier stop at the Lakeland office of U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, to press for action in the U.S. House of Representatives on comprehensive immigration reform.

The welcome rally assembled outside 318 W. Bridgers Ave., the headquarters for Centro Campesino, a social services ministry for local farmworkers, where they ate a lunch of tacos, beans and rice. Most of the welcomers were from Young American Dreamers, an Auburndale-based organization advocating for young people denied education and other benefits because their parents brought them to the U.S. illegally as children.

The nationwide tour started on Feb. 24 with two buses, this one on a southern route and the other through northern states, according to its website, http://fast4families.org. The tour will end April 9 at a Washington, D.C., rally.

Eliseo Medina, a tour organizer and former secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union, said they asked Ross to take one of three actions:

Call for a vote on the U.S. Senate immigration reform bill that passed last year but has stalled in the House.

Call for a vote on H.R. 15, a House measure similar to the Senate bill but with different language on border security issues.

Support a bill based on an agreement reached last year by the House "Gang of Eight," a bipartisan group of representatives.

See the original post:

Advocacy Group, Pushing for Reform on Immigration, Stops in Polk During Bus Tour

House Democrats Hold a Press Conference to Push For Immigration Reform
Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) and Vice Chair Joe Crowley (NY-14) will be joined by Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Judy Chu (CA-27...

By: HouseDems

Read the rest here:

House Democrats Hold a Press Conference to Push For Immigration Reform - Video